2002 Molise earthquakes
The 2002 Molise earthquakes hit the Italian regions of Molise and Apulia on 31 October at 10:32:58 (UTC) and 1 November at 15:09:00 (UTC). The shocks had magnitudes of 5.9 and 5.8 Mw respectively. Most of the victims were killed and injured when a school collapsed in the town of San Giuliano di Puglia:  26 of the 51 schoolchildren died, together with one of their teachers. In particular, none of the nine children in the school's 4th Year (mostly born in 1996) survived.


2002 Molise earthquakes, Tectonic setting
Molise and Apulia lie above a series of thrust sheets that were emplaced northeastwards on top of the foreland of the Adriatic Plate due to continental collision during the Neogene. In the southern part of the Apennines, the thrusting is no longer active, but it continues in northern Italy along the southern margin of the Po Plain. The foreland to the east is characterised by zones of active west–east trending dextral (right-lateral) strike-slip faulting.


2002 Molise earthquakes, Tectonic setting
The best described of these zones is the Mattinata Fault, which has a clear topographic expression on the south side of the Gargano Peninsula and has been traced offshore into the Adriatic Sea. The estimated epicentre of the 1627 Gargano earthquake lies just beyond the western end of the known extent of the Mattinata Fault, although the link between the two remains uncertain.


2002 Molise earthquakes, Tectonic setting
The Molise and Apulia regions are areas of low historical seismicity and relatively few earthquake records are available from the instrumental era.


2002 Molise earthquakes, Damage, First shock
During the night of 30–31 October there had already been three minor foreshocks, with the strongest at 03:27 (a magnitude of 3.5 on the Richter Scale, IV–V on the Mercalli intensity scale). The strongest tremor took place at 11:32 on 31 October 2002 in the area of lower Molise, which is situated in the north-east of the Province of Campobasso. It reached from the Frentani Mountains to the Fortore valley. It lasted for 60 seconds and could be felt distinctly in the centre of Molise, in the Capitanata, the Province of Chieti, and could be felt in Marche, Bari, Benevento, Matera, Brindisi, Rome, Naples, Potenza, Salerno, Taranto and Pescara.


2002 Molise earthquakes, Damage, First shock
San Giuliano di Puglia was near the epicentre (located between Campobasso, Larino and the Apennine Dauno). Due to the quake part of the roof of the school building "Francesco Jovine" collapsed. The school included a kindergarten, a primary school and a middle school. The roof landed on the lower part of the school. There were 57 children, 8 teachers and 2 caretakers trapped under the rubble.


2002 Molson Indy Montreal
The 2002 Molson Indy Montreal was the thirteenth round of the 2002 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on August 25, 2002 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was the first Champ Car event to take place on the circuit best known for hosting the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix.


2002 Molson Indy Toronto
The 2002 Molson Indy Toronto was the eighth round of the 2002 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on July 7, 2002 on the streets of Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


2002 Molson Indy Toronto, Race
* Townsend Bell was excluded from the race after making contact with Bruno Junqueira on lap 93. He was fined $10,000 and placed on probation.


2002 Molson Indy Vancouver
The 2002 Molson Indy Vancouver was the tenth round of the 2002 CART FedEx Champ Car World Series season, held on July 28, 2002 on the streets of Concord Pacific Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.


2002 Mombasa attacks
The 2002 Mombasa attacks was a two-pronged terrorist attack on 28 November 2002 in Mombasa, Kenya against an Israeli-owned hotel and a plane belonging to Arkia Airlines. An all-terrain vehicle crashed through a barrier outside the Paradise Hotel and blew up, killing 13 and injuring 80. At the same time, attackers fired two surface-to-air missiles at an Israeli charter plane. The Paradise Hotel was the only Israeli-owned hotel in the Mombasa area. The attacks were believed to be orchestrated by al-Qaeda operatives in Somalia in an attempt to disrupt the Israeli tourist industry on the African continent.


2002 Mombasa attacks
Much speculation has occurred as to who the perpetrators are, but no complete list of suspects has been defined. The attack was the second al-Qaeda terrorist operation in Kenya, following the bombing of the U.S. embassy in Nairobi in 1998. Following the attack, the UN Security Council and other nations condemned the bombing.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Attacks, Hotel bombing
Three men in a 4-wheel drive SUV approached the gate of the Paradise Hotel and were questioned by security guards. One of the men leapt from the car and detonated an explosive vest he was wearing. The other two men rammed the vehicle through the barrier, crashing into the front entrance of the hotel and set off the bomb they had in the SUV. The blast occurred on the eve of Hanukkah just after some 60 visitors had checked into the hotel, all of them from Israel for a holiday stay. Thirteen people were killed and 80 injured. Ten Kenyans died in the attack and three Israelis, two of them children. Nine of the victims were dancers who had been employed to welcome hotel guests. In an overnight rescue mission, four Israeli military Hercules planes were sent to Mombasa to evacuate the dead and injured.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Attacks, Aircraft attack
Almost simultaneous to the attack on the hotel, two shoulder-launched Strela 2 (SA-7) surface-to-air missiles were fired at a chartered Boeing 757 airliner owned by Israel-based Arkia Airlines as it took off from Moi International Airport. The Arkia charter company had a regular weekly service flying tourists between Tel Aviv and Mombasa. Kenyan police discovered a missile launcher and two missile casings in the Changamwe area of Mombasa, about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the airport. The pilots planned on an emergency landing in Nairobi after seeing the two missiles streak past them, but decided to continue to Israel. The airliner landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv about five hours later, escorted by Israeli F-15 fighter jets. Following the attack, all flights from Israel to Kenya were cancelled indefinitely.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
Sheikh Omar Bakri Mohammed, leader of the London-based Islamic organisation Al Muhajiroun, said that warnings had appeared on the Internet. "Militant groups who sympathise with Al-Qaeda warned one week ago that there would be an attack on Kenya and they mentioned Israelis," he said. Initially, Israeli government spokesmen denied that such a warning had been received. But four days after the blast, Brigadier-General Yossi Kuperwasser admitted that Israeli military intelligence were aware of a threat in Kenya, but that it was not specific enough. Former Mossad head Danny Yatom took a similar line, saying that Israel got so many terror warnings they were not taken seriously.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
In Lebanon, a previously unknown group called the Army of Palestine has said it carried out the attacks and said it wanted the world to hear the "voice of the refugees" on the 55th anniversary of the partition of Palestine.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
On 20 December 2006, Salad Ali Jelle, Defence Minister of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, said that one of the suspects, Abu Taha al-Sudan, was an Islamic Courts Union leader fighting against the Transitional Federal Government in the 2006 Battle of Baidoa. On 14 September 2009, American troops killed Kenya-born Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan after a missile struck his car in the Barawe District, 250 kilometers south of Somalia's capital Mogadishu. Nabhan is believed to have bought the truck used in the 2002 bombing.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
Fazul Abdullah Mohammed is a foreign leader of the jihadist fundamentalist group, Al-Shabaab, which has pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda. Mohammed was appointed leader of al-Qaeda operations in East Africa. He was a participating member of the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombing in Nairobi and was one of the masterminds behind the coordination of the attack in Mombasa. He saw the attack as a failure because of the Strela 2 missiles missing the plane during takeoff.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
Mohammed Abdul Malik Bajabu confessed in 2007 to assisting in the car bombings that took place at The Paradise Hotel. He was arrested by Kenyan authorities and is currently imprisoned by the U.S. in Guantanamo Bay without any formal charges against him. There have been four other suspected attackers affiliated with the al-Qaeda cell in Kenya, but the Kenyan prosecutors have had trouble establishing guilt with certainty. The four Kenyan nationals have been acquitted for lack of evidence.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
There also has been speculation of involvement by Somali terrorist organization known as, Al Ittihad al Islamiya (AIAI). AIAI has supposed ties with al-Qaeda. They had hoped that by sending a message to the Israelis through this attack, they would grow closer to achieving their goal of establishing a Somali Islamic state.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators
However, a former Israeli Intelligence official accused Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, known as Abu Mohammed al-Masri, of ordering the Mombasa attacks.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators, Motivation
It is believed that the terrorist cell, al-Qaeda, sought out to severely diminish Israeli activities on the African continent. The two simultaneous attacks had a direct impact on the Israeli tourism industry. The Paradise Hotel was an Israeli owned beachfront property that many Israeli vacationers frequented. The Al-Shabaab militant group is majorly concentrated in Somalia and because of weak border security, often spills over into Kenya. Kenya has a minority Muslim population that has historically been alienated, and with a growing dissent for Western activities with Kenyan borders, it has enabled a growing number of jihadist Muslims in Nairobi.


2002 Mombasa attacks, Perpetrators, Motivation
The Muslim community in Kenya has lost political and economic representation leading up to the attacks, which lead them to focus their loyalty on Islam and the Middle East, not the nation. This enabled the jihadist movement to acquire a strong grip within Kenya, as Kenyan nationals assisted in the attacks on the Paradise Hotel and on the Boeing 757.


2002 Mombasa attacks, International response
Immediately following the attacks, Israel began evacuating all Israeli citizens within Kenyan borders. A joint operation began between the United States and Israel in determining who the perpetrators were of the attack. President George W Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell of the United States, Israel's Foreign Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, the Kenyan government, and United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Jack Straw all condemned the attack.


2002 Mombasa attacks, International response
The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1450 condemning the attacks, Syria was the only country to not affirm the resolution due to the implied power of directly intervening in the affected country's internal affairs after a terrorist attack. They also found distaste with the repeated mention of Israel in the resolution, which was against their political view concerning the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine.


2002 Mombasa attacks, International response, Investigation
As a result of the U.S. embassy bombing in 1998 and the attacks in Mombasa, Kenya-U.S. cooperation between authorities has strengthened. It was a joint effort between Kenya, the U.S., and Israel to apprehend the attackers. They were able to determine that al-Qaeda operatives were behind the attacks due to the similarities between the incidents in Nairobi and Mombasa. The attackers had used car bombs sourced from local materials. To plan and coordinate the attacks, al-Qaeda operatives rented houses in affluent neighborhoods to meet up with the non-Kenyan suicide bombers.


2002 Mombasa attacks, International response, Investigation, Aftermath
In 2003 Western countries advised all of their citizens against traveling to Kenya because of the terrorist threat. This negatively impacted Kenya's economy which was based mostly in the tourism industry. Following the advisories and the suspension of British Airways flights to Nairobi, the Kenyan economy began losing nearly $130 million per week. Kenya has always been a focus for Islamist terrorist organizations, the U.N. Habitat Program and the U.N. Environment Program are based in the country.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix
The 2002 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 May 2002 at the Circuit de Monaco in Monte Carlo. It was the seventh race of the 2002 Formula One World Championship, and the sixtieth Monaco Grand Prix.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix
The 78-lap race was won by British driver David Coulthard, driving a McLaren-Mercedes. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya took pole position in his Williams-BMW but was beaten off the line by Coulthard, who went on to lead every lap. German Michael Schumacher finished second in a Ferrari with his brother, Ralf Schumacher, third in the other Williams-BMW.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Qualifying report
Juan Pablo Montoya emerged on top in qualifying. David Coulthard took pole position at the 2001 Monaco Grand Prix, only to stall on the grid, but was forced to settle for second this time, nearly four tenths of a second off the Colombian's pace. The championship leader and the last race victor, Michael Schumacher, could only set the third fastest time after suffering with an eye irritation throughout the session. Ralf Schumacher lined up fourth, ahead of Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari and Kimi Räikkönen's McLaren.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Qualifying report
Throughout free practice, the Renault team, and in particular Jarno Trulli, had looked set to challenge the established front-runners, but the Italian would only line up in 7th position, one position ahead of team-mate Jenson Button. On their first appearance at Monaco, the Toyotas of Mika Salo and Allan McNish completed the top ten, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella's Jordan and Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Arrows. Sauber had a troubled session, with Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld lining up 13th and 17th respectively. The 1996 winner Olivier Panis was 18th for BAR, while Eddie Irvine lined up in 21st for Jaguar.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
Coulthard made the most of a sluggish start from Montoya to take the lead into Sainte-Devote for the first time, as Michael Schumacher held third position from his brother. Meanwhile, there was commotion behind, as Jacques Villeneuve's BAR failed to get off the grid with clutch problems. The Canadian would rejoin the race one lap down. There were also problems for Button, who incurred a drive-through penalty for jumping the start, despite the fact he then bogged down, and had dropped nine places to 17th by the end of the first lap.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
At the front, Coulthard remained in the lead, but unable to strengthen his advantage, with the top four rarely covered by more than a second. The Scot did gradually increase his advantage and by the time a dozen laps had been run, Coulthard's lead was up to just over a second, with Montoya holding off Michael Schumacher by a similar amount.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
However, the top Williams was having problems keeping pace with the lead car, and was gradually dropping back, delaying Schumacher in the process. The German was the first of the front-runners to stop - doing so on lap 44, and therefore removing the slower Montoya from his path, before, ironically the Colombian was forced out with engine failure later that lap. Schumacher had clearly been delayed by the slower Williams, as he emerged from the pits to set the fastest lap of the race and close in on Coulthard.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
With the Scot's tyres much more worn than Schumacher's, the McLaren team had no choice but to call in Coulthard early, with the Scot rejoining with a one-second advantage. Now armed with new tyres himself, Coulthard had the measure of Schumacher, and although the pair circulated nose-to-tail for the remainder of the race, Coulthard recorded his first victory for over a year, while Michael Schumacher's second position extended his championship lead to 33 points.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
There was plenty of action further down the field, with Ralf Schumacher taking third, despite a late pit-stop to replace a damaged tyre. Trulli followed up his promising times earlier in the weekend by holding off the Jordan of Giancarlo Fisichella for fourth position. Behind Fisichella, Heinz-Harald Frentzen took sixth place, although had it not been for a fuel rig problem that necessitated an extra pit-stop, he could well have taken fourth.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
Rubens Barrichello's disappointing weekend ended with seventh position, after making a second pit-stop to repair damage caused by smashing into Räikkönen at the chicane, in a move that put the McLaren driver out of the race. Barrichello received a 10-second stop-go penalty for causing the accident. Nick Heidfeld took eighth, ahead of the Jaguars of Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa. Minardi's Mark Webber had been on target for a top ten finish, only to have to make a late pit-stop which dropped him to eleventh. Enrique Bernoldi was the twelfth and last finisher, despite damaging his car in a clash with Massa and incurring a drive-through penalty for cutting the chicane.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
Allan McNish spun his Toyota into the tyres at Sainte-Devote on lap 15. Takuma Sato clattered into the barriers before the chicane on lap 22 while trying to let his Jordan team-mate Fisichella past. Minardi's Alex Yoong was another driver to clash with the barriers, and although he made it back to the pits, his suspension was too damaged for him to continue. Panis and Button collided at Sainte-Devote on lap 51 and were forced out with accident damage, Panis subsequently admitting he had not seen the Renault on the inside of him.


2002 Monaco Grand Prix, Race report
More spectacular was the shunt that ended Massa's race after his Sauber was badly damaged after a confrontation with the Sainte-Devote tyre wall. Jacques Villeneuve had earlier departed with an engine failure, while Toyota's Mika Salo was the final retirement of the day after brake failure forced him into the barriers.


2002 Mongolian Premier League
The 2002 Mongolian National Championship was the thirty-fifth recorded edition of top flight football in Mongolia and the seventh season of the Mongolian Premier League, which took over as the highest level of competition in the country from the previous Mongolian National Championship. Erchim, their fourth title, Khangarid from Erdenet were  runners up, with Mon-Uran and Darkhan tied for third place.


2002 Monmouth Hawks football team
The 2002 Monmouth Hawks football team represented Monmouth University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season as a member of the Northeast Conference (NEC). The Hawks were led by tenth-year head coach Kevin Callahan and played their home games at Kessler Field. They finished the season 2–8 overall and 2–5 in NEC play to tie for fifth place.


2002 Montana Grizzlies football team
The 2002 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana – Missoula in the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. The Grizzlies were led by third-year head coach Joe Glenn and played their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium.


2002 Montana House of Representatives election
An election was held on November 5, 2002 to elect all 100 members to Montana's House of Representatives. The election coincided with elections for other offices, including U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives and State Senate. The primary election was held on June 4, 2002.


2002 Montana House of Representatives election
Republicans retained control of the House despite a net loss of five seats, winning 53 seats compared to 48 seats for the Democrats.


2002 Montana House of Representatives election, Results, Statewide
Statewide results of the 2002 Montana House of Representatives election:


2002 Montana House of Representatives election, Results, District
Results of the 2002 Montana House of Representatives election by district:


2002 Montana State Bobcats football team
The 2002 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference (Big Sky) during the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA football season. In their third season under head coach Mike Kramer, the Bobcats compiled a 7–6 record (5–2 against Big Sky opponents) and tied for the Big Sky championship with Montana and Idaho State. Montana State lost to McNeese State in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship playoffs and ranked No. 19 in the final I-AA poll by The Sports Network.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters
The 2002 Monte Carlo Masters was a men's tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 96th edition of the Monte Carlo Masters and was part of the Tennis Masters Series of the 2002 ATP Tour. It took place at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France from 15 April through 21 April 2002.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters
The men's field was headlined by World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero and Yevgeny Kafelnikov. Other top seeds were Tim Henman, Tommy Haas, Marat Safin, Sébastien Grosjean and Thomas Johansson.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters, Finals, Doubles
Jonas Björkman /  Todd Woodbridge defeated  Paul Haarhuis /  Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6–3, 3–6, [10–7]


2002 Monte Carlo Masters – Doubles
Jonas Björkman and Todd Woodbridge were the defending champions and won in the final 6–3, 3–6, [10–7] against Paul Haarhuis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters – Singles
Gustavo Kuerten was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters – Singles
Juan Carlos Ferrero won in the final 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 against Carlos Moyá.


2002 Monte Carlo Masters – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


2002 Montenegrin parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Montenegro on 20 October 2002. The result was a victory for the For a European Montenegro alliance formed by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which won 39 of the 75 seats. It was the last parliamentary election held in Montenegro prior to independence referendum in 2006.


2002 Montenegrin parliamentary election, Electoral system
Of the 75 seats in Parliament, 73 were elected by proportional representation in a nationwide constituency and two were elected in a special constituency for the Albanian minority. The electoral threshold was set at 3% and seats allocated using the d'Hondt method. Closed lists were used with a single list for both constituencies, although parties only had to award half their seats according to the order of the list, with the remaining half free for them to allocate.


2002 Montenegrin presidential election
Presidential elections were held in the Republic of Montenegro on 22 December 2002.


2002 Montenegrin presidential election, Background
The elections were boycotted by the opposition Socialist People's Party, who accused the ruling Democratic Party of Socialists of pressurising civil servants to vote for Vujanović. The elections were also overshadowed by the arrest of Deputy State Attorney Zoran Piperović for connections with human trafficking and forced prostitution.


2002 Montenegrin presidential election, Results
Although Dragan Hajduković was a member of the Greens of Montenegro, he ran as an independent.


2002 Montenegrin presidential election, Aftermath
Although Filip Vujanović won the election with 86% of the vote, turnout was less than the required 50%, so the election was declared invalid. Fresh elections were held in February 2003, which were also invalidated, and then again in May when the turnout rule was abolished.


2002 Monterey Sports Car Championships
The 2002 Monterey Sports Car Championships was the eighth round of the 2002 American Le Mans Series. It took place at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California, on September 22, 2002.


2002 Montreal Alouettes season
The 2002 Montreal Alouettes finished in first place in the East Division with a 13–5–0–1 record. The Alouettes hired coach Don Matthews, after a terrible ending to the 2001 season. They defeated the Toronto Argonauts 35–18 in the East Final to advance to the Grey Cup. They met their most frequent Grey Cup partner, the Edmonton Eskimos, in front of a loud, cold, hometown Eskimo crowd, they won 25–16,  winning their first championship since 1977, when they defeated these same Edmonton Eskimos in the famous Ice Bowl at Olympic Stadium.


2002 Montreal Expos season
The 2002 Montreal Expos season was the 34th season in franchise history.


2002 Montreal Expos season, Spring training
In 2002, the Expos held spring training at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida – a facility they shared with the St. Louis Cardinals – for the fifth and final season. The following year, they moved to Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Florida, for spring training.


2002 Montreal Expos season, Regular season, Attendance
The Expos drew 812,045 fans during the 2002 season, and were 16th in attendance among the 16 National League teams. Their highest attendance for the season was for the Opening Day game on April 2 against the Florida Marlins, which drew 34,351 fans, while their lowest was for a game on September 5 against the Philadelphia Phillies, which drew only 2,134 fans.


2002 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


2002 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


2002 Moroccan general election
General elections were held in Morocco on 27 September 2002. The elections were the first since King Mohammed VI of Morocco had come to the throne in 1999 and international observers saw it as a test of his commitment to democracy. The election saw an Islamist party the Justice and Development Party make strong gains but the outgoing government kept a majority in the Assembly of Representatives.


2002 Moroccan general election, Campaign
The election took place under a revised voting system in which 325 deputies were elected from 91 constituencies. The new rules guaranteed women would be at least 10% of the Assembly of Representatives by reserving 30 seats for them. In total 5,865 candidates from 26 political parties and 5 lists of independents stood in the election including 965 female candidates. With many voters illiterate, each party had different symbols such as a car, alarm clock, horse, wasp or lamp which were printed on the ballot paper for voters to select.


2002 Moroccan general election, Campaign
Even the Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, agreed that previous elections in Morocco had been rigged but the new King Mohammed VI had pledged that this election should be kept free. Indeed, observers at polling stations reported that the election was much cleaner than previous elections. The campaign itself was low key with a low turnout expected. Issues raised in the campaign included rising prices, a salary freeze, economic stability and improvements in education and public health. Poverty and unemployment, combined with the powers which the King had reserved to himself meant many people saw little reason to vote.


2002 Moroccan general election, Campaign
The only Islamist party to stand in the election, the Justice and Development Party, did not stand in all of the seats to ensure it would not provoke violence such as had occurred in neighbouring Algeria after the 1991 election. They supported the introduction of Islamic law but pledged to work within the existing political system. The banned Islamist group Al Adl Wa Al Ihssane was seen as being the popular group in the country but called on supporters to boycott the election as they said it would achieve nothing.


2002 Moroccan general election, Results
The results saw the Justice and Development Party make strong gains and over doubled its vote share to become the third largest party in parliament. However the parties that made up the previous coalition kept a strong majority in the legislature with the Socialist Union of Popular Forces remaining the largest party. Women won 35 seats in the legislature, a big increase from the two who had been elected in the 1997 election.


2002 Moroccan general election, Results
Following the election King Mohammed VI appointed the Interior Minister Driss Jettou as Prime Minister and a new government was formed with roughly the same political parties supporting the coalition as before the election.


2002 Morocco Cup
The 2002 Morocco Cup was a three-team cricket tournament which took place in Tangier, Morocco during August 2002. The tournament was the first occasion on which the highest level of international cricket had been played in North Africa. Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka competed in the competition, which was funded by Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, a wealthy business man from the United Arab Emirates. Sri Lanka beat South Africa in the final to scoop the $250,000 prize money.


2002 Morocco Cup
The tournament, in addition to attracting TV audiences to Bukhatir's TEN Sports channel, promoted cricket in North Africa. All of the matches were played at the National Cricket Stadium in Tangier, a purpose built ground which cost $4 million, most of which was spent on the grandstand. The organisers of the competition were so keen to avoid any accusations of match-fixing that they installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the team dressing rooms.


2002 Morocco Cup
During the group stage, Pakistan won only once; beating Sri Lanka in the second match of the tournament. Sri Lanka beat Pakistan in their other match, and defeated South Africa in both the side's group contests to finish top of the table. South Africa won both their matches against Pakistan to qualify for the final. In the final, Sri Lanka beat South Africa by 27 runs, led by a run-a-ball score of 71 from their captain Sanath Jayasuriya, and two wickets from each of Chaminda Vaas, Pulasthi Gunaratne and Muttiah Muralitharan.


2002 Morocco Cup
Jayasuriya finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, aggregating 299 runs from his five appearances at an average of 59.80. Each of the top-three run-scorers were Sri Lankan; the highest Pakistani batsman was Yousuf Youhana whose 153 runs placed him fourth, while South African Jacques Kallis was fifth with 141 runs. In contrast, Waqar Younis of Pakistan took the most wickets, 11, followed by a pair of South Africans – Allan Donald and Lance Klusener, who took 10 and 9 respectively. Upul Chandana and Pulasthi Gunaratne were the leading Sri Lankans, claiming 8 wickets apiece.


2002 Morocco Cup, Group stage, Table
Key: Pld = Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, Pts = Points, NRR = Net run rate.


2002 Morocco Cup, Group stage, Table
Notes:Teams marked  *  progressed to the final of the competition.


2002 Mosconi Cup
The 2002 Ladbrokes.com Mosconi Cup, the ninth edition of the annual nine-ball pool competition between teams representing Europe and the United States, took place 19–22 December 2002 at the York Hall in Bethnal Green, London, England.


2002 Mosconi Cup
Team Europe won the Mosconi Cup for the first time since 1995 by defeating Team USA 12–9.


2002 Motor City Bowl
The 2002 Motor City Bowl was a post-season college football bowl game between the Boston College Eagles and the Toledo Rockets on December 26, 2002, at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan. Boston College scored touchdowns on its first six possessions and routed Toledo 51–25. It was the sixth time the Motor City Bowl had been played and the final game of the 2002 NCAA Division I FBS football season for both teams.


2002 Motor City Bowl
The game between the Mid-American Conference (MAC) team Toledo and Big East Conference Boston College was played at neutral-site Ford Field. This was the first Motor City Bowl played at Ford Field; all previous games were played at the Pontiac Silverdome. 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. Toledo accepted a bid for the Motor City Bowl after losing to Marshall in the MAC Championship Game. Toledo entered the bowl game as the defending champion, having defeated Cincinnati in the 2001 Motor City Bowl. Boston College was the first Big East team to play in the Motor City Bowl and was playing in its fourth straight bowl game.


2002 Motor City Bowl
The bowl game MVP was Boston College quarterback Brian St. Pierre, who completed 25 of 35 passes for 342 yards, a personal career high. Boston College scored on its first six possessions, and its 51 points set a Motor City Bowl record which would later be tied in the 2007 Motor City Bowl when the Purdue Boilermakers defeated the Central Michigan Chippewas 51–48. On a sour note two Toledo players were ejected during the game; one for throwing a punch and another for a late hit out of bounds on St. Pierre.


2002 Mountain Dew Southern 500
The 2002 Mountain Dew Southern 500, the 53rd running of the event, was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series race held on September 1, 2002 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 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.


2002 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.


2002 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.


2002 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament
The 2002 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament took place from May 22–25. All six of the league's teams met in the double-elimination tournament held at Brigham Young University's Larry H. Miller Field. Top seeded BYU won their second consecutive and second overall Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship with a championship game score of 14–9 and earned the conference's automatic bid to the 2002 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament.


2002 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, Seeding
The teams were seeded based on regular season conference winning percentage only.


2002 Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, All-Tournament Team, Most Valuable Player
Doug Jackson, an outfielder for the champion BYU Cougars, was named the tournament Most Valuable Player.


2002 Mountain West Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2002 Mountain West Conference men's basketball tournament was played at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from March 7–9, 2002. San Diego State upset tournament host UNLV, who returned to league tournament play following a one-year ban due to recruiting violations, 78–75 to win the MWC Tournament and the league's automatic NCAA Tournament bid. Though the league had only existed for three years, SDSU became the lowest seed (5) to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament in the league's short history.


2002 Mountain West Conference football season
The 2002 Mountain West Conference football season was the fourth since eight former members of the Western Athletic Conference banded together to form the Mountain West Conference. Colorado State won the conference championship in 2002, the Rams' third title since the league began in 1999.


2002 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl games
In 2002, the Mountain West Conference had four contractual tie-ins with bowl games. In order, the Liberty Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, San Francisco Bowl and Seattle Bowl had the first through fourth selections of bowl eligible MW teams. However, following the conclusion of the 2002 college football season, only three MW teams had good enough records (six wins or more) to make them eligible for bowl games: Colorado State, New Mexico, and Air Force.


2002 Mountain West Conference football season, Bowl games
The Liberty Bowl, with the first selection of eligible MW teams, picked the MW champion Colorado State Rams to represent the conference in its 2002 game. The Rams played the TCU Horned Frogs of Conference USA and lost, 17–3. With the second pick, the Las Vegas Bowl selected the New Mexico Lobos. Though New Mexico lost to favored UCLA, 27–13, the Lobos featured the first female player to play in a Division I football game, Katie Hnida. The third bowl with an MW tie-in, the San Francisco Bowl, was thus forced to select the Air Force Academy Falcons, who were the sole remaining bowl-eligible MW team. Facing the Falcons were the Virginia Tech Hokies, who earned a 20–13 victory over the Falcons.


2002 Mr. Olympia
The 2002 Mr. Olympia contest was an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition held October 16–20, 2002 at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.


2002 Mr. Olympia, Results
The total prize money awarded was $381,000. A 2003 Cadillac Escalade was presented to the first-place winner by Mel Rich and Steve Stern of the Bodyonics Pinnacle company which donated the prize. The Crowd was not happy when Gunter's position  was announced at 5th.


2002 Ms. Olympia
The 2002 Ms. Olympia contest is an IFBB professional bodybuilding competition and part of Joe Weider's Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend 2002 was held on October 18, 2002, at the Mandalay Bay Arena in Paradise, Nevada. It was the 23rd Ms. Olympia competition held. Other events at the exhibition include the Mr. Olympia and Fitness Olympia contests.


2002 Mumbai bus bombing
At 18:45 IST on Monday, 2 December 2002, a bomb placed under a seat of a B.E.S.T. bus exploded near the busy Ghatkopar station. The bomb was placed in the rear of a bus near the station and killed two people and injured over 50. Ghatkopar being the final stop, all the passengers in the bus had just alighted and passengers for the return trip had not yet entered the bus. The  people who were killed were those present in the busy station area.


2002 Mumbai bus bombing
Later, the police defused an unexploded bomb from another BEST bus in SEEPZ industrial area at Andheri.


2002 Mumbai bus bombing
The police arrested several young men for the blast. All were acquitted in the subsequent trial. One of the arrested Khwaja Yunus, allegedly escaped from the police custody. Now it is held that Khwaja Yunus died in police custody of torture. The accused policemen are being tried in a fast track court.


2002 Mumbai bus bombing
This was the first in a series of five bombings against the city within a period of less than nine months. Other bombings included:


2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final (sponsored by Guinness) was a hurling match played on Sunday 30 June 2002 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, County Cork,. It was contested by Waterford and Tipperary. Waterford claimed their first Munster Championship since 1963 and their sixth title in total, beating Tipperary on a scoreline of 2-23 to 3-12, an eight-point winning margin.


2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
Waterford with Justin McCarthy in his first season as manager had defeated Cork in the semi-final by 1-16 to 1-15 to reach the final, while Tipperary the reigning All-Ireland Champions and managed by Nicky English had defeated Clare by 1-18 to 2-13 in the quarter final and Limerick by 1-20 to 1-13 in the semi-final to reach the final. The match was screened live by RTÉ as part of The Sunday Game program.


2002 Munster Senior Hurling Championship Final
Waterford's top scorers during the game were Paul Flynn and Ken McGrath, who scored one goal and 13 points between them. At half time Tipperary led by 1-10 to 1-09, but with a strong breeze in the second half in their favour Waterford went on to score 1-14 with Tony Browne scoring a second Waterford goal in the fifty third minute as Waterford scored 1-6 without reply in the final twenty minutes to secure an eight-point victory and their first Munster title in 39 years. The winning Waterford captain was Fergal Hartley who collected Munster Hurling Cup at the end of the match.


2002 Music City Bowl
The 2002 Music City Bowl was the fifth edition of the bowl game. It was played at LP Field in Nashville, Tennessee on December 30, 2002, and featured the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Sponsored by Gaylord Hotels, it was officially named the Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl.


2002 Music City Bowl, Game recap
Arkansas started the game with a 2-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matt Jones to wide receiver George Wilson. Kicker Dan Nystrom got Minnesota on the board with a 24-yard field goal. He added another 45 yard field goal to make the score 7–6. In the second quarter, he added field goals of 21 and 22 yards, as Minnesota staked a 12–6 halftime lead.


2002 Music City Bowl, Game recap
Quarterback Asad Abdul-Khaliq threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ben Utecht for a 20–9 lead. In the fourth quarter, Nystrom added his fifth field goal of the game, to put the Gophers ahead 22–7. Thomas Tapeh rushed for a 33-yard touchdown as Minnesota built a 29–7 lead. Ryan Sorahan threw a touchdown pass to Richard Smith to cut the lead to 29–14.


2002 Music City Bowl, Game recap
The attendance of 39,183 is (as of 2017) the lowest attendance for any Music City Bowl.


2002 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid
The 2002 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid was a men's tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the 1st edition of the Madrid Masters and was part of the Tennis Masters Series of the 2002 ATP Tour. It took place at the Madrid Arena in Madrid, Spain from 14 October through 20 October 2002. Second-seeded Andre Agassi won the singles title.


2002 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid, Finals, Doubles
Mark Knowles /  Daniel Nestor defeated  Mahesh Bhupathi /  Max Mirnyi 6–3, 7–5, 6–0


2002 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Doubles
Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor won in the final 6–3, 7–5, 6–0 against Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi.


2002 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. All eight seeded teams received byes to the second round.


2002 Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid – Singles
Andre Agassi won the final on a walkover against Jiří Novák.


2002 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.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics
The 2nd NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics were held in San Antonio, Texas, United States on August 9–11, 2002. As in 2000 the event was open for athletes younger than 25 years. A detailed report on the results was given. However, the results were affected by doping (see below).


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are published. Complete results can be found on the AtletismoCR, on the USA Track & Field, and the Trackie websites.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics, Doping
United States sprinter Crystal Cox, who initially was listed as winner of the women's 200m in 23.02s, was tested positive for ephedrine in the competition, a prohibited substance under the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) rules. Therefore, she was issued a public warning by the United States Anti- Doping Agency and was disqualified from her first-place finish in the 200 meters. The incident is also reported on the USA Track & Field website and considered in their published results list.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics, Doping
In connection with investigations in the BALCO doping conspiracy, Crystal Cox has accepted a four-yearsuspension and disqualification of her athletic results, beginning on November 3, 2001, for usinganabolic agents and hormones over a period from 2001 through 2004 in violation of theInternational Association of Athletics Federations Anti- Doping Rules. However, in a separate statement, she felt to be forced to sign the sanctions although being innocent.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics, Doping
In consequence, her silver medal in the 400 metres (51.63s) and the gold medal in the 4 × 400 metres relay (in 3:30.60 together with Marie Woodward, Chantee Earl, and Sasha Spencer) should have been forfeited.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics, Participation
The participation of 245 athletes from 24 countries was reported.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results
These are the full results of the 2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics which took place between August 9 and August 11, 2002, at E.M. Stevens Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, United States.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results, Women's results, 200 meters
†: Crystal Cox ranked initially 1st (23.02s), but was disqualified later for infringement of IAAF doping rules.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results, Women's results, 200 meters
†: Crystal Cox initially reached the final (23.17s), but was disqualified later for infringement of IAAF doping rules.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results, Women's results, 400 meters
†: Crystal Cox ranked initially 2nd (51.63s), but was disqualified later for infringement of IAAF doping rules.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results, Women's results, 400 meters
†: Crystal Cox initially reached the final (52.24s), but was disqualified later for infringement of IAAF doping rules.


2002 NACAC Under-25 Championships in Athletics – Results, Women's results, 4x400 meters relay
†: The event was initially won by the United States (3:30.60 min), but the team was later disqualified for infringement of IAAF doping rules by team member Crystal Cox.


2002 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2002 Buffalo Funds - NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was held in March at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. This was the first NAIA tournament back in Kansas City since 1993. The NAIA headquarters also relocated to Olathe, Kansas this year. The 65th annual NAIA basketball tournament featured 32 teams playing in a single-elimination format. The 2002 champion was 2001's runner-up, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. The Drovers faced Sooner Athletic Conference rival Oklahoma Baptist University in the championship game.


2002 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
It was the first time two teams from the Sooner Athletic Conference ever met in the national championship game. And the first SAC team to win the tournament since Oklahoma City University won in 1996. The Drovers rolled over the Bison 96–79. Finishing out the NAIA Semifinals were Azusa Pacific University and Barat College.


2002 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament
2002 was also the first year Buffalo Funds, a Kansas City-based investment management firm, was the title corporate sponsor. In 2008 Buffalo Funds extended its contract with the NAIA tournament until the 2010 tournament; in 2013, it would be extended to 2017.


2002 NAIA Football National Championship
The 2002 NAIA Football Championship Series concluded on December 21, 2002 with the championship game played at Jim Carroll Stadium in Savannah, Tennessee. The game was won by the Carroll Fighting Saints over the Georgetown Tigers by a score of 28–7.


2002 NAIA football rankings
One human poll made up the 2002 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 2002 NAIA Football National Championship.


2002 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 2002 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.


2002 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.


2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500
The 2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500 was a NASCAR Winston Cup Series stock car race held on April 28, 2002 at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 250 laps on the 2-mile (3.23 km) asphalt D-shaped oval, it was the tenth race of the 2002 Winston Cup Series season. Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports won the race, his first career Winston Cup Series victory. Kurt Busch finished second and Ricky Rudd finished third.


2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500, Background
The track, California Speedway, is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2 miles (3.2 km) long. The track's turns are banked from fourteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front stretch, the back straightaway is banked at three degrees.


2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500, Summary
There were ten drivers who failed to finish the race; with five of the drivers forcing to leave the race due to terminal crashes while five other drivers had engine issues. Nearly 10% of the 199-minute race was held under a caution flag and the average green flag run was approximately 38 laps.


2002 NAPA Auto Parts 500, Summary
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s unfortunate accident, in which he suffered a concussion, forced NASCAR to pass a regulation forcing drivers to take the ambulance ride to the infield care center every time they crashed; he did not admit to have this injury until mid-September, after which NASCAR also passed a new concussion protocol.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series
The 2002 NASCAR Busch Series began February 16 and ended November 16. Greg Biffle of Roush Racing was crowned champion.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, EAS/GNC Live Well 300
The EAS/GNC Live Well 300 was held February 16 at Daytona International Speedway. Joe Nemechek won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, EAS/GNC Live Well 300
Failed to qualify: Dan Pardus (No. 32), Mike Wallace (No. 4), C. W. Smith (No. 67), Mike Harmon (No. 44), David Boggs (No. 22)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, 1-866RBCTerm.com 200
The 1-866RBCTerm.com 200 was held February 23 at North Carolina Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, 1-866RBCTerm.com 200
Failed to qualify: Cam Strader (No. 84), Lance Hooper (No. 89)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 300
The Sam's Town 300 was held March 2 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 300
Failed to qualify: Jeff Fuller (No. 88), Mike McLaughlin (No. 34), A. J. Alsup (No. 72), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Dion Ciccarelli (No. 84)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, darlingtonraceway.com 200
The darlingtonraceway.com 200 was held March 16 at Darlington Raceway. Jeff Burton won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, darlingtonraceway.com 200
Failed to qualify: Phil Bonifield (No. 90), Shane Hall (No. 84)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Channellock 250
The Channellock 250 was held March 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Scott Riggs won the pole. This race was known for several major story lines. There were two separate altercations post-race, the most notable being a physical confrontation between Kevin Harvick and Greg Biffle following an incident between the two drivers on lap 241 in which Harvick crashed hard.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Channellock 250
The other happening just on the other end of pit road in a verbal confrontation between Jimmy Spencer and Jack Sprague after Spencer turned Sprague, who was five laps down, in the last turn on the last lap while chasing down Jeff Green for the win. Green would ultimately win while Spencer lost two spots in that incident to drop to fourth.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Channellock 250
It was also known for privateer driver Ken Alexander and rookie Johnny Sauter causing or getting caught up in multiple incidents with Alexander being a nuisance on the track throughout the race, both finally dropping out before the race's end as well as a hard crash on the last lap between Mark Green and Larry Foyt with Green suffering a broken left foot.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, O'Reilly 300
The O'Reilly 300 was held April 6 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole. The race ended after 116 laps due to rain. Michael Waltrip flipped over on lap 45. He was uninjured.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, O'Reilly 300
Failed to qualify: Dan Pardus (No. 32), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Jason Schuler (No. 73), Dwayne Leik (No. 81)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Pepsi 300 presented by Kroger
The Pepsi 300 presented by Kroger was held April 13 at Nashville Superspeedway. Shane Hmiel won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312 at Talladega
The Aaron's 312 at Talladega was held April 20 at Talladega Superspeedway. Johnny Sauter won the pole. The race was most remembered for "the Big One" on lap 15 which was the largest crash in series history, which involved about 30 cars. This occurred when Shane Hmiel got into Scott Riggs and he hit Johnny Sauter. Sauter tumbled end over end while cars trying to avoid the wreck braked and slammed into each other. Only three cars finished on the lead lap.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Auto Club 300
The Auto Club 300 was held April 27 at California Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Hardee's 250
The Hardee's 250 was held May 3 at Richmond International Raceway. Jack Sprague won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Busch 200
The Busch 200 was held May 11 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Shane Hmiel won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stacker 2 200
The Stacker 2 200 was held May 18 at Nazareth Speedway. Jack Sprague won the pole. The race is known for a severe crash by Jeff Purvis, who blew his engine, spun out, & was slammed into by Greg Biffle, causing severe head trauma. Purvis has never fully recovered from the injuries he suffered, although he would return to drive a NASCAR stock car two years later at the final Busch race at Nazareth.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 300
The Carquest Auto Parts 300 was held May 25 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Ron Hornaday Jr. won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Carquest Auto Parts 300
Failed to qualify: Christian Fittipaldi (No. 30), Carl Long (No. 64), Stanton Barrett (No. 91), Larry Gunselman (No. 84), Phil Bonifield (No. 90)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA Platinum 200
The MBNA Platinum 200 was held June 1 at Dover International Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Inside Traxx 300 presented by Met-Rx
The Inside Traxx 300 presented by Met-Rx was held June 8 at Nashville Superspeedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 300 presented by Oreo
The Kroger 300 presented by Oreo was held June 15 but finished on June 16 at Kentucky Speedway due to rain. Scott Riggs won the pole. The race was delayed a day by rain, but the broadcast of the race was aired on tape delay because of a NASCAR rule prohibiting two national series from being broadcast simultaneously.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 300 presented by Oreo
Failed to qualify: Chad Chaffin (No. 16), Brad Baker (No. 96), Dwayne Leik (No. 81), Jeff Fultz (No. 86), Dion Ciccarelli (No. 84), Brian Weber (No. 84), Jason Schuler (No. 73)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, GNC Live Well 250
The GNC Live Well 250 was held June 30 at The Milwaukee Mile. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Stacker 2/GNC Live Well 250
The Stacker 2/GNC Live Well 250 was held July 5 at Daytona International Speedway. Joe Nemechek won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Tropicana Twister 300
The Tropicana Twister 300 was held July 13 at Chicagoland Speedway. Todd Bodine won the pole while Christian Elder and Dan Pardus suffered hard crashes during qualifying. Elder sustained concussion and a broken collarbone, which effectively ended his racing career while Pardus escaped his crash uninjured.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Tropicana Twister 300
Failed to qualify: Richard Mitchell (No. 56), Steadman Marlin (No. 95), Larry Hollenbeck (No. 22), Jason Schuler (No. 73), Dan Pardus (No. 32)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Charter Pipeline 250
The Charter Pipeline 250 was held July 20 at Gateway International Raceway. Randy LaJoie won the pole. The week was marked by tragedy as Andy Kirby was killed in a motorcycle accident on July 18.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Charter Pipeline 250
Failed to qualify: Kertus Davis (No. 0), Drew White (No. 22)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, NetZero 250
The NetZero 250 was held July 27 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Jason Keller won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Kroger 200
The Kroger 200 was held August 3 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Cabela's 250
The Cabela's 250 was held August 17 at Michigan International Speedway. Kevin Lepage won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Cabela's 250
Failed to qualify: Richard Mitchell (No. 56), Michael Vergers (No. 07), Keith Murt (No. 79), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Rick Markle (No. 84), Steadman Marlin (No. 95), Brian Ross (No. 62), Jason Schuler (No. 73), Wayman Wittman (No. 93)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
The Food City 250 was held August 23 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jason Keller won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Food City 250
Failed to qualify: Ron Young (No. 71), Josh Richeson (No. 11), Kasey Kahne (No. 98), Tim Bainey (No. 15), Joe Buford (No. 84), Butch Jarvis (No. 53)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Gatorade 200
The Gatorade 200 was held August 31 at Darlington Raceway. Greg Biffle won the pole. The race was shortened to 74 laps due to rain.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Gatorade 200
Failed to qualify: Gus Wasson (No. 96), Ron Young (No. 71)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Funai 250
The Funai 250 was held September 6 at Richmond International Raceway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole. This race was marred by several large accidents, the hardest involved Derrike Cope, whose car suffered a stuck throttle, and slammed the turn 1 wall with such force that the A pillar snapped and the roof was partially ripped off. Cope suffered minor injuries.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Funai 250
Failed to qualify: Michael Vergers (No. 07), Brian Vickers (No. 40), Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56), Shayne Lockhart (No. 22), Dion Ciccarelli (No. 84), Chris Fontaine (No. 41), Ron Young (No. 71), Josh Richeson (No. 11), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Dan Pardus (No. 32)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA All-American Heroes 200
The MBNA All-American Heroes 200 was held September 21 at Dover International Speedway. Kevin Lepage won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, MBNA All-American Heroes 200
Failed to qualify: Chris Fontaine (No. 41), Bill Hoff (No. 93), Richard Mitchell (No. 56), Donnie Neuenberger (No. 52)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Mr. Goodcents 300
The Mr. Goodcents 300 was held September 28 at Kansas Speedway. Michael Waltrip won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Mr. Goodcents 300
Failed to qualify: Mike Wallace (No. 4), Jason Schuler (No. 73), Steadman Marlin (No. 95), Ryck Sanders (No. 52)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Little Trees 300
The Little Trees 300 was held October 12 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Michael Waltrip won the pole. The top three finishers were the only cars to finish on the lead lap.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Little Trees 300
Failed to qualify: Justin Labonte (No. 04), Brad Baker (No. 28), Jeff Fultz (No. 86), Jason White (No. 95), Carl Long (No. 22), Chad Chaffin (No. 16), John Hayden (No. 85), Larry Gunselman (No. 94), Brian Vickers (No. 84), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Cam Strader (No. 52)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 250 Benefitting St. Jude
The Sam's Town 250 Benefitting St. Jude was held October 20 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Greg Biffle won the pole. The race was scheduled for October 19, but was postponed a day for rain, and was broadcast on tape delay due to a conflict with the Old Dominion 500.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Town 250 Benefitting St. Jude
Failed to qualify: Jason Schuler (No. 73), Bryan Reffner (No. 70), John Hayden (No. 85), Tim Bainey (No. 15), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Chris Fontaine (No. 41), Jody Lavender (No. 84), Chad Chaffin (No. 16), Michael Dokken (No. 55), Dan Pardus (No. 32), Justin Ashburn (No. 61), Butch Jarvis (No. 53)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312
The Aaron's 312 was held October 26 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Aaron's 312
Failed to qualify: David Reutimann (No. 88), Roberto Guerrero (No. 09), Lyndon Amick (No. 15), Hermie Sadler (No. 43), Justin Labonte (No. 04), Keith Murt (No. 79)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Club 200
The Sam's Club 200 was held November 2 at North Carolina Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Sam's Club 200
Failed to qualify: Justin Labonte (No. 04), Cam Strader (No. 52), Jeff Fultz (No. 86), Dan Pardus (No. 32), C. W. Smith (No. 67), Jody Lavender (No. 08), Clay Dale (No. 09), Brad Baker (No. 28)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Bashas' Supermarkets 200
The Bashas' Supermarkets 200 was held November 9 at Phoenix International Raceway. Greg Biffle won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Bashas' Supermarkets 200
Failed to qualify: Jay Sauter (No. 02), Jimmy Kitchens (No. 72)


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Ford 300
The Ford 300 was held November 16 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Jeff Green won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, Races, Ford 300
Failed to qualify: Geoff Bodine (No. 51), Kertus Davis (No. 0), Stanton Barrett (No. 91), Bryan Reffner (No. 07), Mike Wallace (No. 4), Carlos Contreras (No. 09), Cam Strader (No. 52), Mike Harmon (No. 44), Larry Gunselman (No. 94), Dwayne Leik (No. 81), Jimmy Kitchens (No. 84)


2002 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.


2002 NASCAR Busch Series, NASCAR Rookie of the Year
Scott Riggs of ppc Racing took home the 2002 Rookie of the Year title, winning twice and finishing tenth in points. Johnny Sauter won at Chicagoland Speedway and finished 14th in points despite skipping the Carquest Auto Parts 300. Shane Hmiel and Casey Mears finished 16th and 21st respectively in their NASCAR debuts, while Kerry Earnhardt had two top-fives in his second bid for top rookie honors. Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne, and Dan Pardus ran limited schedules during their rookie campaigns.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series was the eighth season of the Craftsman Truck Series, the third highest stock car racing series sanctioned by NASCAR in the United States. Mike Bliss of Xpress Motorsports was crowned the champion at season's end.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, 2002 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.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 250
The Florida Dodge Dealers 250 was held February 15 at Daytona International Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole. Terry Cook suffered a 100-point penalty for a cylinder head infraction found in his truck after the race.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Florida Dodge Dealers 250
Failed to qualify: Mike Swaim Jr. (#56), Jim Inglebright (#02), Trent Owens (#15), Ryan McGlynn (#00), Michael Dokken (#51), Ken Allen (#28), Ron Barfield (#97), Stan Boyd (#89), Morgan Shepherd (#21), Jake Hobgood (#31), Jerry Hill (#41)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Craftsman Anniversary 200
The Craftsman Anniversary 200 was March 15 at Darlington Raceway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Craftsman Anniversary 200
Failed to qualify: Mike Swaim Jr. (#56), Ron Barfield (#97), Rodney Sawyers (#68), Mike Harmon (#93), Ricky Sanders (#19), Phil Bonifield (#86)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 250
The Advance Auto Parts 250 was held April 13 at Martinsville Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole. The race is best known for a caution: Kevin Harvick intentionally turned Coy Gibbs around for previous contact and NASCAR instantly parked him. In the post-race interview Harvick lied that he did not intentionally crash Gibbs even though it was heard on the radio; he was banned from the cup race the next day.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Advance Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Steve Portenga (#39), L. W. Miller (#28), Brian Sockwell (#54), Dana White (#86), Tommy Pistone (#59), Jody McCormick (#77), Jerry Allec Jr. (#93), Vince Whitmire (#40), James Stephenson (#36), Bobby Coffey (#74), R. D. Smith (#41)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200
The Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200 was held May 5 at Gateway International Raceway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200
Failed to qualify: R.D. Smith (#41), Aaron Daniel (#11), Phil Bonifield (#23), Scott Kuhn (#49)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Rocky Mountain 200 presented by Dodge
The Rocky Mountain 200 presented by Dodge was held May 19 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, MBNA America 200
The MBNA America 200 was held May 31 at Dover International Speedway. Rick Crawford won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, MBNA America 200
Failed to qualify: Donnie Neuenberger (#86), Phil Bonifield (#23), Loni Richardson (#73), Bobby Coffey (#74)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly 400K
The O'Reilly 400K was held June 7 at Texas Motor Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 200
The O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 was held June 22 at Memphis Motorsports Park. Jason Leffler won the pole. Carl Edwards, the 2007 Nationwide Series champion, makes his first truck series start. Edwards started 16th and finished in the 23rd position, 2 laps down. This was his first of seven truck races he made in the 2002 season.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 200
Failed to qualify: Aaron Daniel (#11), Joe Cooksey (#59), Jody McCormick (#77), Eric Jones (#34), Nathan Wulff (#65), Loni Richardson (#0), Bobby Coffey (#74), David Hall (#73), James Stephenson (#36)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, GNC Live Well 200
The GNC Live Well 200 was held June 29 at The Milwaukee Mile. Terry Cook won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
The O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 was held July 6 at Kansas Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, O'Reilly Auto Parts 250
Failed to qualify: Lonnie Cox (#66), Loni Richardson (#0), David Hall (#73)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Kroger 225
The Kroger 225 was held July 13 at Kentucky Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Kroger 225
Failed to qualify: Morgan Shepherd (#21), Rodney Sawyers (#68), Vince Whitmire (#40), Dana White (#86), Lonnie Cox (#66), Ricky Sanders (#19), Tom Powers (#55), David Hall (#73), Loni Richardson (#0)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, New England 200
The New England 200 was held July 20 at New Hampshire International Speedway. Jason Leffler won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Michigan 200
The Michigan 200 was held July 27 at Michigan International Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Power Stroke Diesel 200
The Power Stroke Diesel 200 was held August 2 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. Terry Cook won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Power Stroke Diesel 200
Failed to qualify: Dude Teate (#31), Clay Collier (#41), Jay Sherston (#30), Bobby Coffey (#74), Tom Powers (#55)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Federated Auto Parts 200
The Federated Auto Parts 200 was held August 10 at Nashville Superspeedway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Richmond Is For Lovers 200
The Richmond Is For Lovers 200 was held September 5 at Richmond International Raceway. Jason Leffler won the pole. Bobby Hamilton sustained injuries in this race that caused him to miss several races of the 2002 Winston Cup season.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Richmond Is For Lovers 200
Failed to qualify: Stan Boyd (#89), Brad Bennett (#40), Dana White (#23), Clay Collier (#41), Loni Richardson (#73), Tommy Pistone (#59), James Stephenson (#36), Conrad Burr (#28), Bobby Coffey (#74), Jody McCormick (#77)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Silverado 350
The Silverado 350 was held September 13 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, John Boy & Billy's Hardee's 250
The John Boy & Billy's Hardee's 250 was held September 21 at South Boston Speedway. Ted Musgrave won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, John Boy & Billy's Hardee's 250
Failed to qualify: Jeremy Thompson (#92), Dude Teate (#31), Jay Sherston (#30), Bobby Coffey (#74), James Stephenson (#36)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Las Vegas 350
The Las Vegas 350 was held October 13 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. David Starr won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Las Vegas 350
Failed to qualify: Jerry Allec Jr. (#93), Tom Powers (#55)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, American Racing Wheels 200
The American Racing Wheels 200 was held November 2 at California Speedway. David Starr won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Silverado 150
The Chevy Silverado 150 was held November 8 at Phoenix International Raceway. Rick Crawford won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Chevy Silverado 150
Failed to qualify: Clay Collier (#41), Lonnie Cox (#66), Ricky Sanders (#19), Loni Richardson (#0), John Mickel (#09), Bobby Hillis (#05)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
The Ford 200 was held November 15 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mike Bliss won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Races, Ford 200
Failed to qualify: Robby Benton (#36), Adam Clarke (#45), Cory Kruseman (#98), Phil Bonifield (#25), Loni Richardson (#0), John Mickel (#09), Dana White (#23)


2002 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Rookie of the Year
Brendan Gaughan captured two wins and the Rookie of the Year title in 2002, driving for his family-owned Orleans Racing team. Bill Lester came in second followed by Jason Small. Loni Richardson also declared for the award, but did not compete in enough races to be eligible for rookie points.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
The 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series was the 54th season of professional stock car racing in the United States and the 31st modern-era Cup Series season. It began on February 10, 2002, at Daytona International Speedway, and ended on November 17, 2002, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Tony Stewart, driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, was declared as the Winston Cup champion. Bill Elliott won the 2002 NASCAR's Most Popular Driver Award. He would win it for the 16th and final time in his career. He withdrew from the ballot after receiving the award. The NASCAR Manufacturers' Championship was captured by Ford after winning 14 events and gaining 245 points over second-place finisher Chevrolet, who had 10 wins and 211 points.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series
This was the final season for the non-common template bodies. The following season would require all manufacturers to use the same roofline. The most significant rule change for 2002 was the implementation of the one-engine rule for race weekends. At a race event, cars would now be required to practice, qualify, and race with the same engine. The rule banned separate "qualifying engines" (and "practice engines"). Unapproved engine changes during the weekend would be met with a grid penalty. Before the start of the race, cars that changed engines would be forced to move to the rear of the field before the green flag. The rule was an effort to reduce costs, and potentially save crews valuable time during the course of a race weekend.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Budweiser Shootout
The exhibition Budweiser Shootout race, for drivers that won a pole position in the previous season or previously won the event, was held on February 10 at Daytona International Speedway.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Gatorade Twin 125s
The Gatorade 125s qualifying for the Daytona 500 were held on February 14 at Daytona International Speedway.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Daytona 500
The 2002 Daytona 500 was held on Sunday, February 17. Rookie Jimmie Johnson won the pole, while Ward Burton won the race. This was the first Daytona 500 after the death of Dale Earnhardt.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Daytona 500
Failed to qualify: #41-Jimmy Spencer, #23-Hut Stricklin, #44-Buckshot Jones, #16-Greg Biffle, #90-Rick Mast, #59-Bobby Gerhart, #02-Hermie Sadler, #85-Carl Long, #84-Norm Benning, #80-Kirk Shelmerdine


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Subway 400
The Subway 400 was held on February 24 at North Carolina Speedway. Ricky Craven won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Subway 400
Failed to qualify: Dick Trickle (No. 71), Randy Renfrow (No. 59), Carl Long (No. 85)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400
The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 was held on March 3 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Todd Bodine won the pole in an unsponsored Travis Carter Motorsports entry; the No. 66 got a one-race deal with CSK Auto after qualifying.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA America 500
The MBNA America 500 was held on March 10 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Bill Elliott won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA America 500
Failed to qualify: Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 57), Carl Long (No. 85)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Carolina Dodge Dealers 400
The Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 was held on March 17 at Darlington Raceway. Ricky Craven won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Food City 500
The Food City 500 was held on March 24 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Samsung/Radio Shack 500
The Samsung/Radio Shack 500 was held at Texas Motor Speedway on April 8. Bill Elliott won the pole. The race was postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Virginia 500
The Virginia 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on April 14, 2002. Jeff Gordon won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on April 21, 2002. Jimmie Johnson won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Aaron's 499
Failed to qualify: Shawna Robinson (No. 49), Rick Mast (No. 90), Bobby Gerhart (No. 59), Dick Trickle (No. 91)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA Auto Parts 500
The NAPA Auto Parts 500 was held at California Speedway on April 28, 2002. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA Auto Parts 500
Failed to qualify: Brendan Gaughan (No. 62), Chad Little (No. 74), Hermie Sadler (No. 02)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pontiac Excitement 400
The Pontiac Excitement 400 was scheduled to be run at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, but rain ended up stopping the race after 66 laps; the remainder was run on Sunday, May 5, during the daytime. Ward Burton won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, The Winston
Ryan Newman held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win The Winston. He also won the No Bull 5 Sprint earlier that day.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
The Coca-Cola 600 was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 26, 2002. Jimmie Johnson won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Coca-Cola 600
Failed to qualify: Chad Little (No. 74), Carl Long (No. 85), Derrike Cope (No. 37), Randy Renfrow (No. 59)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Platinum 400
The MBNA Platinum 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on June 2. Matt Kenseth won the pole position.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA Platinum 400
Failed to qualify: Derrike Cope (No. 37), Hermie Sadler (No. 90), Randy Renfrow (No. 59)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pocono 500
The Pocono 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on June 9. Qualifying was rained out, so points leader Sterling Marlin started on the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sirius 400
The Sirius 400 was held at Michigan International Speedway on June 16. Dale Jarrett won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Dodge/Save Mart 350
The Dodge/Save Mart 350 was held at Infineon Raceway on June 23. Tony Stewart won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Dodge/Save Mart 350
Failed to qualify: Brandon Ash (No. 46), Stacy Compton (No. 14)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
The Pepsi 400 was held at Daytona International Speedway on July 6. Kevin Harvick won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400
Failed to qualify: Ed Berrier (No. 90), Steve Grissom (No. 44)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Tropicana 400
The Tropicana 400 was held at Chicagoland Speedway on July 14, 2002. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Tropicana 400
Failed to qualify: Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 49), Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 72), Tony Raines (No. 74), Scott Wimmer (No. 27)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, New England 300
The New England 300 was held at New Hampshire International Speedway on July 21. Bill Elliott won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pennsylvania 500
The Pennsylvania 500 was held at Pocono Raceway on July 28. Bill Elliott swept both qualifying and the race. The race was shortened to 175 laps due to darkness, because of two lengthy red flags – one for rain and one for fence repairs after Steve Park (who barrel-rolled multiple times) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrecked on the first lap.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
The Brickyard 400 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on August 4. Tony Stewart won the pole. This was the first race to feature Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier at Indianapolis that was used to make racing accidents safer.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Brickyard 400
Failed to qualify: Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 49), Derrike Cope (No. 37), Scott Wimmer (No. 27), Tony Raines (No. 74), Jim Sauter (No. 71), Stuart Kirby (No. 57), P. J. Jones (No. 50)


2002 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 11. Ricky Rudd won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sirius Satellite Radio at The Glen
Failed to qualify: Austin Cameron (No. 62), Shane Lewis (No. 09), Justin Bell (No. 46), Jimmy Spencer (No. 42)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pepsi 400 presented by Farmer Jack
The Pepsi 400 presented by Farmer Jack was held at Michigan International Speedway on August 18. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sharpie 500
The Sharpie 500 was held at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 24. Jeff Gordon won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Sharpie 500
Failed to qualify: Hermie Sadler (No. 02), Carl Long (No. 51), Morgan Shepherd (No. 89), Tim Sauter (No. 71)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Mountain Dew Southern 500
The Mountain Dew Southern 500 was held at Darlington Raceway on September 1. Qualifying was rained out, so points leader Sterling Marlin started on the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400
The Chevrolet Monte Carlo 400 was held at Richmond International Raceway on September 7. Jimmie Johnson won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, New Hampshire 300
The New Hampshire 300 was held at New Hampshire International Speedway on September 15. Ryan Newman won the pole. The race was shortened to 207 laps due to rain.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA All-American Heroes 400
The MBNA All-American Heroes 400 was held at Dover International Speedway on September 22. Rusty Wallace won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, MBNA All-American Heroes 400
Failed to qualify: Scott Wimmer (No. 27), Brett Bodine (No. 11), Morgan Shepherd (No. 51)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Protection One 400
The Protection One 400 was held at Kansas Speedway on September 29. Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Protection One 400
Failed to qualify: Brett Bodine (No. 11), Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27), Carl Long (No. 51)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, EA Sports 500
The EA Sports 500 was held at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6. Qualifying was rained out, so points leader Jimmie Johnson started on the pole. The race was caution-free for the third time in five years at Talladega.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, EA Sports 500
Failed to qualify: Morgan Shepherd (No. 51), Geoff Bodine (No. 09), Robert Pressley (No. 92), Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-GM Quality 500
The UAW-GM Quality 500 was held at Lowe's Motor Speedway on October 13. Qualifying was rained out, so points leader Tony Stewart started on the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, UAW-GM Quality 500
Failed to qualify: Carl Long (No. 59), Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 72), Scott Wimmer (No. 27), Jack Sprague (No. 60), Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83), Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 54)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Old Dominion 500
The Old Dominion 500 was held at Martinsville Speedway on October 20. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Old Dominion 500
Failed to qualify: Brian Rose (No. 51), Carl Long (No. 59), Morgan Shepherd (No. 89), Ryan McGlynn (No. 80), Kirk Shelmerdine (No. 27)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA 500
The NAPA 500 was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on October 27. Qualifying was rained out, so points leader Tony Stewart started on the pole. The race was shortened to 248 laps due to rain.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, NAPA 500
Failed to qualify: Geoff Bodine (No. 09), Frank Kimmel (No. 66), Scott Wimmer (No. 27), Greg Biffle (No. 16), Buckshot Jones (No. 00), Jack Sprague (No. 60), Kerry Earnhardt (No. 83), Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 54)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
The Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400 was held at North Carolina Speedway on November 3. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400
Failed to qualify: Tony Raines (No. 74), Tim Sauter (No. 71), Carl Long (No. 59), Ron Hornaday Jr. (No. 54), Hideo Fukuyama (No. 66)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Checker Auto Parts 500
The Checker Auto Parts 500 was held at Phoenix International Raceway on November 10. Ryan Newman won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Checker Auto Parts 500
Failed to qualify: Ted Musgrave (No. 07), Jack Sprague (No. 60), Brett Bodine (No. 11), Jerry Robertson (No. 51), Morgan Shepherd (No. 89), Jeff Jefferson (No. 37), Lance Hooper (No. 47), Mike Harmon (No. 93)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Ford 400
The Ford 400 was held at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17. Kurt Busch won the pole.


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Races, Ford 400
Failed to qualify: David Green (No. 54), Brett Bodine (No. 11), Hermie Sadler (No. 02), Tony Raines (No. 74), Boris Said (No. 67), Carl Long (No. 59), Geoff Bodine (No. 09), Mike Harmon (No. 93)


2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Rookie of the Year
Because he had more wins, a teammate/mentor in Jeff Gordon, and the higher position in points, Jimmie Johnson was the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. But in the end, his rival Ryan Newman was named the victor. Newman's one win seemed mild to Johnson's record-tying three victories and even leading the championship standings at one point, but Newman broke the record for pole positions. The rookie points system is separate from the championship system, and only a driver's 15 best finishes counted towards the award. Newman's 15 best finishes were better than Johnson's, despite Johnson having the better run in championship points. Shawna Robinson and Carl Long, the only other racers who declared for the award, did not run enough races to remain eligible.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open
The 2002 NASDAQ-100 Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 18th edition of this tournament and was part of the Tennis Masters Series of the 2002 ATP Tour and of Tier I of the 2002 WTA Tour. Both the men's and women's events took place at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida in the United States from March 18 through 31, 2002.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open, Finals, Men's Doubles
Mark Knowles /  Daniel Nestor defeated  Donald Johnson /  Jared Palmer 6–3, 3–6, 6–1


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open, Finals, Women's Doubles
Lisa Raymond /  Rennae Stubbs defeated  Virginia Ruano Pascual /  Paola Suárez 7–6(7–4), 6–7(4–7), 6–3


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Men's Doubles
Jiří Novák and David Rikl were the defending champions but lost in the second round to Chris Haggard and Tom Vanhoudt.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Men's Doubles
Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor won in the final 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 against Donald Johnson and Jared Palmer.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Men's Doubles, Seeds
All sixteen seeded teams received byes into the second round.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Men's Singles
Andre Agassi was the defending champion and won in the final 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 against Roger Federer.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Men's Singles, Seeds
All thirty-two seeds received a bye to the second round.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Women's Doubles
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario and Nathalie Tauziat were the defending champions, but Tauziat did not compete in this edition. Sánchez Vicario teamed up with Daniela Hantuchová and lost in first round to Elena Dementieva and Janette Husárová.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Women's Doubles
Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs won the title, defeating Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suárez 7–6(7–4), 6–7(4–7), 6–3 in the final. It was the 32nd title for Raymond and the 36th title for Stubbs in their respective careers. It was also the 6th title for the pair during this season, including other 2 Tier I wins in Tokyo and Indian Wells.


2002 NASDAQ-100 Open – Women's Singles
Venus Williams was the defending champion but lost to her sister, Serena Williams, 2–6, 2–6 in the semifinals. Serena Williams won the title by beating first seeded Jennifer Capriati, 7–5, 7–6(7–4) in the final.


2002 NBA All-Star Game
The 2002 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game which was played on February 10, 2002, at the First Union Center in Philadelphia, home of the Philadelphia 76ers. This game was the 51st edition of the North American NBA All-Star Game and was played during the 2001–02 NBA season.


2002 NBA All-Star Game
The venue was originally scheduled for the 1998-99 NBA season, but was cancelled due to the 1998-99 NBA lockout and moved to 2002, which was the next All-Star game that had not yet been awarded to another city.


2002 NBA All-Star Game
The West defeated the East 135–120, with Kobe Bryant of the L.A. Lakers winning the Most Valuable Player. Bryant scored 31 points, dished 5 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds, despite being booed by the hometown crowd. Tracy McGrady led the way for the East, scoring 25 points off the bench. He also made one of the most memorable plays in All-Star Game history, the self pass off the backboard dunk.


2002 NBA All-Star Game
This was also the last All-Star Game to feature players wearing their respective team jerseys, and thus far, the last to be seen on over-the-air television (all subsequent games have aired on the cable channel TNT).


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Coaches
The coach for the Western Conference team was Dallas Mavericks head coach Don Nelson. The Mavericks had a 35–14 record on February 10. The coach for the Eastern Conference team was New Jersey Nets head coach Bryon Scott. The Nets had a 32–15 record on February 10.


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Players
The rosters for the All-Star Game were chosen in two ways. The starters were chosen via a fan ballot. Two guards, two forwards and one center who received the highest vote were named the All-Star starters. The reserves were chosen by votes among the NBA head coaches in their respective conferences. The coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players. The reserves consist of two guards, two forwards, one center and two players regardless of position. If a player is unable to participate due to injury, the commissioner will select a replacement.


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Players
For the third consecutive year, Vince Carter of the Toronto Raptors topped the ballots with 1,470,176 votes, which earned him a starting position as a forward in the Eastern Conference team for the third year in a row. Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, Antoine Walker, and Dikembe Mutombo completed the Eastern Conference starting position. This was the third consecutive All-Star appearance by Carter and Iverson, and Mutombo's eighth appearance as an All-Star. It also marked Jordan's 13th appearance as an All-Star, and the first after his return from retirement. The Eastern Conference reserves included four first-time selections, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Baron Davis, Jermaine O'Neal, and Paul Pierce. Ray Allen, Jason Kidd, Tracy McGrady, and Alonzo Mourning rounded out the team. Two teams, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics, had two representatives at the All-Star Game with Iverson/Mutombo, and Walker/Pierce.


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Players
For the second consecutive year, the Western Conference's leading vote-getter was Shaquille O'Neal, who earned his ninth consecutive All-Star Game selection with 1,247,438 votes. Steve Francis, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Tim Duncan completed the Western Conference starting positions. Bryant, Garnett, O'Neal, and Duncan were all starters for the previous year's Western Conference team. Francis became an All-Star for the first time. The Western Conference reserves include five first-time selections, Elton Brand, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Peja Stojaković, and Wally Szczerbiak. The team is rounded out by Gary Payton, Chris Webber, and Karl Malone. Four teams, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Sacramento Kings, had two representations at the All-Star Game with Bryant/O'Neal, Nash/Nowitzki, Garnett/Szczerbiak, and Webber/Stojaković.


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Game, Roster
Vince Carter and Shaquille O'Neal were unable to participate due to injury. Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Elton Brand were named as Carter and O'Neal's replacements respectively. Jason Kidd and Chris Webber were named as starters, replacing Carter and O'Neal respectively


2002 NBA All-Star Game, All-Star Weekend, NBA.com Slam Dunk Presented by RealOne
This year's contest adopted a new format. Two pairs of contestants faced each other, with the winner of each matchup advancing to the final round. Prior to each dunk, the players would spin a wheel to determine what kind of dunk they had to perform.


2002 NBA Finals
The 2002 NBA Finals was the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s championship series for the 2001–02 season. The best-of-seven playoff was contested between the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers (who were also two-time defending NBA champions), and the Eastern Conference champion New Jersey Nets. The Lakers swept the Nets, four games to none, to win the franchise's 14th NBA championship and third consecutive NBA championship. The 56th edition of the championship series was played between June 5 and June 12 and was broadcast on NBC — the last NBA games broadcast on the network to date.


2002 NBA Finals
Shaquille O'Neal, who averaged 36 points and 12 rebounds in the Finals, was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. Lakers coach Phil Jackson won his ninth ring, tying him with Red Auerbach for most all-time. During the series, he surpassed Pat Riley for most career playoffs wins with 156.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, Road to the Finals
3rd seed in the West, 2nd (tied) best league record


2002 NBA Finals, Background, Regular season series
The Los Angeles Lakers and New Jersey Nets split both games in the regular season, each winning on their home court.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
Entering the 2001–02 season, the New Jersey Nets were enduring a three-year playoff drought and had a 73–141 record over that span. In 1999, the Nets hired Rod Thorn as team president and immediately, he hired the recently retired Byron Scott to coach New Jersey. Thorn then dealt for Stephon Marbury in a three-team trade with the Milwaukee Bucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, trading Sam Cassell away to the Bucks.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
Due to the Nets' 31–51 season in 1999–2000 season, they had the first overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, which they used to select power forward Kenyon Martin out of the University of Cincinnati. Despite the reshuffling of the roster and a Rookie of the Year season for Martin, New Jersey struggled, ending the season with a 26–56 (.317) record, and owned the 7th pick in the upcoming draft.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
With another lottery pick, Thorn dealt it to the Houston Rockets for draftees Richard Jefferson, Jason Collins and Brandon Armstrong. The next day, Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo announced a franchise-shaking trade; Phoenix would swap their point guard Jason Kidd for his New Jersey counterpart Stephon Marbury.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
With the Princeton offense installed from the coaching staff, the Nets rebounded to a 52–30 (.634) mark, a twenty-six-win improvement from the last season, and clinched the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference. Kidd finished the season awarded with first team spots on both the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams and was selected for his fifth All-Star game. He also finished runner-up to San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan in the Most Valuable Player voting. Richard Jefferson was an All-Rookie second team selection and Thorn, the architect of the franchise's resurgence, was awarded NBA Executive of the Year.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
In the first round of the playoffs, New Jersey survived a scare against the Indiana Pacers, escaping game five in double overtime to advance. It was the Nets' first playoff series win since 1984. They then dismissed the Charlotte Hornets in five games before meeting their Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics, in the Conference Finals. The Nets and Celtics split the first two games in New Jersey before moving to Boston. In Game 3, the Nets were dominating the Celtics, leading by as much as 21 in the fourth quarter. However, Boston, led by small forward Paul Pierce, then proceeded to outscore New Jersey 41–16 in the final period, rallying to win 94 to 90. Pierce himself scored 19 points, more than the Nets combined in the fourth, to complete the greatest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, New Jersey Nets
The Nets rebounded in a 94–92 Game 4 victory, that saw another Boston comeback, albeit one that fell short because Pierce missed crucial free throws late. New Jersey then took control of the series and won the next two games in large fashion to finish off Boston in six games, earning the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance and becoming the third former American Basketball Association (ABA) team to make the Finals (the Spurs and the Pacers being the first two). With averages of 17.5 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game during the six-game Conference Finals, Kidd become only the fourth player in NBA history to average a triple-double over a course of a series and the second to have at least three.


2002 NBA Finals, Background, Los Angeles Lakers
In stark contrast to New Jersey, the Los Angeles Lakers entered the season with high expectations, having won the last two NBA championships. In addition, Los Angeles was coming off of a 15–1 (.938 winning percentage) run through the 2001 NBA Playoffs, the greatest in NBA history, besting the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers' 12–1 (.923) run and were the first team to go undefeated on the road in the playoffs. Since Phil Jackson had arrived to coach the Lakers in 1999, they had a 123–41 mark in the regular season and a 28–9 record in the postseason.