Nascar Nextel Cup Series 2004 var den 56:e upplagan av den främsta divisionen av professionell stockcarracing i USA sanktionerad av National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
Säsongen bestod av 36 race och inleddes på Daytona International Speedway med uppvisningsloppen Budweiser Shootout 7 februari och Gatorade 125s 12 februari, vilket även var slutkval till den 46:e upplagan av Daytona 500. Säsongen avslutades 21 november på Homestead-Miami Speedway med Ford 400. Serien vanns av Kurt Busch i en Ford körandes för Roush Racing. Det var hans första och enda mästerskapstitel.
Säsongen 2004 var den första med telecomföretaget Nextel Communications som huvudsponsor. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company med varumärket Winston som varit huvudspobsor i 33 år valde att avsluta samarbetet. I juni 2003 meddelade Nascar att man skrivit ett tioårskontrakt med Nextel Communications som huvudsponsor. 76 som varit bränsleleverantör ända sedan starten 1948 valde även de att avsluta sitt samarbete med Nascar efter 2003 års säsong. Ny bränsleleverantör för 2004 blev Sunoco.
Matt Kenseths mästerskapstitel 2003 med endast en vinst fick Nascar att introducera slutspelsformatet Chase for the Nextel Cup, eller kort "The Chase", för att hålla liv i förarmästerskapet till sista deltävling. Det nya formatet innebar att de tio främsta förarna gick in i en slutspelsrunda med tio lopp kvar.
Tävlingskalender Officiellt namn Bana Datum Budweiser ShootoutDaytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida7 februari Gatorade 125s12 februari1Daytona 50015 februari2Subway 400North Carolina Speedway, Rockingham, North Carolina22 februari3UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada7 mars4Golden Corral 500Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia14 mars5Carolina Dodge Dealers 400Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina21 mars6Food City 500Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee28 mars7Samsung/RadioShack 500Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas4 april8Advance Auto Parts 500Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia18 april9Aaron's 499Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama25 april10Auto Club 500California Speedway, Fontana, Kalifornien2 maj11Chevy American Revolution 400Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia15 maj Nextel OpenLowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina22 maj Nextel All-Star Challenge12Coca-Cola 60030 maj13MBNA America 400 "A Salute To Heroes"Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware6 juni14Pocono 500Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania13 juni15DHL 400Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan20 juni16Dodge/Save Mart 350Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, Kalifornien27 juni17Pepsi 400Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida3 juli18Tropicana 400 presented by MeijerChicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Illinois11 juli19Siemens 300New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire20 juli20Pennsylvania 500Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania1 augusti21Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana8 augusti22Sirius Satellite Radio at The GlenWatkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York15 augusti23GFS Marketplace 400Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan22 augusti24Sharpie 500Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tennessee28 augusti25Pop Secret 500California Speedway, Fontana, Kalifornien5 september26Chevy Rock & Roll 400Richmond International Raceway, Richmond, Virginia11 september Chase for the Nextel Cup27Sylvania 300New Hampshire International Speedway, Loudon, New Hampshire19 september28MBNA America 400Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware26 september29EA Sports 500Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Alabama3 oktober30Banquet 400 Presented by Conagra FoodsKansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas10 oktober31UAW-GM Quality 500Lowe's Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina16 oktober32Subway 500Martinsville Speedway, Ridgeway, Virginia24 oktober33Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Georgia31 oktober34Checker Auto Parts 500Phoenix International Raceway, Phoenix, Arizona7 november35Mountain Dew Southern 500Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina14 november36Ford 400Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Florida21 november
Resultat TävlingPole positionFlest ledda varvVinnareTeamKonstruktörRapportBudweiser ShootoutJeremy MayfieldTerry LabonteDale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFordRapportGatorade 125 1Greg BiffleGreg BiffleDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapportGatorade 125 2Elliott SadlerElliott SadlerElliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1Daytona 500Greg BiffleTony StewartDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapport2Subway 400Ryan NewmanMatt KensethMatt KensethRoush RacingFordRapport3UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400Kasey KahneMatt KensethMatt KensethRoush RacingFordRapport4Golden Corral 500Ryan NewmanTony StewartDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapport5Carolina Dodge Dealers 400Kasey KahneKurt BuschJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport6Food City 500Ryan NewmanKurt BuschKurt BuschRoush RacingFordRapport7Samsung/RadioShack 500Bobby LabonteKasey KahneElliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFordRapport8Advance Auto Parts 500Jeff GordonJeff GordonRusty WallacePenske Racing SouthDodgeRapport9Aaron's 499Ricky RuddDale Earnhardt Jr.Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport10Auto Club 500Kasey KahneJeff GordonJeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport11Chevy American Revolution 400Brian VickersDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapportNextel OpenDave BlaneyJamie McMurraySterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodgeRapportNextel All-Star ChallengeRusty WallaceRyan NewmanMatt KensethRoush RacingFord12Coca-Cola 600Jimmie JohnsonJimmie JohnsonJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport13MBNA America 400 "A Salute To Heroes"Jeremy MayfieldTony StewartMark MartinRoush RacingFordRapport14Pocono 500Kasey KahneJimmie JohnsonJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport15DHL 400Jeff GordonJeff GordonRyan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodgeRapport16Dodge/Save Mart 350Jeff GordonJeff GordonJeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport17Pepsi 400Jeff GordonJeff GordonJeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport18Tropicana 400 presented by MeijerJeff GordonTony StewartTony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletRapport19Siemens 300Ryan NewmanRyan NewmanKurt BuschRoush RacingFordRapport20Pennsylvania 500Casey MearsJimmie JohnsonJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport21Brickyard 400Casey MearsJeff GordonJeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport22Sirius Satellite Radio at The GlenJimmie JohnsonTony StewartTony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletRapport23GFS Marketplace 400Jimmie JohnsonGreg BiffleGreg BiffleRoush RacingFordRapport24Sharpie 500Jeff GordonDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapport25Pop Secret 500Brian VickersMark MartinElliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFordRapport26Chevy Rock & Roll 400Ryan NewmanJeremy MayfieldJeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodgeRapport27Sylvania 300Jeff GordonKurt BuschKurt BuschRoush RacingFordRapport28MBNA America 400Jeremy MayfieldRyan NewmanRyan NewmanPenske Racing SouthDodgeRapport29EA Sports 500Joe NemechekDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapport30Banquet 400 Presented by Conagra FoodsJoe NemechekJeremy MayfieldJoe NemechekMB2 MotorsportsChevroletRapport31UAW-GM Quality 500Ryan NewmanKasey KahneJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport32Subway 500Ryan NewmanKurt BuschJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport33Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500Ryan NewmanMark MartinJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport34Checker Auto Parts 500Ryan NewmanDale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt Inc.ChevroletRapport35Mountain Dew Southern 500Kurt BuschJeff GordonJimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletRapport36Ford 400Kurt BuschGreg BiffleGreg BiffleRoush RacingFordRapport
Slutställning Förarmästerskapet Plats Förare Team Märke Poäng 1 Kurt Busch Roush Racing Ford 6506 2 Jimmie Johnson Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6498 3 Jeff Gordon Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 6490 4 Mark Martin Roush Racing Ford 6399 5 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet 6368 6 Tony Stewart Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 6326 7 Ryan Newman Penske Racing Dodge 6180 8 Matt Kenseth Roush Racing Ford 6069 9 Elliott Sadler Robert Yates Racing Ford 6024 10 Jeremy Mayfield Evernham Motorsports Dodge 6000 11 Jamie McMurray Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 4597 12 Bobby Labonte Joe Gibbs Racing Chevrolet 4266 13 Kasey Kahne Evernham Motorsports Dodge 4274 14 Kevin Harvick Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 4228 15 Dale Jarrett Robert Yates Racing Ford 4214 16 Rusty Wallace Penske Racing Dodge 3960 17 Greg Biffle Roush Racing Ford 3902 18 Jeff Burton Roush Racing Richard Childress Racing Ford Chevrolet 3902 19 Joe Nemechek MB2 Motorsports Chevrolet 3878 20 Michael Waltrip Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevrolet 3878 21 Sterling Marlin Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 3857 22 Casey Mears Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge 3690 23 Robby Gordon Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet 3646 24 Ricky Rudd Wood Brothers Racing Ford 3615 25 Brian Vickers Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3521 26 Terry Labonte Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet 3519 27 Scott Wimmer Bill Davis Racing Ford 3198 28 Brendan Gaughan Penske-Jasper Racing Dodge 3165 29 Scott Riggs MB2 Motorsports Chevrolet 3090 30 Jeff Green Richard Petty Enterprises Dodge 3054
Märkesmästerskapet Tillverkare Vinster Poäng 1 Chevrolet 22 266 2 Ford 10 224 3 Dodge 4 194
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2004 Kategori:Motorsportevenemang 2004