2002 Sharpie 500
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| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 24 of 36 in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series | |||
 The 2002 Sharpie 500 program cover. | |||
| Date | August 24, 2002 | ||
| Official name | 42nd Annual Sharpie 500 | ||
| Location | Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 0.533 miles (0.858 km) | ||
| Distance | 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.89 km) | ||
| Scheduled distance | 500 laps, 266.5 mi (428.89 km) | ||
| Average speed | 77.097 miles per hour (124.076 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Hendrick Motorsports | ||
| Time | 15.470 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 235 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | TNT | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Radio in the United States | |||
| Radio | Performance Racing Network | ||
The 2002 Sharpie 500 was the 24th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 42nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 24, 2002, in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon, driving for Hendrick Motorsports, would complete a bump-and-run with less than three to go on eventual second-place finisher, Penske Racing driver Rusty Wallace, to win his 59th career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first of the season.[1][2] To fill out the podium, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish third. But the race became notable for it being a night of tempers were there was 4 different instances where drivers showed their tempers to other drivers.
Entry list
The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.
- (R) denotes rookie driver.
Practice
Originally, three practice sessions were going to be held, with all three being held on Friday, August 23. However, due to a long rain delay during qualifying, the second practice session was canceled.[3]
First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, August 23, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for two hours.[3] Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.420 and an average speed of 124.436 mph (200.260 km/h).[4]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 15.420 | 124.436 |
| 2 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 15.507 | 123.738 |
| 3 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 15.526 | 123.586 |
| Full first practice results | ||||||
Final practice
The final practice session was held on Friday, August 23, at 6:15 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes.[3] Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.790 and an average speed of 121.520 mph (195.567 km/h).[5]
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman (R) | Penske Racing | Ford | 15.790 | 121.520 |
| 2 | 9 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 15.889 | 120.763 |
| 3 | 30 | Jeff Green | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 15.985 | 120.037 |
| Full Final practice results | ||||||
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, August 23, at 3:05 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap.[3] Positions 1-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[6]
Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 15.470 and an average speed of 124.034 miles per hour (199.613 km/h).[7]
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Hermie Sadler, Carl Long, Morgan Shepherd, and Tim Sauter.