2003 Mississippi general election, Results for Statewide Offices, State Treasurer
Four term Democrat Marshall Bennett resigned in early 2003 to join a New York City law firm and was replaced by Peyton Prospere who was appointed by Gov. Musgrove to complete the term. With Prospere not seeking election in his own right, Gary Anderson ran for the Democrats. The Republicans chose 29-year-old banker Tate Reeves. In a very close race, Reeves bested Anderson.


2003 Mississippi general election, Results for Statewide Offices, State Auditor
Republican Phil Bryant, first appointed by Gov. Kirk Fordice in 1996 to fill an unexpired term and then won in 1999, easily cruised to victory over Reform Party candidate Billy Blackburn.


2003 Mississippi general election, Results for Statewide Offices, Secretary of State
Three term incumbent Democrat Eric Clark won with token opposition.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election
The 2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 2003 to elect the governor of the U.S. state of Mississippi. Former Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour defeated incumbent Democrat Ronnie Musgrove by a margin of 6.78%.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election
As of 2018, the election remains the most expensive gubernatorial election in state history, with over $18 million having been spent between Barbour and Musgrove. An additional $5 million was spent by the Republican Governors Association, mostly on television advertising. Barbour's victory in the election made him only the second Republican governor of Mississippi since Reconstruction.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
Musgrove was elected governor in 1999 after a very close election against Michael Parker. As neither candidate had obtained a majority in the election, Musgrove was chosen as governor by the Democratic controlled Mississippi House of Representatives.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, Democratic primary, Campaign
As governor, Musgrove had difficulties with the state's legislators. He vetoed the whole budget one year but was overridden by the legislature. However, Musgrove campaigned on having secured the largest pay rise for teachers in the state's history.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, Republican primary, Campaign
Barbour, a former advisor in the White House during the presidency of Ronald Reagan and Chairman of the Republican National Committee from 1993 to 1996, announced that he would run for governor on February 17, 2003. He had previously failed to be elected to the U.S. Senate for Mississippi in 1982, and in 1983 he travelled the state for several months to gauge support for his gubernatorial bid.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
Musgrove campaigned as an independent and conservative candidate, downplaying his membership in the Democratic Party and avoiding inviting any national figures to support him. He criticized Barbour for being a lobbyist for the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries. A key message of Musgrove's campaign was that Barbour's support for free trade would cost jobs in Mississippi.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
Barbour attacked Musgrove for his flawed leadership of the state, blaming him for the state of the economy of Mississippi. He was helped by the President, George Bush, who made three trips to the state to support Barbour. Several other leading Republican figures came to Mississippi to support Barbour including Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush and Rudy Giuliani.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
A poll in October 2003 showed Barbour having a narrow lead, with 50% saying they would vote for him as against 45% for Musgrove. However another poll at the beginning of November showed Musgrove with 42% against 41% for Barbour and both sides regarded turnout as key to the election.


2003 Mississippi gubernatorial election, General election, Campaign
Exit polls showed that black voters made up a third of the vote and 94% of them backed Musgrove. However among white voters 77% backed Barbour and a quarter of voters who supported Musgrove in his first election in 1999 now backed Barbour.


2003 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2003 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri during the 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Tigers had an overall record of 8–5, including a 4–4 record in conference play, and a 27–14 loss to Arkansas in the Independence Bowl at Shreveport. They played their home games at Faurot Field in Columbia, Missouri. They were members of the Big 12 Conference in the North Division. The team was coached by head coach Gary Pinkel.


2003 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was played from March 7-10, 2003 at the Savvis Center in St. Louis, Missouri at the conclusion of the 2002–2003 regular season. The Creighton Bluejays won their 8th MVC Tournament title to earn an automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Tournament.


2003 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer season
The 2003 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer season was the 13th season of men's varsity soccer in the conference.


2003 Missouri Valley Conference men's soccer season
The 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Men's Soccer Tournament was hosted by the Missouri Valley Conference and won by SMU.


2003 Miyagi earthquakes
There were two major earthquakes in 2003 in Miyagi Prefecture. The first quake in May injured 174 and caused $97.3 million in damages. Another quake in July injured 677. More than 11,000 buildings were affected, causing an estimated $195.4 million in damages.


2003 Miyagi earthquakes, May 2003 Miyagi earthquake
The May 2003 Miyagi earthquake is an earthquake struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 18.24 pm (09:46 UTC) on May 26. The event registered 7.1 on the Japan Meteorological Agency magnitude scale. The quake injured 174 and caused $97.3 million in damages.


2003 Miyagi earthquakes, July 2003 Miyagi earthquake
The July 2003 Miyagi earthquake is a series of earthquakes that occurred in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan on July 26. The seismic magnitude scale of the mainshock was MJMA6.4. 677 people were injured by the earthquakes.


2003 Mizoram Legislative Assembly election
Elections to the Mizoram Legislative Assembly were held in November 2003 to elect members of the 40 constituencies in Mizoram, India. The Mizo National Front won the most seats and its leader, Zoramthanga was appointed as the Chief Minister of Mizoram for his second term.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival
The 2003 Mnet Music Video Festival (MMF) was the fifth of the annual music awards in Seoul, South Korea that took place on November 27, 2003 at the Kyung Hee University.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival
Leading the nominees were duo Big Mama and solo artist Lee Hyori, with three each. By the end of the ceremony, Big Mama were the only ones to receive two wins, including Music Video of the Year daesang award.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, Background
In its fifth year, the award-giving body continued to use the name "M.net Korean Music Festival" (MKMF) and the grand awards (or daesang) were still the Best Popular Music Video and Music Video of the Year. However, the event took place at the Kyung Hee University for the first time. Singer-actor Cha Tae-hyun came back to host the event for the third time, together with Sung Yu-ri.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, Background
During this year, the category for Best Indie Performance was discontinued.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, Selection process and judging criteria
During the preliminary screening, the committee selected the nominees who released their singles and albums from November 2002 to October 2003. Afterwards, the official website of Mnet was opened so that fans will be able to vote their for candidates. In the same way, the professional juries have chosen from the nominees as well. The votes from both the fans and the judges were combined for the winners of each category.


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, Multiple awards, Artist(s) with multiple wins
The following artist(s) received two or more wins (excluding the special awards):


2003 Mnet Music Video Festival, Presenters and performers
The following individuals and groups, listed in order of appearance, presented awards or performed musical numbers.


2003 Molde FK season
The 2003 season was Molde's 28th season in the top flight of Norwegian football. In Tippeligaen they finished in 9th position.


2003 Molde FK season
Molde participated in the Norwegian Cup. On 25 June 2003, Molde was defeated 0-1 at home by Skeid in the third round.


2003 Molde FK season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2003 Moldovan local elections
Local elections were held in Moldova on 25 May 2003, with a runoff for mayors on 8 June 2003.


2003 Moldovan local elections
Party of Communists of the Republic of Moldova (PCRM) performed most strongly overall, securing 41.1% of mayoralties, control of 54.6% of municipal councils, and control of 49.9% of local councils.


2003 Mole Valley District Council election
Elections to Mole Valley Council were held on 1 May 2003. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.


2003 Molson Indy Montreal
The 2003 Molson Indy Montreal was the fourteenth round of the 2003 CART World Series season, held on August 24, 2003 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Michel Jourdain, Jr won his 2nd and final Champ Car victory.


2003 Molson Indy Montreal
This marks the Final Champ Car race for Max Papis


2003 Molson Indy Toronto
The 2003 Molson Indy Toronto was the tenth round of the 2003 CART World Series season, held on July 13, 2003 on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


2003 Molson Indy Vancouver
The 2003 Molson Indy Vancouver was the eleventh round of the 2003 CART World Series season, held on July 27, 2003 on the streets of Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2003 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the LXI Grand Prix de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held on 1 June 2003 at the Circuit de Monaco. It was the seventh race of the 2003 Formula One World Championship. The 78-lap race was won by Colombian driver Juan Pablo Montoya, driving a Williams-BMW, with Finn Kimi Räikkönen second in a McLaren-Mercedes and German Michael Schumacher third in a Ferrari.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix
There were no recorded on-track overtakes during this race, one of the very few occasions in Formula One history where this has occurred. The other three races since 1981 not to feature any on-track overtakes were the controversial 2005 United States Grand Prix, the 2009 European Grand Prix and the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Background
The Grand Prix was contested by 20 drivers, in ten teams of two. The teams, also known as constructors, were Ferrari, Williams, McLaren, Renault, Sauber, Jordan, Jaguar, BAR, Minardi and Toyota.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Background
Before the race, McLaren driver Kimi Räikkönen led the Drivers' Championship with 40 points; Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher was second on 38 points. Behind them in the Drivers' Championship, Rubens Barrichello was third on 26 points in the other Ferrari, with Fernando Alonso and David Coulthard on 25 and 23 points respectively. In the Constructors' Championship, Ferrari were leading with 64 points and McLaren were second on 63 points, with Renault third on 35 points.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
Four practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—Two on Thursday, and two on Saturday. The Thursday morning and afternoon sessions each lasted an hour. The third and final practice sessions were held on Saturday morning and lasted 45 minutes. Jaguar driver Mark Webber set the fastest time in the first session, posting a lap of 1:16.373, one-tenth of a second quicker than Jenson Button and Coulthard, in second and third places respectively. The Renault cars were fourth and fifth fastest; Alonso ahead of Jarno Trulli, with Michael Schumacher rounding out the top six.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
The qualifying session was run as a one-lap session and took place on Thursday and Saturday afternoon. The cars were run one at a time; the Thursday running order was determined with the Championship leading heading out first. The Saturday running order was determined by times set in Friday afternoon qualifying with the fastest heading out last and the slowest running first. The lap times from the Thursday afternoon session did not determine the grid order.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Practice and qualifying
Jenson Button suffered a heavy crash during Saturday morning practice and his resulting injuries meant that he took no further part in the weekend.


2003 Monaco Grand Prix, Report, Race
The race started at 14:00 local time. It ended 1 hour, 42 minutes and 19 seconds later.


2003 Monegasque general election
General elections were held in Monaco on 9 February 2003. The result was a victory for the Union for Monaco alliance, which won 21 of the 24 seats in the National Council. Within the alliance 12 seats were won by the Union for the Principality, four by the National Union for the Future of Monaco, three by Promotion of the Monegasque Family and two by Rally for Monaco.


2003 Monegasque municipal elections
The 2003 Monegasque municipal elections were held on 2 March to elect the 15 members of the Communal Council of Monaco.


2003 Monegasque municipal elections, Electoral system
Monegasque citizens over 18 are entitled to vote. The 15 councillors were elected for a four-year period in a single multi-member constituency using plurality-at-large voting with a two-round system. A majority of the votes was required to be elected. The second round would have been held one week after the first round. The Mayor of Monaco was elected by the councillors after the election. Candidates were required to be at least 21 years old and to have the Monegasque nationality for at least 5 years.


2003 Mongolian Premier League
The 2003 Mongolian National Championship was the thirty-sixth recorded edition of top flight football in Mongolia and the eighth season of the Mongolian Premier League, which took over as the highest level of competition in the country from the previous Mongolian National Championship. Khangarid from Erdenet, their second title, Mon-Uran were  runners up, with Erchim in third place.


2003 Mongolian Premier League, Format
The competition was played in two stages: firstly a triple round robin league competition where each team played the others three time. Following this, four of the five competing teams qualified for the semi-final play offs, the winners of which advanced to a one off final, with the losers contesting a third place match.


2003 Monmouth Hawks football team
The 2003 Monmouth Hawks football team represented Monmouth University in the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Hawks were led by 11th-year head coach Kevin Callahan and played their home games at Kessler Field. They finished the season 10–2 overall and 6–1 in NEC play to share the conference championship with Albany. Despite having just one regular season loss, the Hawks did not receive an invitation to participate in the NCAA Division I-AA postseason.


2003 Montana Grizzlies football team
The 2003 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Grizzlies were led by first-year head coach Bobby Hauck and played their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium.


2003 Montana State Bobcats football team
The 2003 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their fourth season under head coach Mike Kramer, the Bobcats compiled a 7–6 record (5–2 against Big Sky opponents) and finished in a three-way tie for the Big Sky championship with Montana and Northern  Arizona. Montana State lost to Northern Iowa in the first round of the  NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs and ranked No. 21 in the final I-AA poll by The Sports Network.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters
The 2003 Monte Carlo Masters was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 97th edition of the Monte Carlo Masters and was part of the Tennis Masters Series of the 2003 ATP Tour. It took place at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France from 14 April through 20 April 2003.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters
The men's field was headlined by Juan Carlos Ferrero, Carlos Moyá and Andy Roddick. Other top seeds in the field were Albert Costa, Jiří Novák, David Nalbandian, Paradorn Srichaphan and Rainer Schüttler.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters
Rafael Nadal, then aged 16, made his tournament debut in this year, losing to Guillermo Coria in the Round of 16. This would be the last time in which he would be defeated at the event until 2013.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters, Finals, Doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi /  Max Mirnyi defeated  Michaël Llodra /  Fabrice Santoro 6–4, 3–6, 7–6 (8–6)


2003 Monte Carlo Masters – Doubles
Jonas Björkman and Todd Woodbridge were the defending champions but lost in the second round to František Čermák and Leoš Friedl.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters – Doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi won in the final 6–4, 3–6, 7–6(8–6) against Michaël Llodra and Fabrice Santoro.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters – Doubles, Seeds
All eight seeded teams received byes to the second round.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters – Singles
Juan Carlos Ferrero was the defending champion and successfully defended the title by defeating Guillermo Coria in the final, 6–2, 6–2.


2003 Monte Carlo Masters – Singles
Rafael Nadal entered ATP Top 100 for the first time after this tournament. He lost to Coria in the third round, which would remain his sole loss at the tournament until 2013.


2003 Monte Carlo Rally
The 2003 Monte Carlo Rally (also known as the 71st Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo) was a motor racing event for rally cars that was held over 4 days between 23 and 26 January 2003. It marked the 71st running of the Monte Carlo Rally and was the first round of the 2003 World Rally Championship. The 2003 event was based in the town of Gap in the Hautes-Alpes department of France. The rally consisted of 14 special stages, covering a total distance of 415.02 km.


2003 Monte Carlo Rally
Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena won the rally, becoming Loeb's 2nd win and 4th podium in WRC. Colin McRae and Carlos Sainz came in 2nd and 3rd respectively, resulting in an all-podium finish for the Citroën World Rally Team.


2003 Monterey Sports Car Championships
The 2003 Fry's Electronics Sports Car Championships was the seventh race of the 2003 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California on September 7, 2003.


2003 Monterey Sports Car Championships, Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 75% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).


2003 Monterey Sports Car Championships, Official results
† - #88 Prodrive was disqualified for failing post-race technical inspection. The car featured an illegal air intake.


2003 Montreal Alouettes season
The 2003 Montreal Alouettes finished in first place in the East Division with a 13–5 record. For the second year in a row they defeated the Toronto Argonauts in the East Final, advancing to face Edmonton for the second Grey Cup in a row. The Eskimos got their revenge, defeating the Alouettes 34–22 in the Grey Cup.


2003 Montreal Expos season
The 2003 Montreal Expos season was the 35th season for the Expos in Montreal and its penultimate season in Canada. It involved the Expos attempting to win the NL East. On August 28, 2003, the Expos led the NL Wild Card, tied for first place with the Marlins, Astros, Phillies, and Cardinals, but faded away in the stretch and failed to make the postseason, finishing 18 games back of the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and 8 games back of the Florida Marlins in the Wild Card. The Expos' 2003 record of 83-79 was identical to the one they finished with the previous year.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Spring training
After holding spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida, from 1998 through 2002, the Expos moved to Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, for spring training in 2003. The move to Viera came about as the result of a deal in which Major League Baseball bought the Expos from Jeffrey Loria, who then purchased the Florida Marlins; as part of the deal, the Marlins traded spring training sites with the Expos, moving from Viera to Jupiter. The franchise, as the Expos in 2003 and 2004 and then from 2005 as the Washington Nationals, would hold spring training at Space Coast Stadium through 2016.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Regular season
On August 30, 2002, MLB signed a collective bargaining agreement withthe players association, which prohibited contraction through the end of the agreement in 2006.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Regular season
Ultimately, the Expos finished 8 games behind the Wild Card (and World Series Champion) Florida Marlins.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Regular season, Puerto Rico
Although their attendance increased from 7,935 per game in 2001to 10,031 in 2002,MLB decided that the Expos would play 22 of their home games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2003. Despite being a considerably smaller facility (it seats approximately 19,000) than Montreal's Olympic Stadium, attendance in San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium averaged 14,222, compared with 12,081 in Montreal.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Regular season, Puerto Rico
The Puerto Rican baseball fans embraced "Los Expos" (particularly Puerto Rican players José Vidro, Javier Vázquez and Wil Cordero, and other Latin players like Vladimir Guerrero and Liván Hernández) as their home team (as well as the Latin players from other teams), all the while hoping the team would make a permanent move to Puerto Rico. Thanks in part to the San Juan games, the Expos were able to draw over a million fans at home in 2003 for the first time since 1997. The Expos' season in Puerto Rico was chronicled in the MLB-produced DVD Boricua Beisbol – Passion of Puerto Rico.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Regular season, Attendance
Including both games played in Montreal and "home" games played in San Juan, the Expos drew 1,025,639 fans during the 2003 season, and were 16th in attendance among the 16 National League teams. Their highest attendance for the season was a game in Montreal on April 22, which attracted 36,879 fans to see them play the Arizona Diamondbacks, while their lowest was for a game in Montreal on May 7 against the San Diego Padres, which drew only 5,111 fans. For games played in San Juan, the largest crowd was 18,264 for a game against the New York Mets on April 12, and the smallest was a crowd of 10,034 that came to a game against the Anaheim Angels on June 3.


2003 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Batting
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; R = Runs scored; H = Hits; 2B = Doubles; 3B = Triples; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in; AVG = Batting average; SB = Stolen bases


2003 Montreal Expos season, Player stats, Pitching
Note: Pos = Position; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; G = Games pitched; GS = Games started; SV = Saves; IP = Innings pitched; R = Runs allowed; ER = Earned runs allowed; BB = Walks allowed; K = Strikeouts


2003 Moorilla Hobart International
The 2003 Moorilla Hobart International was a women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 10th edition of the event and part of the Tier V category of the 2003 WTA Tour. It took place at the Hobart International Tennis Centre in Hobart, Australia from 6 through 12 January 2003. Alicia Molik won the singles title.


2003 Moorilla Hobart International, Singles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2003 Moorilla Hobart International, Doubles main draw entrants, Other entrants
The following players received wildcards into the singles main draw:


2003 Moorilla Hobart International, Finals, Doubles
Cara Black /  Elena Likhovtseva defeated  Barbara Schett /  Patricia Wartusch


2003 Moorilla Hobart International – Doubles
Tathiana Garbin and Rita Grande were the defending champions. Garbin did not participate, whilst Grande partnered Emmanuelle Gagliardi, losing in the first round.


2003 Moorilla Hobart International – Doubles
The title was won by Cara Black and Elena Likhovtseva who defeated Barbara Schett and Patricia Wartusch in straight sets in the final.


2003 Moorilla Hobart International – Singles
Martina Sucha was the defending champion but lost to Alicia Molik in the first round.


2003 Moorilla Hobart International – Singles
Molik went on to win the tournament, beating Amy Frazier over three sets in the final.


2003 Moray Council election
Elections to the Moray Council were held on 1 May 2003, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections and the Scottish Parliament general election.


2003 Mosconi Cup
The 2003 Mosconi Cup, the 10th edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between teams representing Europe and the United States, took place 18–21 December 2003 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the first time, that the competition was held outside England and that there were non-playing captains.


2003 Mosconi Cup
Team USA won the Mosconi Cup by defeating Team Europe 11–9.


2003 Moscow mayoral election
The Moscow mayoral elections of 2003 took place on December 7, simultaneously with elections to the State Duma.


2003 Mosul raid
The 2003 Mosul raid was an American military operation conducted on July 22, 2003, in the city of Mosul, Iraq, which led to the killing of Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein, both sons of deposed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The operation, originally intended to apprehend the Hussein brothers, turned into a four-hour gun battle outside a fortified safehouse which ended with the death of both Hussein brothers, a 14-year-old relative, and a bodyguard.


2003 Mosul raid, Background
In March and April, 2003, a military coalition led by the United States invaded Iraq and overthrew the country's Ba'athist dictatorship under Saddam Hussein. Following the defeat of the Iraqi Army, Saddam and his sons, Uday Hussein and Qusay Hussein went into hiding and became wanted fugitives by the occupying Coalition forces. Uday had been the founder and commander of the Fedayeen Saddam, a loyalist paramilitary organization that served as Saddam Hussein's personal guard, while Qusay had been a high-ranking member of the Iraqi Republican Guard.


2003 Mosul raid, Background
Uday and Qusay Hussein were the ace of hearts and ace of clubs, respectively, in the Coalition's Most-wanted Iraqi playing cards. Saddam himself was the ace of spades. A combined $30,000,000 reward for the brothers' capture was posted by Coalition authorities.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
On the night of Monday 21 July 2003, Nawaf al-Zaidan, a businessman and close friend of Saddam's family (and alleged cousin of Saddam) who had been sheltering Uday, Qusay, Qusay's 14-year-old son Mustafa and their bodyguard Abdul-Samad in his mansion in the Falah neighbourhood of northeastern Mosul for around three weeks, left the villa and went to a nearby US Coalition 101st Airborne base to turn in the two sons due to the combined $30 million reward. "He was nervous, I could tell, more nervous than anybody else I've seen dealing with it.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
Yet he had confidence in what he said. More than most of the other people," the American military intelligence sergeant who interviewed al-Zaidan told 60 Minutes II. "He had exact locations. He also could tell very good descriptions on Qusay and Uday as well, their habits. He told me what exactly they looked like." Al-Zaidan then passed a lie detector test, confirming his story. A decision was made to send a detachment of U.S. Special Forces troops to apprehend the brothers.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
At about 10:00 AM on Tuesday July 22, 2003, eight Special Forces soldiers from Task Force 121, accompanied by 40 infantrymen from the 101st Airborne Division, surrounded the safehouse. A bullhorn was used to order the house's occupants to come out and surrender, but there was no response.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
Ten minutes later, a team of eight US Special Forces operatives knocked on the door of the house. When no one answered, the soldiers breached the door and entered the house. Inside, the team came under heavy gunfire from the house's defenders, who were armed with AK-47s and had barricaded themselves on the building's second floor. In the ensuing gun battle, three Special Forces soldiers were wounded inside the house. As the entry team attempted to withdraw, the occupants began shooting out the windows, wounding a fourth soldier. The four wounded operatives were evacuated by helicopter as the team retreated from the building and called for backup.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
After the Special Forces team retreated from the house, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division and 3/327th Infantry surrounded the safehouse and opened fire with Mk 19 grenade launchers, AT4 rockets, and Humvee-mounted .50-caliber M2 Browning machine guns, and an intense gun battle ensued. By 11:22 AM, over an hour into the firefight, more than 200 reinforcement soldiers had arrived to assist the task force.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
At 11:45 AM, several Kiowa OH-58D army helicopters arrived and began firing at the safehouse, destroying a large portion of the building with machine gun rounds and rockets. Nevertheless, the task force continued to receive heavy gunfire from the house's occupants, who also lobbed grenades from the roof. Unable to neutralize the defenders, the task force initially considered using Apache helicopters to destroy the safehouse, but ruled it out due to concerns over potential civilian casualties.


2003 Mosul raid, Assault
At 1:00 PM, three hours into the operation, ten TOW missiles were fired at the house from Humvee-mounted launchers. The resulting explosion killed both Hussein brothers and their bodyguard, and reduced much of the safehouse to rubble. At 1:21 PM, several American soldiers entered the ruined house to search for survivors. As the team advanced up the stairs to the building's second floor, Qusay's 14-year-old son Mustapha, taking cover in a bedroom, opened fire on the soldiers with an AK-47, but was killed instantly by return fire.


2003 Mosul raid, Aftermath
Following the raid, the bodies of all four occupants were subsequently removed from the house and flown to Baghdad for identification tests. Morticians reconstructed the corpses of Uday and Qusay Hussein, who were identified through DNA testing and dental records. Both men had significantly changed their appearance to avoid detection; Uday had completely shaved his head and Qusay had trimmed his signature beard. Photos of the brothers' corpses were later published by the Department of Defense and shown on TV and in newspapers, generating considerable controversy.


2003 Mosul raid, Aftermath
US officials announced that the combined $30 million reward for Uday and Qusay Hussein would be paid to the informant who tipped off Coalition authorities. The informant is also alleged to have been the owner of the safehouse where the brothers were killed.


2003 Mosul raid, Aftermath
Uday, Qusay, and Qusay's son Mustapha were later buried alongside one-another in a cemetery in Tikrit. Qusay's other two sons, Yahya and Yaqub, are presumed to be alive but their whereabouts are unknown.


2003 Motor City Bowl
The 2003 Motor City Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Northwestern Wildcats and the Bowling Green Falcons on December 26, 2003, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Northwestern led early after shutting down Bowling Green's running game but Bowling Green made a comeback in the second half led by a strong passing game under quarterback Josh Harris and won 28–24. It was the seventh time the Motor City Bowl had been played and the final game of the 2003 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.


2003 Motor City Bowl
The game between the Mid-American Conference (MAC) team Bowling Green and Big Ten Conference Northwestern was played at neutral-site Ford Field. As then organized the Motor City Bowl matched a MAC team and a team from either the Big Ten, the Big East Conference, or an at-large team. Bowling Green accepted a bid for the Motor City Bowl after losing to Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship Game. It was Bowling Green's first appearance in a bowl game since the 1992 Las Vegas Bowl. Northwestern was the first Big Ten team to play in the Motor City Bowl and had not appeared in a bowl game since the 2000 Alamo Bowl. Bowling Green and Northwestern last played each other on November 17, 2001, a meeting that Bowling Green won 42–43.


2003 Motor City Bowl
The Motor City Bowl was one of two bowl appearances by the MAC; the other was by Miami in the 2003 GMAC Bowl. Miami defeated  Louisville 49–28, making the MAC 2–0 in bowl games that year. Unusually for the Motor City Bowl there were two MVPs: Bowling Green quarterback Josh Harris and Northwestern running back Jason Wright. Harris passed for 386 yards, including three touchdown passes, and rushed for Bowling Green's fourth touchdown. Harris' completion record of 38/50 and total offense of 454 yards set Motor City Bowl records. Wright had 21 carries for 237 yards, including a 77-yard touchdown run which was the second-longest in Motor City Bowl history.


2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500
The 2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500, the 54th running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on August 31, 2003 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. Contested at 367 laps on the 1.366 mile (2.198 km) speedway, it was the twenty-fifth race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Terry Labonte of Hendrick Motorsports won the race. This would prove to be his 22nd and final Cup series win.


2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500
It is the last Southern 500 held on Labor Day weekend until 2015.


2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500, Background
Darlington Raceway, nicknamed by many NASCAR fans and drivers as "The Lady in Black" or "The Track Too Tough to Tame" and advertised as a "NASCAR Tradition", is a race track built for NASCAR racing located near Darlington, South Carolina. It is of a unique, somewhat egg-shaped design, an oval with the ends of very different configurations, a condition which supposedly arose from the proximity of one end of the track to a minnow pond the owner refused to relocate. This situation makes it very challenging for the crews to set up their cars' handling in a way that will be effective at both ends.


2003 Mountain Dew Southern 500, Background
The track, Darlington Raceway,  is a four-turn 1.366 miles (2.198 km) oval. The track's first two turns are banked at twenty-five degrees, while the final two turns are banked two degrees lower at twenty-three degrees. The front stretch (the location of the finish line) and the back stretch is banked at six degrees. Darlington Raceway can seat up to 60,000 people.


2003 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2003 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament took place from May 21–24. All six of the league's teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at University of New Mexico's Isotopes Park. Top seeded UNLV won their first Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship with a championship game score of 14–9 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2003 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The teams were seeded based on regular season conference winning percentage only. San Diego State claimed the second seed over BYU by winning the season series.


2003 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team, Most Valuable Player
Patrick Dobson, an outfielder for the champion UNLV Rebels, was named the tournament Most Valuable Player, after a 3 for 5, 2 RBI performance in the championship game, setting a tournament record for RBI at 14.


2003 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2003 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 13–15, 2003. Colorado State upset host school University of Nevada at Las Vegas, 62–61, in the championship game to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament and the league's automatic NCAA Tournament bid.


2003 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
Colorado State became, and as of 2011, remains the lowest seed (6) to ever win the MWC Tournament. They supplanted San Diego State who, just one year earlier, had won the tournament as a number 5 seed. They also had upset UNLV in the tournament championship game.


2003 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
In 2004 the tournament would move to the Pepsi Center in Denver where it would stay for the next three years. It would return in 2007, where it has remained since.


2003 Mountain West Conference football season
The 2003 Mountain West Conference  football season was the fifth since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the Mountain West Conference. The Utah won the conference championship in 2003, the Utes' second overall and first outright title since the league began in 1999.


2003 Mr. Olympia
The 2003 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held October 22–26, 2003 at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.


2003 Mr. Olympia, Results
For the fifth year in a row, the total prize money for the Mr. Olympia weekend was increased, reaching a level of $404,000 with the winner taking home $110,000 and a Cadillac Escalade provided by Pinnacle Supplements.


2003 Ms. Olympia
The 2003 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2003 was held on October 24, 2003, at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 24th Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the Mr. Olympia, Fitness Olympia, and Figure Olympia contests.


2003 MuchMusic Video Awards
The 2003 MuchMusic Video Awards were held 22 June 2003 and featured performances by Avril Lavigne, Disturbed, Michelle Branch, Our Lady Peace, Sam Roberts, Sean Paul, Simple Plan, and Ashanti.


2003 Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship
The 2003 Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship was the inaugural staging of the Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Munster Council.


2003 Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship
On 21 March 2004, Bride Rovers won the championship after a 0-14 to 0-11 defeat of Kilruane MacDonaghs in the final at FitzGerald Park. It remains their only championship title.


2003 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2003 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final was a hurling match played on Sunday 29 June at Semple Stadium in Thurles. It was contested by Cork and Waterford. Cork captained by Alan Browne claimed the title beating Waterford on a scoreline of 3-16 to 3-12.


2003 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
Waterford was leading by 1-9 to 1-4 at halftime. John Mullane scored three goals in the game for the defending champions, one in the ninth minute of the first half and two in the second half but ended up on the losing side. Paul Flynn was also sent off for Waterford for a second bookable offense deep in injury time.


2003 Murcian regional election
The 2003 Murcian regional election was held on Sunday, 25 May 2003, to elect the 6th Regional Assembly of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia. All 45 seats in the Regional Assembly were up for election. The election was held simultaneously with regional elections in twelve other autonomous communities and local elections all throughout Spain.


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Electoral system
The Regional Assembly of Murcia was the devolved, unicameral legislature of the autonomous community of Murcia, having legislative power in regional matters as defined by the Spanish Constitution and the Murcian Statute of Autonomy, as well as the ability to vote confidence in or withdraw it from a regional president.


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Electoral system
Voting for the Regional Assembly was on the basis of universal suffrage, which comprised all nationals over eighteen, registered in the Region of Murcia and in full enjoyment of their political rights. The 45 members of the Regional Assembly of Murcia were elected using the D'Hondt method and a closed list proportional representation, with an electoral threshold of five percent of valid votes—which included blank ballots—being applied regionally. Seats were allocated to constituencies, which were established by law as follows:


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Electoral system
Each constituency was entitled to an initial minimum of one seat, with the remaining 40 allocated among the constituencies in proportion to their populations.


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Election date
The term of the Regional Assembly of Murcia expired four years after the date of its previous election. Elections to the Regional Assembly were fixed for the fourth Sunday of May every four years. The previous election was held on 13 June 1999, setting the election date for the Regional Assembly on Sunday, 25 May 2003.


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Election date
The president had the prerogative to dissolve the Regional Assembly of Murcia and call a snap election, provided that no motion of no confidence was in process, no nationwide election was due and some time requirements were met: namely, that dissolution did not occur either during the first legislative session or within the legislature's last year ahead of its scheduled expiry, nor before one year had elapsed since a previous dissolution under this procedure.


2003 Murcian regional election, Overview, Election date
In the event of an investiture process failing to elect a regional president within a two-month period from the first ballot, the Regional Assembly was to be automatically dissolved and a fresh election called. Any snap election held as a result of these circumstances would not alter the period to the next ordinary election, with elected deputies merely serving out what remained of their four-year terms.


2003 Murcian regional election, Parties and candidates
The electoral law allowed for parties and federations registered in the interior ministry, coalitions and groupings of electors to present lists of candidates. Parties and federations intending to form a coalition ahead of an election were required to inform the relevant Electoral Commission within ten days of the election call, whereas groupings of electors needed to secure the signature of at least one percent of the electorate in the Region of Murcia, disallowing electors from signing for more than one list of candidates.


2003 Murcian regional election, Parties and candidates
Below is a list of the main parties and electoral alliances which contested the election:


2003 Murcian regional election, Opinion polls
The table below lists voting intention estimates in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first and using the dates when the survey fieldwork was done, as opposed to the date of publication. Where the fieldwork dates are unknown, the date of publication is given instead. The highest percentage figure in each polling survey is displayed with its background shaded in the leading party's colour. If a tie ensues, this is applied to the figures with the highest percentages. The "Lead" column on the right shows the percentage-point difference between the parties with the highest percentages in a given poll. When available, seat projections are also displayed below the voting estimates in a smaller font. 23 seats were required for an absolute majority in the Regional Assembly of Murcia.


2003 Music City Bowl
The 2003 Music City Bowl was played on December 31, 2003, in Nashville, Tennessee, and featured the Auburn Tigers and the Wisconsin Badgers. It was the sixth edition of the game. Sponsored by Gaylord Hotels and Bridgestone, it was officially named the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl presented by Bridgestone.


2003 Music City Bowl, Recap of game
After a scoreless first quarter, Wisconsin kicked a 20-yard field goal in the second quarter to go up 3-0. Auburn running back Ronnie Brown scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, to give Auburn a 7-3 lead. Wisconsin kicked another field goal before halftime, and ended up trailing only 7-6.


2003 Music City Bowl, Recap of game
In the third quarter, Carnell Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, to give the Tigers a 14-6 lead over Wisconsin. With 8:14 left in the fourth quarter, quarterback Jim Sorgi fired a 12-yard touchdown pass to Lee Evans. The 2-point conversion attempt to Owen Daniels was successful, and the score was tied at 14. Ronnie Brown scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, and Carnell Williams scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, as Auburn pulled away for a 28-14 win.


2003 Music City Bowl, Recap of game
Both teams were awarded $912,912 for their participation in the game.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid
The 2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid was a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 2nd edition of the Madrid Masters and was part of the Tennis Masters Series of the 2003 ATP Tour. It took place at the Madrid Arena in Madrid in Spain from 13 October through 19 October 2003. First-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid, Finals, Doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi /  Max Mirnyi defeated  Wayne Black /  Kevin Ullyett 6–2, 2–6, 6–3


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles
Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor were the defending champions but lost in the quarterfinals to Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles
Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi won in the final 6–2, 2–6, 6–3 against Black and Ullyett.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles
Andre Agassi was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles
Juan Carlos Ferrero won in the final 6–3, 6–4, 6–3 against Nicolás Massú.


2003 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated. All sixteen seeds received a bye into the second round.


2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool
The inaugural edition of the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool took place on April 6, 2003, at the Indiana University Natatorium on the campus of IUPUI in Indianapolis. The event pitted the United States' top swimmers against those of Australia.


2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool
The event featured 26 races — four relay events and 22 individual races — in an Olympic-sized pool. There were 270 total points up for grabs in the event, with the U.S. smashing Australia in the end 196-74.


2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool
The event was broadcast in the United States by the NBC television network, who taped the event, then showed it over two days the next weekend on April 12 and April 13, 2003. Ted Robinson handled stroke-by-stroke duties, with Rowdy Gaines as the analyst. Craig Hummer was the poolside reporter and interviewer.


2003 Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool, Results
Phelps' world record in the 400 IM, the only one set that day, earned him a $25,000 bonus.


2003 Myanmar Premier League
The 2003 Myanmar Premier League season had 14 teams in competition. Finance and Revenue FC was the winning team.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis
The 2003 banking crisis of Myanmar was a major bank run in private banking that hit Myanmar (Burma) in February 2003. It started with a decline in the trust for private financial institutions following the collapse of small financial enterprises and proliferating rumors about the liquidity of major private banks. Leading to a bank run on the Asia Wealth Bank, the crisis quickly spread to all major private banks in the country. It led to severe liquidity problems for private banks and scarcity of the kyat. Though exact data is not available, it is believed that the crisis caused major economic hardship for many in Myanmar.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Background
Myanmar's banking system has been in a process of transition in the period leading up to the crisis. From the 1962 overthrow of the government by General Ne Win until 1990, state institutions dominated the financial sector in Myanmar. Only with the adoption of the Financial Institutions of Myanmar law by the State Peace and Development Council in 1990, private banks were allowed to form and operate in the country. By early 2003, there were 20 private banks in the country. However, many of these banks were relatively small.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Background
Five private banks dominated the field: Asia Wealth Bank, Yoma Bank, Kanbawza Bank, Myanmar Mayflower Bank and the Myanmar Oriental Bank. Though not all private banks grew considerably by international standards, the growth of the private banking sector and the share of the deposits in private banks increased in the 1990s and early 2000s. While private banks accounted for only about 10% of savings in 1994, by 2003, the amount increased to about 66%. Though state owned Myanmar Economic Bank had the most number of branches, in all other metrics private banks started to overshadow public banks.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Background
However, while the importance of private banks in Myanmar did increase in this period, there were multiple indicators that suggested the private banks did not truly perform optimally. For example, outside of certain urban centres such as Yangon and Mandalay, the banking system did not penetrate the lives of the populace. For the majority of the population, keeping wealth in form tangibles (such as gold or other precious metals) and borrowing from private moneylenders were still the norm.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Background
Also, though entrance to the market was available after 1990, the banks still had to work under wide-ranging regulations; including ceilings on interest rates. The fact that these ceilings were below the inflation rate of Myanmar led to “schemes (especially in real estate) whose principle promise was to act as an inflation hedge,” which ultimately resulted in real estate price bubbles and financial instability even before the 2003 crises.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Origins of the crisis
In the second half of 2002, many informal finance enterprises in the country started to go under. These enterprises were not authorized deposit taking institutions under the Financial Institutions of Myanmar Law, but nevertheless accepted deposits by using the loophole of naming the depositors “shareholders.” They promised investors considerably higher interest rates than what private banks were offering (usually around 10% per year.). While these high rates, regularly reaching 3-4% per month, seemed hardly possible to return on a sustainable basis, large amount of investors used these entities nevertheless.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Origins of the crisis
More often than not, the enterprises depended on either highly speculative investments for the promised rate of return or even sometimes turned out to be not much more than ponzi schemes. Nevertheless, the collapse of the informal finance companies is considered one of the early triggers of the crises. Not only were some of the authorized banks experienced direct financial loss because of exposure to these enterprises through lending and share investments, it also brought about distrust in the still newly liberalized financial sector.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Origins of the crisis
Another source of rumors and distrust that laid at the origins of the 2003 crises were allegations of money laundering against Myanmar banks. With the September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, the issue of money laundering gained prominence. In response to this, in May 2002, Myanmar adopted the Law to Control Money and Property Obtained by Illegal Means. This law addressed many concerns of the US State Department and initially lead to a flight of funds from banks in Myanmar.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Origins of the crisis
In fact, the situation got serious enough that the government had to assure the banks that they should not be threatened by the new law. Yet, even though the flight of funds did seem to decrease, rumors of large-scale withdrawals persisted. These rumors furthermore undermined the trust to the financial system and brought about fears regarding liquidity of the banks in the face of withdrawn funds.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Origins of the crisis
Finally, on 1 February 2003, Finance and Revenue Minister Khin Maung Thein was permitted to retire without any additional explanation from the government. This incident coincided with the peak of fears regarding the independent finance companies’ instability. The Yangon-based business magazine Living Color also ran a report in its February edition that private banks are also giving out loans well beyond their existing capital. Article specifically alleged that Asia Wealth Bank, the largest private bank in the country, has 50 times more outstanding loans than its capital while Yoma Bank has about 30 times more than its revenues. Similarly, a rumor indicating that Asia Wealth Bank lost a significant amount of its investments in deals with a Chinese company also started circulating. All these issues led to rumors that major banks are on the verge of collapse and created the ground for the crises.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
On February 6, fears about the private banks collapsing led to bank runs by customers to withdraw their funds. Starting with Asia Wealth Bank, the runs quickly spread to other private banks. As early as February 10, the situation got dire enough that Kyaw Kyaw Maung, the governor of Myanmar's Central Bank, held a press conference assuring that all 20 banks are in firm financial standing and have the backing of the Central Bank. However, this attempt was not enough to quell the consumer unrest.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
Different banks started to begin denying withdrawal requests and asked account holders to return after February 18. By February 12, reserves of Asia Wealth Bank dwindled to a point where the bank asked the Central Bank a security bond of 30 billion kyats (US$30 million.) Finally, on 15 February, Yoma Bank, one of the three banks in the country that have credit card services, suspended such services in the face of the crises.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
With the financial situation getting worse, there were reports that the ruling party got increasingly sensitive about business reporting in the country, imposing a news blackout in an effort to stop the spread of panic among the public. The state-owned Kyemon newspaper ran a story that blamed the destructive elements abroad, such as the exiles, for the banking crises.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
By February 17, all private banks started to impose a withdrawal limit of 500,000 kyat ($500) per customer per week in order to tackle the liquidity problem. Within a week, this limit got further tightened to 200,000 and 100,00 kyat for some banks. Universal Bank decreased this limit to 50,000 kyat per week by February 21. In response to the limits, large crowds began gathering in front banks demanding withdrawals.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
After a bank in Yangon's Thingangyun area was stoned by account holders, riot police was called upon to guard banks, while the traffic police tried to disperse the huge crowds outside of the Olympic Tower branch of Asia Wealth Bank. Soon, Asia Wealth Bank posted signs saying their branches are working in normal conditions, even though the restrictions were still in place.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
On February 20, several banks ordered their investors to repay about 20% to 25% of their loans to the bank within a few days. By some accounts, this was asked by the Central Bank of Myanmar. This led to further hardship for customers, where, in one geographic division, people who borrowed for purchasing homes were asked to return 25% of their loans back. Though there is no exact data on what followed, there is contemporary reporting that suggests people had to "sell assets or downgrade their business and lifestyles” in order to meet these loan calls.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
By February 25, some banks revised their earlier demands for 25% of the outstanding loans repayments to 50%. The Central Bank of Myanmar’s timetable initially required that all required repayments were to be paid by the end of March 2003. General Khin Nyunt, on March 29 said in a press conference that he “would like to urge those who have taken loans from the banks to strive to repay their debts speedily in consideration of those who have deposited money in the banks, and to ensure the long term interest of the banks and strengthen the national economy". However, the deadline later got pushed back to May 2003 as a lot of the recalled debt was not paid back. Even by the end of May, there were still repayment orders that were not fulfilled.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
On February 21, the Central Bank pledged to assist private banks with a 25 billion kyat ($25 million) bailout, at 4% interest rate. The money was going to be shared between the three largest private banks: Asia Wealth Bank, Kanbawza Bank and Yoma Bank. This liquidity support represented about 3.5% of all deposits in these banks. However, according to the Irrawaddy Newspaper, this money have never actually arrived to these banks.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Timeline
Though the reports on the crises have been limited outside of the country due to the media blackout, by the end of February, a Singapore-based business magazine wrote that they are watching the crises with concern and one firm has already closed down operations in Yangon. Yet, on February 24, Zaw Win Naing, the managing director of Kanbawza Bank said: “the problem we face can be worked out soon, and it is a temporary problem.” Yet, even by May 2003, the crises did not seem to dwindle and depositors had no greater ability to access their accounts. Three month into the banking crises, all three biggest banks were facing severe cash shortages. Yoma bank was reportedly selling its capital assets in order to raise liquidity.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Value of Kyat
Though in many instances banking and currency crises happens together, the value of the kyat appreciated during the banking crises. With the currency losing value against to dollar before the crises, reaching the low of 1100 kyat for $1, by February 20 the value of kyat increased to 900 kyat for $1 (the black market rate). On March 18, moneychangers in Yangon reported that trading was happening at as low as 850 kyat


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Value of Kyat
As kyat was indispensable for everyday transactions for the people in Myanmar, there was a steady demand for it even before the crises. With the crises making kyat-denominated bank deposits overly risky and virtually worthless (due to frozen accounts and illiquidity of the banks) the demand for the kyat increased and supply of kyat decreased. The kyat inevitably increased in price as it became scarcer. Economist Elliot Turner also notes that this scarcity of kyat was indicative of systemic illiquidity in the entire system due to the banking crises.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Economic Hardship
With the withdrawal limits in place, and the other means of exchange used by banks such as cheques, remittance facilities, credit cards and electronic transfers of funds severely disrupted, the crises had harmful effects on the real economy. On February 26, the Central Bank ordered all banks to cease any account transfers, further exacerbating the issue. Though majority of the people in Myanmar did not have bank accounts, almost all businesses had and used these funds to pay their employees.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Economic Hardship
From the offset of the crises, many workers and employers in Myanmar in market related activities such as factories, fisheries and construction faced severe cuts in payments. In fact, there are reports that suggest many workers went unpaid for weeks or got laid off due to the crises. Similarly, contractors, transport providers for goods, suppliers and distributors were all affected by the crises. On February 28, some traders were saying they were unable to make due payments to other merchants since their money remained tied in bank accounts. Even though some business account holders were allowed to make larger withdrawals to pay salaries in late February, small accounts and personal investments still were disrupted.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Economic Hardship
The  Mizzima News Service have reported on March 2 that due to bank closures in Tamu, close to the Indian-Burma border, have resulted in losses for the traders and of payments in the area. This led to a meeting by border traders on March 13 in Tamu, discussing solutions to the ongoing problem Burmese traders with India have demanded that government should deal with this crises. Day-to-day operations of agricultural trading firms are also harmed, as the firms could not pay their current debt obligations.


2003 Myanmar banking crisis, Outcomes, Economic Hardship
In mid-March, people in Yangon started to sell luxury items to meet their due payments to the banks. However, with the crises ongoing, demand for good were low and prices of certain goods had to fall down as much as 50 percent. According to the Irawaddy newspaper, number of robberies in the area also increased due to the banking crises. By May 2003, a secondary market of frozen bank accounts started to emerge, where account holders were selling their frozen accounts for about 60% to 80% of their face value, further increasing the financial losses for account owners.


2003 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2003 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament was held from March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The 66th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2003 National Championship game would feature Concordia (CA) and Mountain State. That game would be the 6th championship game to go into overtime (the most recent as of 2009). The Eagles would defeat the Cougars by an overtime score of 88 to 84. The other teams making it to the NAIA National Semifinals were Georgetown (KY), and McKendree.


2003 NAIA Football National Championship
The 2003 NAIA Football Championship Series concluded on December 20, 2003 with the championship game played at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee. The game was won by the Carroll Fighting Saints over the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers by a score of 41–28.


2003 NAIA football rankings
One human poll made up the 2003 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. Once the regular season was complete, the NAIA sponsored a playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was then taken after completion of the 2003 NAIA Football National Championship.


2003 NAIA football rankings, Leading vote-getters
Since the inception of the Coaches' Poll in 1999, the #1 ranking in the various weekly polls has been held by only a select group of teams. Through the postseason poll of the 2003 season, the teams and the number of times they have held the #1 weekly ranking are shown below. The number of times a team has been ranked #1 in the postseason poll (the national champion) is shown in parentheses.


2003 NAIA football rankings, Leading vote-getters
In 1999, the results of a postseason poll, if one was conducted, are not known. Therefore, an additional poll has been presumed, and the #1 postseason ranking has been credited to the postseason tournament champion, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series
The 2003 NASCAR Busch Series began February 15 and ended November 15. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports won the championship.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Koolerz 300
The Koolerz 300 was held on February 15 at Daytona International Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Koolerz 300
Failed to qualify: Mark Day (#81), Jay Sauter (#75), C. W. Smith (#67), Joe Buford (#84), Brad Teague (#52), Larry Hollenbeck (#82), Ron Barfield (#91)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Rockingham 200
The Rockingham 200 was scheduled for February 22, but rain pushed it back to February 24 at North Carolina Speedway. David Green won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Rockingham 200
Failed to qualify: Justin Ashburn (#61), Michael Dokken (#72), Jeff Fultz (#86)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 300
The Sam's Town 300 was held on March 1 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Stanton Barrett won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 300
Failed to qualify: Steadman Marlin (#30), Wayne Jacks (#52), Troy Cline (#0), Mike McLaughlin (#01), Morgan Shepherd (#00), Scott Lynch (#08)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, darlingtonraceway.com 200
The darlingtonraceway.com 200 was held on March 17 at Darlington Raceway. Stanton Barrett won the pole as the field was set by 2002 Busch Series owner points . The end of the race was wild as Jamie McMurray slipped past Todd Bodine for the top spot on the last turn of the last lap, the two banged fenders and McMurray was spun as Bodine took the checkers. The day before, the closest finish in NASCAR Winston Cup Series history happened.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Channellock 250
The Channellock 250 was held on March 22 at Bristol Motor Speedway. David Green won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, O'Reilly 300
The O'Reilly 300 was held on March 29 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jason Keller won the pole. Chad Blount received a 25–point penalty for illegal modifications to his car's rear hubs found after the race.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312 (Talladega)
The Aaron's 312 was held on April 5 at Talladega Superspeedway. Joe Nemechek won the pole. This race was Lyndon Amick's last career start


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312 (Talladega)
Failed to qualify: Bobby Gerhart (#55), Kevin Ray (#95), Gus Wasson (#84)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Pepsi 300
The Pepsi 300 was held on April 12 at Nashville Superspeedway. Randy LaJoie won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Pepsi 300
Failed to qualify: John Hayden (#85), Jeff Streeter (#83), Joe Buford (#8), Dion Ciccarelli (#04), Norm Benning (#84), Gus Wasson (#96)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, 1–800–Pitshop.com 300
The 1–800–Pitshop.com 300 was held on April 26 at California Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, 1–800–Pitshop.com 300
Failed to qualify: Jason Hedlesky (#91), Brad Teague (#52), Greg Pursley (#84)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Hardee's 250
The Hardee's 250 was held on May 2 at Richmond International Raceway. Michael Waltrip won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Hardee's 250
Failed to qualify: Brad Baker (#28), Kenny Hendrick (#91), Justin Ashburn (#61), Randy MacDonald (#72), Dion Ciccarelli (#84), Jason Rudd (#01)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Charter Pipeline 250
The Charter Pipeline 250 was held on May 10 at Gateway International Raceway. Ashton Lewis won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 200
The Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 200  was held on May 18 at Nazareth Speedway. Randy LaJoie won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 300
The Carquest Auto Parts 300 was held on May 24 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole. Kyle Busch made his first Busch series start, and surprised many by finishing 2nd to race winner Matt Kenseth.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 300
Failed to qualify: Casey Atwood (#82), Morgan Shepherd (#0), Lance Norick (#90), Brad Baker(#39), Jason Schuler (#73), Kenny Hendrick (#91)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA Armed Forces Family 200
The MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 was held on May 31 at Dover International Speedway. Joe Nemechek won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Trace Adkins Chrome 300
The Trace Adkins Chrome 300 was held on June 7 at Nashville Superspeedway. Johnny Sauter won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Meijer 300 presented by Oreo Happy
The Meijer 300 presented by Oreo Happy was held on June 14 at Kentucky Speedway. Stacy Compton won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Meijer 300 presented by Oreo Happy
Failed to qualify: Jason Rudd (#01), Rick Markle (#68), Jamie Mosley (#39), Justin Ashburn (#61), Stan Boyd (#72), Mike Potter (#52), John Hayden (#85)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, GNC Live Well 250
The GNC Live Well 250 was held on June 29 at The Milwaukee Mile. Johnny Sauter won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Winn-Dixie 250
The Winn-Dixie 250 was held on July 4 at Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole, and would lead all 100 laps to win his third superspeedway race of the season.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Winn-Dixie 250
Failed to qualify: Jason Schuler (#73), Joe Aramendia (#79), Dan Pardus (#39), Jimmy Kitchens (#70), Jason Hedlesky (#91)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Tropicana Twister 300
The Tropicana Twister 300 was held on July 12 at Chicagoland Speedway. Casey Mears won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, New England 200
The New England 200 was held on July 19 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, TrimSpa Dream Body 250
The TrimSpa Dream Body 250 was held on July 26 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Bobby Hamilton Jr. won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 200
The Kroger 200 was held on August 2 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Shane Hmiel won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 200
Failed to qualify: Norm Benning (#84), Brett Oakley (#07), Bill Hoff (#93)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Cabela's 250
The Cabela's 250 was held on August 16 at Michigan International Speedway. Kasey Kahne won the pole. The race was shortened to 110 laps due to rain.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Cabela's 250
Failed to qualify: Rick Markle (#68), Justin Ashburn (#61), Larry Hollenbeck (#62), Mike Potter (#52)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
The Food City 250 was held on August 22 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jason Keller won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
Failed to qualify: Caleb Holman (#78), Justin Ashburn (#60), John Hayden (#85), Jason White (#70), Dion Ciccarelli (#84), Butch Jarvis (#53), Brett Oakley (#07), Norm Benning (#8), Daniel Johnson (#94)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Winn-Dixie 200 presented by PepsiCo
The Winn-Dixie 200 presented by PepsiCo was held on August 30 at Darlington Raceway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Funai 250
The Funai 250 was held on September 5 at Richmond International Raceway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Funai 250
Failed to qualify: Dion Ciccarelli (#84), Jimmy Kitchens (#91), Paul Menard (#55), Kenny Hendrick (#94), Franklin Butler (#13), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Hermie Sadler (#02), Jimmy Henderson (#63)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stacker 200 presented by YJ Stinger
The Stacker 200 presented by YJ Stinger was held on September 20 at Dover International Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stacker 200 presented by YJ Stinger
Failed to qualify: Kenny Hendrick (#94), Jeff Streeter (#83), Martin Truex Jr. (#81), Jason Rudd (#01), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Jimmy Henderson (#63), Jimmy Kitchens (#41)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Mr. Goodcents 300
The Mr. Goodcents 300 was held on October 4 at Kansas Speedway. Michael Waltrip won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Mr. Goodcents 300
Failed to qualify: Morgan Shepherd (#9), Ron Young (#71), Jeff Streeter (#83), John Hayden (#85), Stanton Barrett (#91), Justin Ashburn (#61), Jamie Mosley (#39)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Little Trees 300
The Little Trees 300 was held on October 11 after rain postponed it from October 10th at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Little Trees 300
Failed to qualify: Jeff Streeter (#22), Shane Hall (#15), Wayne Anderson (#35), Justin Ashburn (#61), Mike Harmon (#44), Jamie Mosley (#39), Brad Teague (#52), Gus Wasson (#70)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 250
The Sam's Town 250 was held on October 18 at Memphis Motorsports Park. David Reutimann won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 250
Failed to qualify: John Hayden (#85), Justin Ashburn (#61), Brent Moore (#96), Jason Hedlesky (#72), Butch Jarvis (#53), Dana White (#39), Dude Teate (#70)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312 (Atlanta)
The Aaron's 312 was held on October 25 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312 (Atlanta)
Failed to qualify: John Hayden (#85), Jimmy Henderson (#63), Justin Ashburn (#61), Dwayne Leik (#81), Wayne Anderson (#35), Jeff Fuller (#91)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Bashas' Supermarkets 200
The Bashas' Supermarkets 200 was held on November 1 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kevin Harvick won the pole. The race was shortened to 181 laps due to rain.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Bashas' Supermarkets 200
Failed to qualify: Stan Boyd (#51), Blake Mallory (#39), Josh Richeson (#67), Jeff Fuller (#97), Randy MacDonald (#72), John Hayden (#85), Alfredo Tarne Jr. (#73), Jeff Streeter (#83), Clint Vahsholtz (#90)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Target House 200
The Target House 200 was held on November 8 at North Carolina Speedway. Brian Vickers won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Target House 200
Failed to qualify: Josh Richeson (#67), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Rich Bickle (#94), Brad Teague (#52), Jason Schuler (#73), Justin Ashburn (#61), Caleb Holman (#78), Dion Ciccarelli (#84), Norm Benning (#81), Jerry Reary (#22), Justin Hobgood (#80)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Ford 300
The Ford 300 was held on November 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Ford 300
Failed to qualify: Morgan Shepherd (#9), Jason Schuler (#73), Clint Vahsholtz (#39), Justin Ashburn (#61), Mike Harmon (#44), Stan Boyd (#51), Joe Aramendia (#79), Brad Baker (#28)


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Full Drivers' Championship
(key) Bold – Pole position awarded by time. Italics – Pole position set by owner's points. * – Most laps led. * * - All laps led.


2003 NASCAR Busch Series, Rookie of the Year
Despite not completing a full schedule and running for two different teams, David Stremme was named the 2003 Busch Series Rookie of the Year, posting three top-five finishes. Runner-up Coy Gibbs ran the full schedule and finished 14th in points, but did not accumulate enough rookie points to overtake Stremme. He would retire from racing at the end of the year. Third-place finisher Joey Clanton shared the #27 Brewco Motorsports ride with fellow rookie Chase Montgomery, while Chad Blount finished fourth running part-time with Braun and Carroll Racing. Regan Smith, Damon Lusk, and Chris Bingham were released from their rides during the season.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season was the ninth season of the third highest stock car racing in the United States. The season included twenty-five races, beginning with the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Steve Coulter won the Owners' Championship, while Travis Kvapil won the Drivers' Championship during the final race of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Dodge won the Manufacturers' Championship with 179 points.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 2003 teams and drivers, Part-time teams
Note: If under "team", the owner's name is listed and in italics, that means the name of the race team that fielded the truck is unknown.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 250
The Florida Dodge Dealers 250 was held February 14 at Daytona International Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 250
Failed to qualify: Eric Jones (#34), Geoff Bodine (#36), Brian Rose (#57), Ricky Sanders (#19)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Craftsman 200
The Craftsman 200 was held March 14 at Darlington Raceway. Travis Kvapil won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Lucas Oil 250 presented by Glidden
The Lucas Oil 250 presented by Glidden was held March 23 at Mesa Marin Raceway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 250
The Advance Auto Parts 250 was held April 12 at Martinsville Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Conrad Burr (#87), Tina Gordon (#31), Dana White (#23), James Stephenson (#36), Randy Briggs (#53), Doug Keller (#27), Craig Wood (13), Ron Polodna (#13), Jody McCormick (#77)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Hardee's 200
The Hardee's 200 was held May 16 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Bill Lester won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, MBNA Armed Forces Family 200
The MBNA Armed Forces Family 200 was held May 30 at Dover International Speedway. Bobby Hamilton won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly 400K
The O'Reilly 400K was held June 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. Bobby Hamilton won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly 200
The O'Reilly 200, the 200th race run in the truck series was held June 21 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Jon Wood won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, GNC 200
The GNC 200 was held June 28 at The Milwaukee Mile. Terry Cook won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, GNC 200
Failed to qualify: Trevor Boys (#36), Nathal Wulff (#65), Conrad Burr (#87)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
The O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 was held July 5 at Kansas Speedway. Chad Chaffin won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Doug Keller (#27), Aaron Daniel (#11), Wayne Edwards (#25), Bobby Dotter (#07)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Built Ford Tough 225
The Built Ford Tough 225 was held July 12 at Kentucky Speedway. Jon Wood won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Built Ford Tough 225
This was Carl Edwards' first Truck Series victory, but he suffered a 100-point penalty after the race due to cylinder head infractions.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Missouri-Illinois Dealers Ram Tough 200
The Missouri-Illinois Dealers Ram Tough 200 was held July 19 at Gateway International Raceway. Travis Kvapil won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Sears 200
The Sears 200 was held July 26 at Michigan International Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Power Stroke Diesel 200
The Power Stroke Diesel 200 was held August 1 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Terry Cook won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Federated Auto Parts 200
The Federated Auto Parts 200 was held August 8 at Nashville Superspeedway. Chad Chaffin won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife
The O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife was held August 20 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Virginia Is For Lovers 200
The Virginia Is For Lovers 200 was held September 4 at Richmond International Raceway. Travis Kvapil won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, New Hampshire 200
The New Hampshire 200 was held September 13 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jimmy Spencer won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, American Racing Wheels 200
The American Racing Wheels 200 was held September 20 at California Speedway. Brendan Gaughan won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, American Racing Wheels 200
Failed to qualify: Doug Keller (#77), Blake Mallory (#27), Ricky Sanders (#19), Aaron Daniel (#93)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Las Vegas 350
The Las Vegas 350 was held September 27 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Brendan Gaughan won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Las Vegas 350
Failed to qualify: J. C. Stout (#91), Jason Small (#39), Trevor Boys (#36), Chris Horn (#58), Kelly Sutton (#02), Conrad Burr (#94), David Gilliland (#09), Rick Bogart (#70), Loni Richardson (#0), Tina Gordon (#31), Jason York (#97), David Stover (#63), Ricky Sanders (#19), Kenny Hendrick (#9), Tim Woods (#54)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, John Boy & Billy 250
The John Boy & Billy 250 was held October 4 at South Boston Speedway. Brendan Gaughan won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Silverado 350
The Silverado 350 was held October 11 at Texas Motor Speedway. Andy Houston won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 200
The Advance Auto Parts 200 was held October 18 at Martinsville Speedway. Carl Edwards won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 200
Failed to qualify: Jerry Hill (#51), Ron Polodna (#13), Wayne Edwards (#95), Jeremy Thompson (#92), Craig Wood (#13), Scotty Sands (#47)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Silverado 150
The Chevy Silverado 150 was held October 31 at Phoenix International Raceway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Silverado 150
Failed to qualify: Nathan Wulff (#65), Tim Woods (#54), Pete Harding (#36), Tommy Pistone (#28), Stan Boyd (#5), Cory Kruseman (#98)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
The Ford 200 was held November 14 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bobby Hamilton won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
This race saw the possibility of any one of the series' four top drivers in the points standings coming away with the championship. Going into the race Brendan Gaughan, driving the #62 Dodge Ram for Orleans Racing, was leading the standings. Ted Musgrave, driving the #1 Dodge Ram for Ultra Motorsports, was sitting second. Third place was Dennis Setzer, in the #46 Chevrolet Silverado for Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, and fourth was held by Travis Kvapil, driving the #16 Chevrolet Silverado that Mike Bliss had won the series championship driving one year earlier for Xpress Motorsports.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Controversy was caused, however, by potential roadblocks caused by drivers' teammates. Setzer's team did not enter a second truck in the race. Kvapil's team was fielding the #11 truck for Jack Sprague, who had joined the team after being fired by Haas CNC Racing in the Winston Cup Series. Gaughan's team was fielding the #61. truck driven by Scott Lynch, the team's developmental driver.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Ultra, meanwhile, entered five trucks in the event including Musgrave's #1. The first two trucks were the #2 truck, Ultra's other full-time truck piloted by Andy Houston, and the #7 Dodge Motorsports truck, their part-time truck driven by developmental driver Tyler Walker. In a move that was seen as setting up roadblocks for Musgrave, Ultra prepared two additional Dodge Rams numbered 10 and 27. The #10 truck was driven by Andy Houston's brother Marty, a member of Musgrave's pit crew who had not raced in two years. The #27 was driven by P. J. Jones, who had not run a Truck Series event in eight years and was largely employed as a road course ringer. The extra entries earned a huge amount of criticism from points leader Gaughan as well as fans and other drivers.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
As the race went on, Gaughan's complaints proved to be valid. With thirty-four laps to go in the race Gaughan and Marty Houston got into an accident with the #80 of Bryan Reffner. None of the three trucks were able to continue and the accident cost an angry Gaughan, who railed against Ultra's tactics after the accident, the points lead. He went on to finish in twenty-ninth place, ahead of both Houston and Reffner who finished in the next two positions.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
The next contender to run into trouble was Musgrave. With two laps to go in the race, the race restarted and Musgrave attempted to make a pass on Kvapil's inside before the cars reached the start/finish line. Musgrave completed the pass and then passed Setzer, but NASCAR threw the black flag as Musgrave was judged to have been in violation of race rules. Musgrave never answered the black flag, and when the checkered flag fell on the next lap he crossed it in sixth place behind Sprague and in front of Kvapil, who passed Setzer for seventh. With the penalty, however, Musgrave was listed as the last car on the lead lap in thirteenth place.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
For several minutes, NASCAR held off on making the results official as they reviewed Musgrave's penalty. After a 23-minute delay, the black flag was upheld, and Kvapil was declared the series champion. The final margin was nine points, while Musgrave finished eighteen points behind and Gaughan forty (without the black flag, Musgrave would have been the champion over Kvapil by 12 points, with Setzer 21 behind, and Gaughan 52 back).


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
In a post-race interview, an obviously angry Musgrave, while acknowledging his infraction, blamed it on Kvapil stabbing the brakes on him and responded with, "That figures. Screw them. All I can say is that next year you're going to see a whole new Ted Musgrave. He's going to be the dirtiest son of a gun going out there on the racetrack and you might as well throw that rulebook away. I ain't going by it no more."


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Xpress Motorsports won its second consecutive Truck Series Championship as a team, as Mike Bliss had won the 2002 series championship driving the same truck Kvapil took to the championship.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Polesitter Bobby Hamilton won the race. Of the additional drivers that the Xpress, Ultra, and Orleans teams entered, Jack Sprague and P. J. Jones finished in the top ten, with Sprague fifth and Jones ninth. Scott Lynch finished twelfth, Tyler Walker twenty-third, and Marty Houston thirtieth.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
IndyCar Series driver and future Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice made his NASCAR debut in this race driving SealMaster Racing's #88 Chevrolet Silverado normally driven by Matt Crafton. Crafton drove the team's #98 entry for this race. Rice would finish 20th.


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (#93), Jason Hedlesky (#51), Wayne Edwards (#95), Lance Hooper (#01), Dana White (#25), Jamie Aube (#23), Danny Bagwell (#81), Carl Long (#5)


2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Rookie of the Year
Gong Show winner Carl Edwards was named Rookie of the Year, winning three races and finishing eighth in points for Roush Racing. The first runner-up was Jody Lavender, who competed in 21 of 25 races for Green Light Racing. Tina Gordon, T. J. Bell and Doug Keller made limited attempts at the award, while Teri MacDonald drove part-time for her brother Randy MacDonald in the Truck Series.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 55th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 32nd modern-era Cup Series season. The season began on February 8 at the Daytona International Speedway with the Budweiser Shootout and ended on November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 400. Despite only winning one race throughout the whole season, Matt Kenseth, driving the No.17 Ford for Roush Racing, was strongly consistent following the lone win, and was crowned the Winston Cup champion. His only win came in the third race of the 36 race season. Chevrolet took home the NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship after capturing 19 wins and 264 points over second-place finisher Dodge, who had nine wins and 203 points. Ford finished the year third with seven wins and 200 points, and Pontiac finished fourth with one win and 125 points.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
This was the final year for Winston being the title sponsor of the Cup Series. Winston had been the title sponsor for NASCAR since 1971. After 33 years, Winston decided not to renew its sponsorship. NASCAR went to work to find a sponsor immediately, and on June 19, 2003, NASCAR announced that the telecommunications firm Nextel would be the new title sponsor of the Cup Series starting in 2004. This was also the final season for Unocal 76 Brand as the official fuel for NASCAR. Unocal had been the official fuel since the sport's inception in 1948.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Sunoco would replace Unocal 76 as the official fuel of NASCAR. This was also the last full-time season for Pontiac. Pontiac had been with NASCAR on 2 different occasions. The first was from 1949 to 1964, then they returned in 1981 and continued full-time until the end of 2003, though a few teams ran Pontiacs on a limited basis in 2004, and they continued running in the Busch Series through 2005 and ARCA as late as 2007.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
Also, 2003 marks the first Cup Series season without Bobby Hamilton since 1988 (but would return part-time in 2005). This was also the last season without Carl Edwards until 2017 and Kasey Kahne until 2019, and also was the last season before Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. join as NASCAR drivers, (They ran part time in 2004, before join full-time in 2005 for Busch and 2006 for Truex)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup 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.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Budweiser Shootout
The Budweiser Shootout was held February 8 at Daytona International Speedway. It was won by No. 8 of Dale Earnhardt Jr. The race featured drivers who have won a pole in the previous season or have won the event before. 2003 marked changes to the race's format, for the first time the race ran at night. The 70-lap event was now split into two segments. After the first 20-lap segment a 10-minute intermission took place allowing drivers to make pit stops and repair their cars. The second segment featured a 50-lap race to the finish with cars restarting double file on all restarts. Drivers were also required to make at least one pit stop under the green flag.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Gatorade Twin 125s
The Gatorade 125s qualifying for the Daytona 500 were held on February 12 at Daytona International Speedway.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, 45th Daytona 500
Failed to qualify: Larry Foyt (No. 14), Brett Bodine (No. 11), Hermie Sadler (No. 02), David Green (No. 60), Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 90), Derrike Cope (No. 37), Mike Harmon (No. 78)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Subway 400
The Subway 400 was held on February 23 at North Carolina Speedway. Dave Blaney was the pole winner.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 was held on March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bobby Labonte was the pole winner.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400
Failed to qualify: Greg Biffle (No. 16), Brandon Ash (No. 02)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Bass Pro Shops 500
The Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was held on March 9 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Ryan Newman sat on the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Bass Pro Shops 500
Failed to qualify: Bobby Hamilton Jr. (No. 35), Jeff Fultz (No. 57)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Carolina Dodge Dealers 400
The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was held on March 16 at Darlington Raceway. Elliott Sadler sat on the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Food City 500
The Food City 500 was held on March 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan Newman was the pole winner for this race.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Food City 500
Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (No. 02), Larry Foyt (No. 14)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Samsung/Radio Shack 500
The Samsung/Radio Shack 500 was held at Texas Motor Speedway on March 30, 2003. Texas native Bobby Labonte was the pole sitter for this race.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Samsung/Radio Shack 500
Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83), David Starr (No. 75)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 6, 2003. Jeremy Mayfield won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Aaron's 499
Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (No. 11), Larry Foyt (No. 14), David Green (No. 60) (Note: Phoenix Racing's Mike Wallace had originally failed to qualify, but Green's car was found too low and his time was disallowed.)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Virginia 500
The Virginia 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 13, 2003. Jeff Gordon won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Auto Club 500
The Auto Club 500 was held at California Speedway on April 27, 2003. Steve Park won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Auto Club 500
Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83), Hideo Fukuyama (No. 66)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pontiac Excitement 400
The Pontiac Excitement 400 was held at Richmond International Raceway on May 3, 2003. Terry Labonte won the pole. The race was shortened with only 7 laps to go, due to rain.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pontiac Excitement 400
Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (No. 02), Derrike Cope (No. 37), Hideo Fukuyama (No. 66)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600 was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 25, 2003. Ryan Newman won the pole. The race was shortened to 276 laps due to inclement weather.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (No. 02), Brett Bodine (No. 11), Derrike Cope (No. 37)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Armed Forces Family 400
The MBNA Armed Forces Family 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on June 1, 2003. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Armed Forces Family 400
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (No. 37), Hermie Sadler (No. 02)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pocono 500
The Pocono 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on June 8, 2003. Jimmie Johnson won the pole. This broke a 27-race winless streak for Stewart.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pocono 500
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (No. 37), Morgan Shepherd (No. 89)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sirius 400
The Sirius 400 was held at Michigan International Speedway on June 15, 2003. Bobby Labonte was the pole sitter.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sirius 400
Failed to qualify: Mike Skinner (No. 4), Larry Foyt (No. 14)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Dodge/Save Mart 350
The Dodge/Save Mart 350 was held at Infineon Raceway on June 22, 2003. Boris Said was the pole sitter.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Dodge/Save Mart 350
Failed to qualify: P. J. Jones (No. 14), Brandon Ash (No. 02), Paul Menard (No. 33), Jim Inglebright (No. 00)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
The Pepsi 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on July 5, 2003. Steve Park won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
Failed to qualify: Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83), Tony Raines (No. 74), Shane Hmiel (No. 43), Christian Fittipaldi (No. 44)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Tropicana 400
The Tropicana 400 was held at Chicagoland Speedway on July 13, 2003. Tony Stewart sat on the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, New England 300
The New England 300 was held at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 20, 2003. Matt Kenseth won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, New England 300
Failed to qualify: Tim Sauter (No. 71), David Reutimann (No. 04), Carl Long (No. 46), Larry Foyt (No. 50)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pennsylvania 500
The Pennsylvania 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on July 27, 2003. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 3, 2003. Kevin Harvick won the pole and the race.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (No. 11), Ken Schrader (No. 49), Billy Bigley (No. 79), Ted Musgrave (No. 07), Robert Pressley (No. 4), Jim Sauter (No. 71), Christian Fittipaldi (No. 43), David Reutimann (No. 04), Hermie Sadler (No. 02)


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
NOTE: This marked the first time that Ken Schrader failed to qualify for a race. Until this weekend, he had made 579 consecutive starts.


2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen
The Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen was held at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2003. Jeff Gordon was the pole sitter.