KURT BUSCH WINS FORD 400
Homestead, FL - Kurt Busch started on the pole and led the first 10 laps. But, it wasn't until the final 10 laps when Kurt took the lead again. From that point, there was no one else to challenge him as he won the last race of the 2002 season.
After Roush teammate Matt Kenseth's engine gave out on lap 226, Kurt used a page out of the #17 DeWalt Ford playbook and took on only 2 tires. Ryan Newman in the #12 Alltel Ford decided not to pit and Jimmie Johnson in the #48 Lowes Chevrolet took gas only. It didn't take long for the #97 Rubbermaid Ford to catch and pass both of these drivers to win his 4th victory this year.
Aside from the problem with Matt Kenseth's engine failure, the Roush drivers once again surged to the front of the field. Mark Martin was battling a loose condition in the #6 Viagra Ford and trying to win a championship at the same time. Although he made a valiant effort, coming from 36th to finish 4th in the race, he was unable to overcome the point deficit. He finished 2nd overall in the championship.
Another Roush driver, Jeff Burton brought the #99 Citgo Ford in to a 3rd place finish in the race. He is looking forward to putting together a great car for the 2003 season.
There were some huge disappointments at the end of the day. For the first time in 16 years, Rusty Wallace was unable to win at least one race in the #2 Miller Lite Ford. He did finish 7th in championship points. Dale Earnhardt, Jr had hoped that starting on the outside pole would mean a good day for the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet. Unfortunately, a bad valve spring caused Jr. to fall back. He was unable to move up to 10th in the points standings which would have allowed him to make an appearance on stage at the Championship Banquet. He finished the season 11th in points behind Ricky Rudd.
Although the 2002 season is over, there will be a lot of work to do. All 4 manufacturers will have new body templates for the 2003 season. The number of tests allowed for each team will drop from 7 to 5. NASCAR has also promised to look into the overcrowding in the garage area. They must come up with a plan that will allow the teams the space they need to prepare for the races and still remain fan friendly.
We look forward to our official launch in February 2003. Check back with us as we develop a site we hope everyone will enjoy. Feel free to send us an email with your questions. We would be happy to try and get the answers for you.
Happy Holidays to all!
Article by S. Kipple
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