2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup began on Saturday February 8 and ended on Sunday November 16. Matt Kenseth with Roush Racing driving a Ford was crowned the Winston Cup champion, despite winning only one race all year. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second place Dodge who had 9 wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year in third place with 7 wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished in fourth place with 1 win and 125 points.
This was the last year in which Winston was the title sponsor of the Cup series. After it decided not to renew its sponsorship, NASCAR decided on the telecommunications firm Nextel to be the title sponsor of the new series.
In addition, NASCAR instituted a new points system after this season entitled the Chase for the Cup, in which after 26 races, all the points standings in the top ten as well as any position within 400 points of the lead, would be reset, so the drivers in those positions would be eligible for the championship. This was done primarily because of the huge lead Kenseth accumulated during 2003 despite winning one race.
Read more about 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series: 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Drivers, Budweiser Shootout, Gatorade Twin 125s, Subway 400, UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400, Bass Pro Shops 500, Carolina Dodge Dealers 400, Food City 500, Samsung/Radio Shack 500, Aarons 499, Virginia 500, Auto Club 500, Pontiac Excitement 400, The Winston, Coca-Cola 600, MBNA Armed Forces Family 400, Pocono 500, Sirius 400, Dodge/Save Mart 350, Pepsi 400, Tropicana 400, New England 300, Pennsylvania 500, Brickyard 400, Sirius At The Glen, GFS Marketplace 400, Sharpie 500, Mountain Dew Southern 500, Chevy Rock and Roll 400, Sylvania 300, MBNA America 400, EA Sports 500, Banquet 400, UAW-GM Quality 500, Subway 500, Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500, Checker Auto Parts 500, Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400, Ford 400, Final Points Standings, Rookie of The Year
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