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2002 Daytona 500

Race details
Race 1 of 36 in the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Daytona International Speedway
Date	February 17, 2002 (2002-02-17)
Location	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida
Course	Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km)
Distance	200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km)
Average speed	130.810 miles per hour (210.518 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Jimmie Johnson	Hendrick Motorsports
Qualifying race winners
Duel 1 Winner	Jeff Gordon	Hendrick Motorsports
Duel 2 Winner	Michael Waltrip	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.
Most laps led
Driver	Sterling Marlin	Chip Ganassi Racing
Laps	78
Winner
No. 22	Ward Burton	Bill Davis Racing
Television in the United States
Network	NBC
Announcers	Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach Jr.
Nielsen Ratings	10.9/26 (18.8 million viewers)

The 2002 Daytona 500, the 44th running of the event, was held on February 17 at Daytona International Speedway. The race was won by Ward Burton. Rookie Jimmie Johnson won the pole, with fellow Daytona 500 rookie Kevin Harvick qualifying second, the first time the field would be led by two first-time Daytona 500 drivers. The race was the last for long-time veteran driver Dave Marcis.

As part of the television contract signed at the end of the 2000 NASCAR season, the 2002 Daytona 500 was televised by NBC. Allen Bestwick provided the play-by-play in the booth alongside color commentators Benny Parsons (1973 nascar champion and 1975 daytona 500 champion) and Wally Dallenbach, Jr.(also a NASCAR racer that never won a race at all). The prerace show was hosted by Bill Weber, who reported from the pits with Matt Yocum, Marty Snider, and Dave Burns. This was the first time NBC televised the Daytona 500.

Race summary

Early favorite Tony Stewart was struck with an engine failure on lap 3. Another favorite, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., cut a tire at lap 23 after running over debris in second position, which prompted the race's first yellow flag. He managed to come through the pack into the Top 10 with a new nose after the tire tore up the right-front fender. On lap 79, Dave Marcis had engine problems causing him to exit the race, which brought his Winston Cup career to an end. Just before halfway, Earnhardt Jr. got into more trouble when his brakes failed as he tried to pit bringing out a third caution. On the following restart Brett Bodine spun off Kenny Wallace's bumper, and the yellow flag came back out.

On lap 138 rookie Shawna Robinson and Mike Skinner touched exiting Turn 2, bringing out the fifth yellow flag of the race. But the course of the race took a twist on Lap 148 when contact between Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick (racing in the Top 5) triggered The Big One, collecting 18 cars. Contenders Matt Kenseth, Ricky Rudd, Ken Schrader, John Andretti, Jerry Nadeau, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr (his third problem in the race) were eliminated.

On a restart with 5 laps to go, 1997 and 1999 winner Jeff Gordon led '94 and '95 winner Sterling Marlin. A chain reaction began in the 8th or 9th position after someone missed a gear. 5 cars were damaged, including Michael Waltrip who spun into the pits and nearly hit the pace car being driven by Jay Leno. Up front Marlin came through the gears a bit quicker than Gordon, and took his momentum to the inside. Gordon went to block, but only turned himself. Marlin just beat Ward Burton to the yellow flag, but on the backstretch during the red flag, he got out of the car and pulled on his damaged fender. NASCAR rules forbid work of ANY kind occurring under a red flag, except for non-points events. Thus he was penalized before the restart. South Boston's Ward Burton and Emporia's Elliott Sadler (for the Wood Brothers from Stuart) were first and second for the state of Virginia. 1986 winner Geoffrey Bodine was the feel-good story of the day, finishing third at the track that nearly claimed his life in a 2000 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, which was Phoenix Racing's best finish until winning with Brad Keselowski at the 2009 Aaron's 499.

Ward Burton's Daytona 500 win was the first for Dodge since 1974, when Richard Petty won.

Results

1. 22-Ward Burton, Led 5 Laps
2. 21-Elliott Sadler
3. 09-Geoffrey Bodine
4. 97-Kurt Busch, Led 16 Laps
5. 15-Michael Waltrip, Led 20 Laps
6. 6-Mark Martin
7. 12-Ryan Newman*
8. 40-Sterling Marlin, Led 78 Laps
9. 24-Jeff Gordon, Led 19 Laps
10. 10-Johnny Benson
11. 9-Bill Elliott
12. 99-Jeff Burton, Led 2 Laps
13. 31-Robby Gordon
14. 88-Dale Jarrett, Spun
15. 48-Jimmie Johnson*, 1 Lap down
16. 11-Brett Bodine, 1 Lap down
17. 32-Ricky Craven, 1 Lap down
18. 2-Rusty Wallace, 2 Laps down
19. 30-Jeff Green, 3 Laps down
20. 5-Terry Labonte, (Accident)
21. 33-Mike Wallace, 7 Laps down
22. 92-Robert Pressley, 190 Laps (Engine Failure)
23. 4-Mike Skinner, 10 Laps down
24. 49-Shawna Robinson*, 13 Laps down
25. 77-Dave Blaney, 14 Laps down
26. 36-Ken Schrader, 21 Laps down; Led 46 Laps
27. 14-Stacy Compton, 22 Laps down
28. 25-Jerry Nadeau, 174 Laps (Accident Damage); Led 3 Laps
29. 8-Dale Earnhardt, Jr, 29 Laps down
30. 1-Kenny Wallace, 39 Laps down
31. 66-Todd Bodine, 42 Laps down
32. 55-Bobby Hamilton, 44 Laps down
33. 17-Matt Kenseth, 154 Laps (Accident); Led 4 Laps
34. 18-Bobby Labonte, 153 Laps (Overheating); Led 3 Laps
35. 7-Casey Atwood, 153 Laps
36. 29-Kevin Harvick *, 148 Laps (Accident); Led 3 Laps
37. 43-John Andretti, 148 Laps (Accident); Led 1 Lap
38. 28-Ricky Rudd, 148 Laps (Accident)
39. 19-Jeremy Mayfield, 148 Laps (Accident)
40. 26-Joe Nemechek, 148 Laps (Accident)
41. 45-Kyle Petty, 146 Laps (Engine Failure)
42. 71-Dave Marcis, 79 Laps (Engine Failure)
43. 20-Tony Stewart, 2 Laps (Engine Failure).

Failed to qualify:

• 41-Jimmy Spencer
• 23-Hut Stricklin
• 44-Buckshot Jones
• 16-Greg Biffle
• 90-Rick Mast
• 59-Bobby Gerhart
• 02-Hermie Sadler
• 85-Carl Long*
• 84-Norm Benning
• 80-Kirk Shelmerdine

NOTE: Kevin Harvick was a Daytona 500 rookie in this race because he did not join the Winston Cup series until the second race of the 2001 season, the Dura-Lube 400 at Rockingham. Harvick took over after Dale Earnhardt was killed in the 500.

• 2002 in Florida
• 2002 in NASCAR
• NASCAR races at Daytona International Speedway