The 2004 Nextel Cup Series was the 56th season of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. The season began on February 15 with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway and ended on November 21 with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
2004 was notable for the first season where the Championship was determined by a 10 race, 10 driver “Chase for the Nextel Cup”. After 26 races, the top 10 drivers would be given an amount of points to separate themselves from the rest of the field, and the results of the final 10 races would determine the champion. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman would qualify for the Chase.
Kurt Busch won his only Cup Series championship by a then-record 8 points over Jimmie Johnson, becoming the third youngest champion of the series. Roush Racing won their second consecutive Cup title, and Jimmy Fennig won his first title as a crew chief, after 18 seasons in the Cup Series.
Ford and Dodge introduced redesigned models for the 2004 season. Most of the teams that campaigned Pontiacs in 2003 switched to Chevrolets for 2004. In addition, a new championship trophy designed by Tiffany & Co. debuted, with a flowing checkered flag design cast in sterling silver.
2004 was the final full time season for Terry Labonte and marked the debut of Martin Truex, Jr., Carl Edwards, and Kasey Kahne.
Midway through the season, NASCAR adopted a “Green-White-Checker” policy for the Cup Series. If a late-race caution prohibited a race from completing under green flag conditions at the advertised length of the race, NASCAR would extend the race and make one attempt at a green flag finish in a two-lap shootout.
Nextel became the series sponsor in 2004, with a 10-year agreement that included a prohibition on allowing other cell phone service companies from joining the series as team sponsors. Cingular and Alltel, who were already sponsoring teams in the series, were allowed to remain, however other companies such as AT&T and Verizon were barred from entering. Sunoco became the official fuel of NASCAR in 2004 as well.
Full Time Teams[]
Major Part Time Teams[]
Schedule[]
| Round | Date | Race Name | Track | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 7, 2004 | Budweiser Shootout | Daytona International Speedway | TNT | |
| February 12, 2004 | Gatorade 125s | Daytona International Speedway | TNT | |
| 1 | February 15, 2004 | Daytona 500 | Daytona International Speedway | NBC |
| 2 | February 22, 2004 | Subway 400 | North Carolina Speedway | FOX |
| 3 | March 7, 2004 | UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 4 | March 14, 2004 | Golden Corral 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 5 | March 21, 2004 | Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 | Darlington Raceway | FOX |
| 6 | March 28, 2004 | Food City 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 7 | April 4, 2004 | Samsung / Radio Shack 500 | Texas Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 8 | April 18, 2004 | Advance Auto Parts 500 | Martinsville Speedway | FOX |
| 9 | April 25, 2004 | Aaron's 499 | Talladega Superspeedway | FOX |
| 10 | May 2, 2004 | Auto Club 500 | California Speedway | FOX |
| 11 | May 15, 2004 | Chevy American Revolution 400 | Richmond International Raceway | FX |
| May 22, 2004 | Nextel All-Star Challenge | Lowe's Motor Speedway | FX | |
| 12 | May 30, 2004 | Coca-Cola 600 | Lowe's Motor Speedway | FOX |
| 13 | June 6, 2004 | MBNA America 400 "A Salute to Heroes" | Dover International Speedway | FX |
| 14 | June 13, 2004 | Pocono 500 | Pocono Raceway | FOX |
| 15 | June 20, 2004 | DHL 400 | Michigan International Speedway | FOX |
| 16 | June 27, 2004 | Dodge / Save Mart 350 | Infineon Raceway | FOX |
| 17 | July 3, 2004 | Pepsi 400 | Daytona International Speedway | FOX |
| 18 | July 11, 2004 | Tropicana 400 Presented by Meijer | Chicagoland Speedway | NBC |
| 19 | July 25, 2004 | Siemens 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway | TNT |
| 20 | August 1, 2004 | Pennsylvania 500 | Pocono Raceway | TNT |
| 21 | August 8, 2004 | Brickyard 400 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | NBC |
| 22 | August 15, 2004 | Sirius at the Glen | Watkins Glen International | TNT |
| 23 | August 22, 2004 | GFS Marketplace 400 | Michigan International Speedway | TNT |
| 24 | August 28, 2004 | Sharpie 500 | Bristol Motor Speedway | TNT |
| 25 | September 5, 2004 | Pop Secret 500 | California Speedway | NBC |
| 26 | September 11, 2004 | Chevy Rock and Roll 400 | Richmond International Raceway | TNT |
| Chase for the Nextel Cup | ||||
| 27 | September 19, 2004 | Sylvania 300 | New Hampshire International Speedway | TNT |
| 28 | September 26, 2004 | MBNA America 400 | Dover International Speedway | TNT |
| 29 | October 3, 2004 | EA Sports 500 | Talladega Superspeedway | NBC |
| 30 | October 10, 2004 | Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Kansas Speedway | NBC |
| 31 | October 16, 2004 | UAW-GM Quality 500 | Lowe's Motor Speedway | NBC |
| 32 | October 24, 2004 | Subway 500 | Martinsville Speedway | NBC |
| 33 | October 31, 2004 | Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Atlanta Motor Speedway | NBC |
| 34 | November 7, 2004 | Checker Auto Parts 500 | Phoenix International Raceway | NBC |
| 25 | November 14, 2004 | Mountain Dew Southern 500 | Darlington Raceway | NBC |
| 36 | November 21, 2004 | Ford 400 | Homestead-Miami Speedway | NBC |
Results[]
| Round | Race | Pole Winner | Winner | Make | Cautions | Caution Laps | Average Speed | Number of Lead Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 Budweiser Shootout | Jeremy Mayfield | Dale Jarrett | Ford | 1 | 3 | 150.826 | 15 | |
| 2004 Gatorade 125 (Race #1) | Greg Biffle | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 1 | 6 | 156.087 | 4 | |
| 2004 Gatorade 125 (Race #2) | Elliott Sadler | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 0 | 0 | 182.334 | 5 | |
| 1 | 2004 Daytona 500 | Greg Biffle | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 4 | 23 | 156.345 | 26 |
| 2 | 2004 Subway 400 | Ryan Newman | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 7 | 58 | 112.016 | 15 |
| 3 | 2004 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 | Kasey Kahne | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 6 | 37 | 128.790 | 18 |
| 4 | 2004 Golden Corral 500 | Ryan Newman | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 3 | 17 | 158.679 | 16 |
| 5 | 2004 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 | Kasey Kahne | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 9 | 58 | 114.001 | 22 |
| 6 | 2004 Food City 500 | Ryan Newman | Kurt Busch | Ford | 11 | 85 | 82.607 | 13 |
| 7 | 2004 Samsung / Radio Shack 500 | Bobby Labonte | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 7 | 45 | 138.845 | 24 |
| 8 | 2004 Advance Auto Parts 500 | Jeff Gordon | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | 11 | 106 | 68.169 | 10 |
| 9 | 2004 Aaron's 499 | Ricky Rudd | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 11 | 55 | 129.396 | 54 |
| 10 | 2004 Auto Club 500 | Kasey Kahne | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 6 | 39 | 137.268 | 23 |
| 11 | 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400 | Brian Vickers | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 9 | 66 | 98.253 | 19 |
| 2004 Nextel All-Star Challenge | Rusty Wallace | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 4 | 18 | 91.889 | 10 | |
| 12 | 2004 Coca-Cola 600 | Jimmie Johnson | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 7 | 37 | 142.763 | 16 |
| 13 | 2004 MBNA America 400 "A Salute to Heroes" | Jeremy Mayfield | Mark Martin | Ford | 11 | 90 | 97.042 | 13 |
| 14 | 2004 Pocono 500 | Kasey Kahne | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 11 | 57 | 112.129 | 30 |
| 15 | 2004 DHL 400 | Jeff Gordon | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 9 | 33 | 139.292 | 17 |
| 16 | 2004 Dodge / Save Mart 350 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 6 | 13 | 77.456 | 9 |
| 17 | 2004 Pepsi 400 | Jeff Gordon | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 5 | 25 | 145.117 | 21 |
| 18 | 2004 Tropicana 400 Presented by Meijer | Jeff Gordon | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 9 | 43 | 129.507 | 20 |
| 19 | 2004 Siemens 300 | Ryan Newman | Kurt Busch | Ford | 12 | 62 | 97.862 | 4 |
| 20 | 2004 Pennsylvania 500 | Casey Mears | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 9 | 35 | 126.271 | 16 |
| 21 | 2004 Brickyard 400 | Casey Mears | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 13 | 47 | 115.037 | 9 |
| 22 | 2004 Sirius at the Glen | N/A | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 5 | 11 | 92.249 | 13 |
| 23 | 2004 GFS Marketplace 400 | N/A | Greg Biffle | Ford | 9 | 33 | 139.063 | 25 |
| 24 | 2004 Sharpie 500 | Jeff Gordon | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 9 | 63 | 88.538 | 18 |
| 25 | 2004 Pop Secret 500 | Brian Vickers | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 11 | 51 | 128.324 | 29 |
| 26 | 2004 Chevy Rock and Roll 400 | Ryan Newman | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | 10 | 57 | 98.946 | 20 |
| 27 | 2004 Sylvania 300 | N/A | Kurt Busch | Ford | 7 | 30 | 109.753 | 15 |
| 28 | 2004 MBNA America 400 | Jeremy Mayfield | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 5 | 38 | 119.067 | 13 |
| 29 | 2004 EA Sports 500 | Joe Nemechek | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 5 | 22 | 156.929 | 47 |
| 30 | 2004 Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods | Joe Nemechek | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 9 | 39 | 128.058 | 24 |
| 31 | 2004 UAW-GM Quality 500 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 11 | 53 | 130.214 | 18 |
| 32 | 2004 Subway 500 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 17 | 125 | 66.103 | 22 |
| 33 | 2004 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 | Ryan Newman | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 6 | 33 | 145.847 | 16 |
| 34 | 2004 Checker Auto Parts 500 | Ryan Newman | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 11 | 63 | 94.848 | 10 |
| 35 | 2004 Mountain Dew Southern 500 | N/A | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 8 | 47 | 125.044 | 27 |
| 36 | 2004 Ford 400 | Kurt Busch | Greg Biffle | Ford | 14 | 79 | 105.623 | 14 |
Final Points Standings[]
| Pos. | Driver | Races | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s | Poles | Points | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kurt Busch | 36 | 3 | 10 | 21 | 1 | 6506 | |
| 2 | Jimmie Johnson | 36 | 8 | 20 | 23 | 1 | 6498 | -8 |
| 3 | Jeff Gordon | 36 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 6 | 6490 | -16 |
| 4 | Mark Martin | 36 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 0 | 6399 | -107 |
| 5 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | 36 | 6 | 16 | 21 | 0 | 6368 | -138 |
| 6 | Tony Stewart | 36 | 2 | 10 | 19 | 0 | 6326 | -180 |
| 7 | Ryan Newman | 36 | 2 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 6180 | -326 |
| 8 | Matt Kenseth | 36 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 6069 | -437 |
| 9 | Elliott Sadler | 36 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 0 | 6024 | -482 |
| 10 | Jeremy Mayfield | 36 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 6000 | -506 |
| 11 | Jamie McMurray | 36 | 0 | 9 | 23 | 0 | 4597 | -1,909 |
| 12 | Bobby Labonte | 36 | 0 | 5 | 11 | 1 | 4277 | -2,229 |
| 13 | Kasey Kahne | 36 | 0 | 13 | 14 | 4 | 4274 | -2,232 |
| 14 | Kevin Harvick | 36 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 0 | 4228 | -2,278 |
| 15 | Dale Jarrett | 36 | 0 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 4214 | -2,292 |
| 16 | Rusty Wallace | 36 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3960 | -2,546 |
| 17 | Greg Biffle | 36 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 3902 | -2,604 |
| 18 | Jeff Burton | 36 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3902 | -2,604 |
| 19 | Joe Nemechek | 36 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3878 | -2,628 |
| 20 | Michael Waltrip | 36 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 3878 | -2,628 |
| 21 | Sterling Marlin | 36 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3857 | -2,649 |
| 22 | Casey Mears | 36 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 3690 | -2,816 |
| 23 | Robby Gordon | 36 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3646 | -2,860 |
| 24 | Ricky Rudd | 36 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3615 | -2,891 |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | 36 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 3521 | -2,985 |
| 26 | Terry Labonte | 36 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3519 | -2,987 |
| 27 | Scott Wimmer | 35 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3198 | -3,308 |
| 28 | Brendan Gaughan | 36 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3165 | -3,341 |
| 29 | Scott Riggs | 35 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3090 | -3,416 |
| 30 | Jeff Green | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3054 | -3,452 |
| 31 | Ken Schrader | 36 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3032 | -3,474 |
| 32 | Ward Burton | 34 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2929 | -3,577 |
| 33 | Kyle Petty | 35 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2811 | -3,695 |
| 34 | Ricky Craven | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2086 | -4,420 |
| 35 | Jimmy Spencer | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1969 | -4,537 |
| 36 | Johnny Sauter | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1430 | -5,076 |
| 37 | Carl Edwards | 13 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1424 | -5,082 |
| 38 | Dave Blaney | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1347 | -5,159 |
| 39 | Bobby Hamilton, Jr. | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1271 | -5,235 |
| 40 | Derrike Cope | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1058 | -5,448 |
| 41 | Todd Bodine | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 986 | -5,520 |
| 42 | Morgan Shepherd | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 925 | -5,581 |
| 43 | Kevin Lepage | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 915 | -5,591 |
| 44 | Hermie Sadler | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 852 | -5,654 |
| 45 | John Andretti | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 818 | -5,688 |
| 46 | Mike Wallace | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 764 | -5,742 |
| 47 | Kirk Shelmerdine | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 723 | -5,783 |
| 48 | Bill Elliott | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 595 | -5,911 |
| 49 | Mike Bliss | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 407 | -6,099 |
| 50 | Kenny Wallace | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 365 | -6,141 |
Drivers in the Chase for the Nextel Cup are highlighted in yellow. Complete statistics can be found at Racing-Reference.info.
Rookie of the Year[]
Kasey Kahne won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award for 2004.
| Position | Driver | Points | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasey Kahne | 376 | 0 |
| 2 | Brendan Gaughan | 256 | 0 |
| 3 | Brian Vickers | 255 | 0 |
| 4 | Scott Wimmer | 247 | 0 |
| 5 | Scott Riggs | 237 | 0 |
| 6 | Johnny Sauter | 146 | 0 |
Manufacturer's Championship[]
With 26 wins, Chevrolet won the 2004 Manufacturer's Championship.[2]
| Position | Make | Points | Race Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chevrolet | 266 | 22 |
| 2 | Ford | 224 | 10 |
| 3 | Dodge | 194 | 4 |
Other Season Awards[]
- Grands! Biscuits National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- USG Person-Of-The-Year Award: Tony Stewart
- Clevite Engine Builder of the Year Award: Hendrick Motorsports
- Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Kurt Busch
- Wix Filters Lap Leader Award: Jeff Gordon
- Outback Steakhouse "Bloomin' Favorite" Driver of the Race Award: Jimmie Johnson
- Waste Management Pickin' Up Places Award: Matt Kenseth
- MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award: Tony Stewart
- Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Season Award: Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
- Bud Pole Award: Ryan Newman
- Goodyear Tire Award: Kurt Busch
- Goodyear Gatorback Belts Fastest Lap Award: Jeff Gordon
- Mechanix Wear Most Valuable Pit Crew Award (voted by fellow crew chiefs): #48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Pit Crew, led by Chad Knaus
- Powerade/McDonalds Drive Thru Pit Championship Award (lowest amount of time spent on pit road): #20 Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet Pit Crew, led by Greg Zipadelli[2]
External Links[]
- ↑ https://tobychristie.com/2004-nascar-nextel-cup-series-rookie-of-the-year-standings/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 The Official NASCAR Preview and Press Guide 2005. 2005. UMI Publications.
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