2003 Winchester 400

The thirty-fifth annual Winchester 400 was held under Champion Racing Association sanction on October 5, 2003, at the Winchester Speedway.

21-year-old Bobby Parsley came to the Winchester Speedway, hoping to just come out with a good enough finish to win the 2003 Sunoco Super Series Championship. Parsley got the Championship and did in style by winning the 34th Annual “Car Brite Winchester 400.” Twice rallying from a lap down, Parsley was the last of 11 different leaders as he claimed his third Sunoco Super Series win of his career and of the 2003 season, on one of the most demanding half-mile racetracks in the country.

"Boy this is great," exclaimed Parsley in victory lane. "I don't know how to points race. I only know one thing, that is to race to win, I didn't worry about where I needed to finish to win the points, I worked on winning this race. We had some problems with breaking studs in the hubs in the past, so we were extra careful in the pits, which cost us one lap. Then after racing to get back on the lead lap, we had another problem on pit road that put us down a lap again. I want to thank my family for giving me the opportunity to race with the Sunoco Super Series and I have to thank Spray Power All Purpose Cleaner for helping us out this season, with out them we may have not been able to run all the series races this season!"

Parsley came into Sunday’s event with a 34-point leader over Junior Hanley, who led a total of 38 laps, before contact with the wall on lap 174 broke his steering and ended his day. Scott Hantz finished second in the event after leading 30 laps, Parsley managed to pass Hantz on lap 332 to take the lead, Hantz would stay close, but would never be able to challenge Parsley the remainder of the event. With his second place finish and Hanley’s bad luck, Hantz managed to pass Hanley for second in the final Sunoco Super Series season points. Hanley finished third in series points.

Bull Baker got third even though his car had sustained damage in several incidents during the Car Brite 400. Ray Skillman, who lead a total of 20 laps early in the event finished in fourth coming from the back of the field several times from his twenty fourth starting position. Former series winner at Winchester Speedway Evan Jackson finished in fifth, 2 laps down to the leaders. After practice and first round qualifying were rained out on Friday, Jackson, who had prior commitments for Saturday, did not return to the track until Sunday morning. Jackson took advantage of a special Sunday practice, for all the drivers who could not make it for practice and qualifying on Saturday, to set up his car to come from his thirtieth place starting position to fifth, which earned him the Lane Automotive/ISKY Racing Cams Hardcharger Award.

Chuck Barnes Jr. came in sixth after late axle problems caused him to finish five laps down to the leaders. Barnes’s finish earned him the Hubler Automotive Group/Blake Carburetion Rookie Of The Race Award as well as the Hubler Automotive Group/Blake Carburetion Rookie Of the Year Award. Barnes led a total of 63 laps in the 34th Annual Car Brite 400. Finishing in seventh in the 34th Annual Car Brite 400 was Dave Jackson. Jackson was the Yockey Motorsports Marketing Fast Qualifier on Saturday and led a total 29 laps before a late race incident resulted in Jackson making heavy contact with the wall. Jackson had to make a couple of green flag pit stops, which caused him to finish 7 laps down to the leaders. Series veterans Jim Crabtree and Rick turner finished eighth and ninth, with Scott Whitehouse rounding out the top ten finishers.

Jeff Martin, Crew Chief for Parsley, was the Gladiator GarageWorks Crew Chief Of The Race, which also earned him the Gladiator GarageWorks Crew Chief Of the Year Award over Pat Anderson, Crew Chief for Scott Hantz. Chuck Barnes Jr, claimed the Kingen Interstate Express Halfway Leader Bonus. Goodyear Performance Awards went to Evan Jackson and Scott Whitehouse. Andy Ponstein was the EMF Corp Hard Luck Award Winner. Ponstein’s day ended on lap 11 after his car suffered severe damage in a crash. Scott Hantz claimed the Five Star Stock Car Bodies Challenge over Junior Hanley who had claimed the previous two Five –Star Stock Car Bodies Challenges for the Sunoco Super Series. Tim Phillips earned the Sweet Manufacturing Sweet Move Of The Race Award. Phillips came from his twentieth starting position to lead 10 laps in the event, making some "sweet" moves to keep his car up front before contact from another car ended his day on lap 342.

External links

* [http://www.winchesterspeedway.com/ Winchester Speedway website]
* [http://www.craracing.net/ Official CRA Website]