2004 Nextel Cup Series

2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series
Kurt Busch (pictured in 2023) was the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series Champion
Duration	February 15, 2004 through November 21, 2004
TV	Fox/FX; NBC/TNT
Season statistics
No. of races	36
First race	2004 Daytona 500
Last race	2004 Ford 400
Drivers' champion	Kurt Busch
Manufacturers' champion
Rookie of the Year	Kasey Kahne
Most popular driver	Dale Earnhardt, Jr
Previous	2003
Next	2005

The 2004 Nextel Cup Series was the 56^th 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

Manufacturer	Team	Number	Driver	Sponsor
	Dale Earnhardt, Inc.	8	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.	Budweiser
		15	Michael Waltrip	NAPA
	Haas CNC Racing	0	Ward Burton (34) Mike Bliss (2)	NetZero
	Hendrick Motorsports	5	Terry Labonte	Kellogg's
		24	Jeff Gordon	DuPont
		25	Brian Vickers *	GMAC / Ditech.com
		48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's
	Joe Gibbs Racing	18	Bobby Labonte	Interstate Batteries
		20	Tony Stewart	Home Depot
	MB2 Motorsports	01	Joe Nemechek	U.S. Army
		10	Scott Riggs *	Valvoline
	Morgan-McClure Motorsports	4	Kevin Lepage (7) Jimmy Spencer (25) Mike Wallace (4)	Lucas Oil
	PPI Motorsports	32	Ricky Craven (25) Bobby Hamilton, Jr. (11)	Tide
	Richard Childress Racing	29	Kevin Harvick	GM Goodwrench
		30	Johnny Sauter (13) Dave Blaney (8) Jim Inglebright (1) Jeff Burton (14)	AOL
		31	Robby Gordon	Cingular Wireless
	BAM Racing	49	Ken Schrader	Schwan's
	Bill Davis Racing	22	Scott Wimmer *	Caterpillar
	Chip Ganassi Racing	40	Sterling Marlin	Coors Light
		41	Casey Mears	Target
		42	Jamie McMurray	Havoline
	Evernham Motorsports	9	Kasey Kahne *	Dodge Dealers
		19	Jeremy Mayfield	Dodge Dealers
	Penske-Jasper Racing	2	Rusty Wallace	Miller Lite
		12	Ryan Newman	Alltel
		77	Brendan Gaughan *	Kodak
	Petty Enterprises	43	Jeff Green	Cheerios
		45	Kyle Petty	Georgia Pacific
	Kirk Shelmerdine Racing	72	Kirk Shelmerdine (32) Tom Hubert (2) Ted Christopher (1) Brad Teague (1)
	Robert Yates Racing	38	Elliott Sadler	M&M's
		88	Dale Jarrett	UPS
	Roush Racing	6	Mark Martin	Viagra
		16	Greg Biffle	National Guard
		17	Matt Kenseth	DeWalt
		97	Kurt Busch	Sharpie / Irwin Tools
		99	Jeff Burton (22) Carl Edwards (13) Dave Blaney (1)
	Wood Brothers Racing	21	Ricky Rudd	Motorcraft

Major Part Time Teams

Manufacturer	Team	Number	Driver	Sponsor
	Arnold Motorsports	50	Derrike Cope (12) Mike Wallace (3) P.J. Jones (5) Todd Bodine (12) Jeff Fuller (3)	Arnold Development Companies GEICO Bennett Lane Winery
	Phoenix Racing	09	Johnny Benson, Jr. (4) Joe Ruttman (7) Bobby Hamilton, Jr. (6) Tony Raines (1) Scott Pruett (1) Mike Wallace (4) Johnny Sauter (5)	Miccosukee Indian Gaming
	R&J Racing	37	Todd Bodine (4) Chad Blount (2) Kevin Lepage (12) Andy Hillenburg (2) Stanton Barrett (1)	Carter's Royal Dispos-All
	Shepherd Racing Ventures	89	Morgan Shepherd	Racing With Jesus Red Line Oil
	Mach 1 Motorsports	96 98	Larry Gunselman (6) Todd Bodine (10) Geoff Bodine (7) Derrike Cope (4) Chad Chaffin (1) Randy LaJoie (3)	Lucas Oil
	Hover Motorsports	80	Andy Hillenburg (8) Randy LaJoie (1) Carl Long (4) Tony Ave (2) Ted Christopher (1) Derrike Cope (1) Mario Gosselin (3) Andy Belmont (1)	Commercial Truck & Trailer
	SCORE Motorsports	02	Hermie Sadler (24) Carl Long (1) Andy Belmont (3) Derrike Cope (1) Brandon Ash (1) Jason Jarrett (1)	SCORE Motorsports Zapf Creations

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		1	3	150.826	15
	2004 Gatorade 125 (Race #1)	Greg Biffle	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		1	6	156.087	4
	2004 Gatorade 125 (Race #2)	Elliott Sadler	Elliott Sadler		0	0	182.334	5
1	2004 Daytona 500	Greg Biffle	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		4	23	156.345	26
2	2004 Subway 400	Ryan Newman	Matt Kenseth		7	58	112.016	15
3	2004 UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400	Kasey Kahne	Matt Kenseth		6	37	128.790	18
4	2004 Golden Corral 500	Ryan Newman	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		3	17	158.679	16
5	2004 Carolina Dodge Dealers 400	Kasey Kahne	Jimmie Johnson		9	58	114.001	22
6	2004 Food City 500	Ryan Newman	Kurt Busch		11	85	82.607	13
7	2004 Samsung / Radio Shack 500	Bobby Labonte	Elliott Sadler		7	45	138.845	24
8	2004 Advance Auto Parts 500	Jeff Gordon	Rusty Wallace		11	106	68.169	10
9	2004 Aaron's 499	Ricky Rudd	Jeff Gordon		11	55	129.396	54
10	2004 Auto Club 500	Kasey Kahne	Jeff Gordon		6	39	137.268	23
11	2004 Chevy American Revolution 400	Brian Vickers	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		9	66	98.253	19
	2004 Nextel All-Star Challenge	Rusty Wallace	Matt Kenseth		4	18	91.889	10
12	2004 Coca-Cola 600	Jimmie Johnson	Jimmie Johnson		7	37	142.763	16
13	2004 MBNA America 400 "A Salute to Heroes"	Jeremy Mayfield	Mark Martin		11	90	97.042	13
14	2004 Pocono 500	Kasey Kahne	Jimmie Johnson		11	57	112.129	30
15	2004 DHL 400	Jeff Gordon	Ryan Newman		9	33	139.292	17
16	2004 Dodge / Save Mart 350	Jeff Gordon	Jeff Gordon		6	13	77.456	9
17	2004 Pepsi 400	Jeff Gordon	Jeff Gordon		5	25	145.117	21
18	2004 Tropicana 400 Presented by Meijer	Jeff Gordon	Tony Stewart		9	43	129.507	20
19	2004 Siemens 300	Ryan Newman	Kurt Busch		12	62	97.862	4
20	2004 Pennsylvania 500	Casey Mears	Jimmie Johnson		9	35	126.271	16
21	2004 Brickyard 400	Casey Mears	Jeff Gordon		13	47	115.037	9
22	2004 Sirius at the Glen	N/A	Tony Stewart		5	11	92.249	13
23	2004 GFS Marketplace 400	N/A	Greg Biffle		9	33	139.063	25
24	2004 Sharpie 500	Jeff Gordon	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		9	63	88.538	18
25	2004 Pop Secret 500	Brian Vickers	Elliott Sadler		11	51	128.324	29
26	2004 Chevy Rock and Roll 400	Ryan Newman	Jeremy Mayfield		10	57	98.946	20
27	2004 Sylvania 300	N/A	Kurt Busch		7	30	109.753	15
28	2004 MBNA America 400	Jeremy Mayfield	Ryan Newman		5	38	119.067	13
29	2004 EA Sports 500	Joe Nemechek	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		5	22	156.929	47
30	2004 Banquet 400 Presented by ConAgra Foods	Joe Nemechek	Joe Nemechek		9	39	128.058	24
31	2004 UAW-GM Quality 500	Ryan Newman	Jimmie Johnson		11	53	130.214	18
32	2004 Subway 500	Ryan Newman	Jimmie Johnson		17	125	66.103	22
33	2004 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500	Ryan Newman	Jimmie Johnson		6	33	145.847	16
34	2004 Checker Auto Parts 500	Ryan Newman	Dale Earnhardt, Jr.		11	63	94.848	10
35	2004 Mountain Dew Southern 500	N/A	Jimmie Johnson		8	47	125.044	27
36	2004 Ford 400	Kurt Busch	Greg Biffle		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.

Rookie of the Year Standings

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.

Position	Make	Points	Race Wins
1		266	22
2		224	10
3		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