2002 Dodge/Save Mart 350

The 2002 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series and the 14th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 23, 2002, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Infineon Raceway, a 1.99 mi permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 110 laps to complete. Ricky Rudd, driving for Robert Yates Racing, would take advantage of a disaster-stricken Jerry Nadeau when Nadeau suffered rear end problems while leading with three to go. The win was Rudd's 23rd and final NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first and only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing and Terry Labonte of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.

Background
Infineon Raceway is one of two road courses to hold NASCAR races, the other being Watkins Glen International. The standard road course at Infineon Raceway is a 12-turn course that is 2.52 mi long; the track was modified in 1998, adding the Chute, which bypassed turns 5 and 6, shortening the course to 1.95 mi. The Chute was only used for NASCAR events such as this race, and was criticized by many drivers, who preferred the full layout. In 2001, it was replaced with a 70-degree turn, 4A, bringing the track to its current dimensions of 1.99 mi.

Entry list

 * (R) denotes rookie driver.

First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, June 21, at 10:20 AM PST, and would last for two hours. Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.664 and an average speed of 93.447 mph.

Second practice
The second practice session was held on Saturday, June 22, at 9:30 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Rusty Wallace of Penske Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:17.455 and an average speed of 92.492 mph.

Third and final practice
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, June 22, at 11:15 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 1:16.110 and an average speed of 94.127 mph.

Qualifying
Qualifying was held on Friday, June 21, at 2:05 PM PST. Drivers would each have one lap to set a lap time. Positions 1-36 would be decided on time, while positions 37-43 would be based on provisionals. Six spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The seventh is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.

Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 1:16.640 and an average speed of 93.476 mph.

Two drivers would fail to qualify: Stacy Compton and Brandon Ash.