2003 Food City 500

43rd Food City 500:

Welcome to Food City 500, held at Bristol Motor Speedway, which is in the state of Tennessee. This track of 0.686 miles is one of the smallest of the calendar, and always delivers high disputes and cars always together during the 500-lap race.

In qualifying, Kurt Busch got the pole for 3 milliseconds. It was he who dictated the pace of the race, and put the house in order.



The start was normal, with no problems. Only on lap five there was an accident on the backstretch involving seven cars (#14, #24, #29, #31, #40, #45 and #89). Jeff Gordon gave a slight bump in Robby Gordon, and Kevin Harvick rotate and hit the wall. Kyle Petty was arrested in hit, Morgan Shepherd and Larry Foyt had unrecognizable damage. Sterling Marlin already had problems around the rear end.

The restart came without problems and the real race began: extreme traffic and disputes in 90% of the track. Kurt Busch fired in front of the second place, when he came the second yellow flag: Tony Stewart hit the inner wall of the track and had to leave the Food City 500. Stewart was a name tipped for victory, as was third and a great race pace.

The restart came again, and Kurt Busch was in the lead by turns until a third yellow flag for debris occur. We had the second round of pit stops. As the traffic in Bristol until yellow flag is intense, problems occurred at the exit of the pits, it was closed.



Then Matt Kenseth took the lead and emerged a Jack Roush domain until lap 282, when control passed to Ford. Dave Blaney took the lead and stayed there for eight laps when the lead back to Kenseth.

A few minutes later came the fourth yellow flag (for debris again) and started a huge movement in the pit-lane. All drivers stopped to get repairs and gas/new tires.



On lap 303, the restart of the race came again and Kurt Busch was in the lead for 70 laps when Rusty Wallace surpassed. Came a yellow flag for debris, Rusty back in the lead and another yellow flag came three laps later. Larry Foyt hit along with Mark Martin and Morgan Shepherd, with all suffering major damage.

Wallace back in front, but a few laps later was passed by Kurt Busch. That would be the ultimate overdrive that defined the winner. On lap 454 Jeff Gordon crashed and abandoned, and even after the restart Busch was in the lead.

To close the race, Johnny Benson and Jeremy Mayfield beat alone on the last lap, generating the final yellow flag and throwing away chances of top 5 and top 10 respectively. This ensured the victory Kurt Busch, the second in 2003.