The 2004 Ford 400 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race held on November 21, 2004 at Homestead–Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. Contested over 271 laps on the speedway, it was the 36th and final race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Greg Biffle won the race and Kurt Busch won the championship, both driving for Roush Racing. This was the last race without Kyle Busch until the 2011 AAA Texas 500.
Background Homestead–Miami Speedway is a motor racing track located in Homestead, Florida. The track, which has several configurations, has promoted several series of racing, including NASCAR, the IndyCar Series, the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the Championship Cup Series.
From 2002 to 2019, Homestead–Miami Speedway hosted the final race of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Ford Motor Company sponsors all three of the season-ending races; the races have the names Ford 400, Ford 300 and Ford 200, respectively, and the weekend is marketed as Ford Championship Weekend.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Mike BlissHaas CNC RacingChevroletNetZero00Kenny WallaceMichael Waltrip RacingToyotaAaron's1Martin Truex Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletEnterprise Rent-A-Car01Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevroletU.S. Army2Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingFordMiller Lite02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevroletDrive for Diversity, Sam Bass4Mike WallaceMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevroletLucas Oil5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordViagra06Travis KvapilPenske-Jasper RacingDodgeMobil 1, Jasper Engines & Transmissions8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletBudweiser9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodgeDodge Dealers, UAW09Johnny SauterPhoenix RacingDodgeMiccosukee Gaming & Resorts10Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevroletValvoline11J. J. YeleyJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletVigoro, The Home Depot12Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodgeAlltel13Greg SacksSacks MotorsportsFordARC Dehooker, Vita Coco14John Andrettippc RacingFordVB, APlus at Sunoco15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletNAPA Auto Parts16Greg BiffleRoush RacingFordNational Guard, Subway17Matt KensethRoush RacingFordDeWalt18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingPontiacInterstate Batteries19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodgeDodge Dealers, UAW20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingToyotaHome Depot21Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFordMotorcraft, U.S. Air Force22Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodgeCaterpillar23Shane HmielBill Davis RacingDodgeBill Davis Racing24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDuPont25Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevroletGMAC Financial Services29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench30Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevroletAmerica Online31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevroletCingular Wireless32Bobby Hamilton Jr.PPI MotorsportsChevroletTide36Boris SaidMB2 MotorsportsChevroletUSG Durock37Kevin LepageR&J RacingDodgeCarter's Royal Dispos-all38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFordM&M's40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodgeLone Star Steakhouse & Saloon, Coors Light41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodgeTarget42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodgeTexaco, Havoline43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodgeChex Party Mix45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesFordGeorgia-Pacific, Brawny48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLowe's49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodgeSchwan's Home Service50Todd BodineArnold MotorsportsDodgeArnold Development Companies51Tony RainesCompetitive Edge MotorsportsChevroletConsort Hair Care for Men70Larry FoytBAM RacingDodgeBAM Racing72Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFordFreddie B's75Mike GarveyHaefele RacingDodgeJani-King77Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodgeKodak, Jasper Engines & Transmissions80Carl LongHover MotorsportsFordAdesa Impact88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFordUPS89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFordRacing With Jesus, Red Line Oil93Geoff BodineGIC–Mixon MotorsportsChevroletGlobal Industrial Contractors97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFordSharpie, Irwin Industrial Tools98Randy LaJoieMach 1 MotorsportsFordMach One Inc.99Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFordRoush Racing
Qualifying Qualifying took place on November 19, 2004. During Casey Mears' warmup lap, Mears would lose the back end of his car in the middle of Turns 3 and 4, slamming the back end into the wall and destroying the car. Mears would not be able to complete a lap in qualifying, so the No. 41 team took a provisional because the team was in the Top 35 in owner's points. However, they would have to start in the back because they had to bring in a backup car. The No. 93 of Geoff Bodine would also not run qualifying laps, this time due to unspecified reasons and would withdraw from the event. +Pos.#DriverMakeTeamTimeAvg. Speed (mph)197Kurt BuschFordRoush Racing30.114179.319216Greg BiffleFordRoush Racing30.116179.307312Ryan NewmanDodgePenske-Jasper Racing30.152179.09349Kasey KahneDodgeEvernham Motorsports30.186178.891524Jeff GordonChevroletHendrick Motorsports30.215178.719618Bobby LabonteChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing30.245178.542721Ricky RuddFordWood Brothers Racing30.336178.006820Tony StewartChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing30.360177.866929Kevin HarvickChevroletRichard Childress Racing30.370177.807102Rusty WallaceDodgePenske-Jasper Racing30.387177.708116Mark MartinFordRoush Racing30.405177.602120Mike BlissChevroletHaas CNC Racing30.425177.4861323Shane HmielDodgeBill Davis Racing30.436177.4211425Brian VickersChevroletHendrick Motorsports30.471177.2181538Elliott SadlerFordRobert Yates Racing30.475177.194168Dale Earnhardt, Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.30.491177.1011777Brendan GaughanDodgePenske-Jasper Racing30.497177.0671842Jamie McMurrayDodgeChip Ganassi Racing30.504177.0261901Joe NemechekChevroletMBV Motorsports30.522176.9222019Jeremy MayfieldDodgeEvernham Motorsports30.529176.8812122Scott WimmerDodgeBill Davis Racing30.531176.8692299Carl EdwardsFordRoush Racing30.535176.8462314John AndrettiFordppc Racing30.535176.8462415Michael WaltripChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.30.595176.4992510Scott RiggsChevroletMBV Motorsports30.601176.4652606Travis KvapilDodgePenske-Jasper Racing30.642176.2292788Dale JarrettFordRobert Yates Racing30.667176.085284Mike WallaceChevroletMorgan–McClure Motorsports30.671176.0622932Bobby Hamilton, Jr.ChevroletPPI Motorsports30.719175.7873017Matt KensethFordRoush Racing30.723175.7643143Jeff GreenDodgePetty Enterprises30.742175.6563236Boris SaidChevroletMB2 Motorsports30.758175.5643331Robby GordonChevroletRichard Childress Racing30.766175.5183413Greg SacksDodgeSacks Motorsports30.801175.319351Martin Truex, Jr.ChevroletDale Earnhardt, Inc.30.812175.2563602Hermie SadlerChevroletSCORE Motorsports30.814175.2453700Kenny WallaceChevroletMichael Waltrip Racing30.849175.0463840Sterling MarlinDodgeChip Ganassi Racing30.850175.040Provisionals3948Jimmie JohnsonChevroletHendrick Motorsports30.852175.0294030Jeff BurtonChevroletRichard Childress Racing30.866174.9504141Casey MearsDodgeChip Ganassi Racing0.0000.000425Terry LabonteChevroletHendrick Motorsports31.318172.4254349Ken SchraderDodgeBAM Racing31.076173.768Failed to qualify4445Kyle PettyDodgePetty Enterprises30.896174.7804509Johnny SauterDodgePhoenix Racing31.037173.9864675Mike GarveyDodgeHaefele Racing31.040173.9694751Tony RainesChevroletCompetitive Edge Motorsports31.083173.7284837Kevin LepageDodgeR&J Racing31.134173.4444950Todd BodineDodgeArnold Motorsports31.254172.7785011J. J. YeleyChevroletJoe Gibbs Racing31.365172.1665170Larry FoytDodgeBAM Racing31.485171.5105298Randy LaJoieFordMach 1 Motorsports31.604170.8645389Morgan ShepherdDodgeShepherd Racing Ventures31.705170.3205472Kirk ShelmerdineFordKirk Shelmerdine Racing32.185167.7805580Carl LongFordHover Motorsports32.319167.084WD93Geoffrey BodineChevroletGIC–Mixon Motorsports0.0000.000
Race recap This race was known as the deciding race of the 2004 Nextel Cup championship and the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup, in which five drivers were still mathematically alive for the championship. Points leader Kurt Busch came into the event with an 18-point margin ahead of Jimmie Johnson, who earned the most wins in 2004, while Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and veteran Mark Martin were also in contention, with 82 points covering the quintet. At the start of lap 1, Hermie Sadler got turned sideways while Mike Bliss was spun around but Johnson survived the wreck in the following caution. On lap 93, Busch told his crew on the radio that he had a flat right front tire. As Busch came out of the access road off of turn 4 leading to the pits, he lost the right front wheel. As the wheel came off, he almost hit the yellow barrels on the entrance of pit road; the caution came out as the wheel rolled down the front stretch. With 3 laps to go, race leader Ryan Newman made some contact and lost the right side of his tire, causing a caution and subsequent green–white–checkered finish. At the restart, Greg Biffle held off the hard charging Hendrick teams of Johnson and Gordon for the race lead and took the checkered flag to win the race. Having finished in fifth place, Busch won the championship by just eight points over Johnson – the closest championship-winning margin at the time.
Race results