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Date November 16, 2003 (2003-November-16) Location Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida Course Permanent racing facility
1.5 mi (2.4 km) Distance 267 laps, 400.5 mi (644.5 km) Weather Temperatures reaching up to 80.6 °F (27.0 °C); with wind speeds reaching up to 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) Average speed 116.868 miles per hour (188.081 km/h) | ||
The 2003 Ford 400 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on November 16, 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida.
Summary
It took almost three and a half hours for Bobby Labonte to defeat Kevin Harvick by nearly 1.8 seconds in front of 75000 fans. The race was dominated by Bill Elliott, who lead 189 out of 267 laps, but he cut a tire on the next to last turn of the last lap while leading and finished 8th. NASCAR officials handed out ten cautions for 60 laps while 21 different changes in the lead position were made. Matt Kenseth would earn the last-place position on the 28th lap of this 267-lap racing event. Drivers who failed to make the race were: Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, Mike Wallace, Derrike Cope, and Rich Bickle. The race was plagued with oil issues and accidents while debris caused only one caution throughout the race. Despite Kenseth's last-place finish, he would go on to clinch the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship after this race.
Jamie McMurray would qualify for the pole position driving at speeds up to 181.111 miles per hour (291.470 km/h) while the average speed for the actual race was 116.868 miles per hour (188.081 km/h). This race was also Ron Hornaday Jr.'s last NASCAR Winston Cup Series race until Atlanta in 2015.