The 2004 Food City 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 44th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 28, 2004, before a crowd of 160,000 in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would hold off the field on the final restart with two to go to win his ninth career Nextel Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Rusty Wallace of Penske-Jasper Racing finished 2nd and Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing finished 3rd.

Background

The Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Despite its short length, Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating. It has also been named one of the loudest NASCAR tracks.

Entry list #DriverTeamMake0Ward BurtonHaas CNC RacingChevrolet01Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsPontiac4Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge09Joe RuttmanPhoenix RacingDodge10Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet12Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge15Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet16Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord17Matt KensethRoush RacingFord18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet21Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord22Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet25Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet30Johnny SauterRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsChevrolet38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge50Derrike CopeArnold MotorsportsDodge72Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord77Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge80Andy HillenburgHover MotorsportsFord88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge94Stanton BarrettW. W. MotorsportsChevrolet97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord98Geoff BodineMach 1 MotorsportsFord99Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFordOfficial entry list

Practice

First practice The first practice session occurred on Friday, March 26, at 11:20 AM EST and would last for two hours. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.009 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed124Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.009127.84328Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.040127.580316Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord15.054127.461Full first practice results

Second practice The second practice session occurred on Saturday, March 27, at 9:30 AM EST and would last for 45 minutes. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.447 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.447124.21829Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.473124.010320Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet15.486123.905Full second practice results

Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, occurred on Saturday, March 27, at 11:10 AM EST and would last for 45 minutes. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 15.604 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed125Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.604122.968222Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge15.607122.945397Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord15.608122.937Full final practice results

Qualifying Qualifying occurred on Friday, March 27, at 3:00 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. Positions 1-38 would be decided on time, while positions 39-43 would be based on provisionals. Four spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The fifth 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.

Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 14.954 and an average speed of .

Kirk Shelmerdine would crash on his second lap in turn 3, slamming the outside wall. While he had set a lap, he was forced to use a provisional.

Morgan Shepherd would be the only driver to not qualify for the race.

Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge14.954128.314224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet14.957128.288316Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord14.970128.17642Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge14.982128.07459Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.007127.860642Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge15.046127.529777Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge15.064127.377815Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.108127.006938Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord15.116126.9381030Johnny SauterRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.126126.8541148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.147126.6791220Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet15.157126.5951397Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord15.160126.5701429Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.162126.5531521Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord15.172126.4701619Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge15.186126.3531740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge15.195126.278188Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet15.196126.2701949Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge15.197126.2622022Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge15.204126.204216Mark MartinRoush RacingFord15.208126.1702225Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.227126.0132317Matt KensethRoush RacingFord15.236125.9392441Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge15.237125.9302532Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsChevrolet15.242125.8892601Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevrolet15.285125.5352718Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet15.291125.4862810Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet15.294125.4612943Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge15.304125.3793088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord15.314125.2973199Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord15.314125.2973231Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet15.315125.289335Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet15.348125.0203498Geoff BodineMach 1 MotorsportsFord15.371124.832354Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet15.379124.7683645Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge15.439124.2833750Derrike CopeArnold MotorsportsDodge15.492123.8573894Stanton BarrettW. W. MotorsportsChevrolet15.501123.786Provisionals390Ward BurtonHaas CNC RacingChevrolet - -4009Joe RuttmanPhoenix RacingDodge15.717122.0844172Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord16.599115.5974202Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsPontiac15.622122.8274380Andy HillenburgHover MotorsportsFord17.313110.830Failed to qualify4489Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge15.639122.693Official qualifying results

Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPtsWinnings11397Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord500119running190$173,965242Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge500100running175$141,87831429Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5000running165$131,97841740Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge50072running165$135,12552317Matt KensethRoush RacingFord5000running155$136,09861949Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge5000running150$77,9457112Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge50025running151$124,8628642Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge5000running117$87,0959224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet5000running138$120,16810815Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet5000running134$110,79611188Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet50091running110$118,74812316Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord50058running132$84,890132022Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge5000running124$102,44014938Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord5000running121$103,273151030Johnny SauterRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5001running123$83,090161148Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet5008running120$90,215171619Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge5000running112$96,56518335Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet5000running109$100,065193231Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet5001running111$104,79220777Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge5000running103$81,900213088Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord5000running100$104,557222532Ricky CravenPPI MotorsportsChevrolet4990running97$93,39023216Mark MartinRoush RacingFord4990running94$81,045241220Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet49825running96$115,518253645Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge4980running88$82,570263750Derrike CopeArnold MotorsportsDodge4970running85$68,440272601Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevrolet4960running82$87,69428390Ward BurtonHaas CNC RacingChevrolet4960running79$71,150292943Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge4960running76$94,28530354Kevin LepageMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet4950running73$70,685314202Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsPontiac4900running70$66,890323894Stanton BarrettW. W. MotorsportsChevrolet4530crash67$66,845332718Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet4280running64$112,808342810Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet4040crash61$91,922352225Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet3770running58$74,690362441Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge3310running55$66,645371521Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord1660crash52$92,666383199Jeff BurtonRoush RacingFord1380too slow49$99,977393498Geoff BodineMach 1 MotorsportsFord590brakes46$66,5054059Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge570crash43$96,315414172Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord70handling40$66,390424009Joe RuttmanPhoenix RacingDodge40rear end37$66,335434380Andy HillenburgHover MotorsportsFord40brakes34$65,656Failed to qualify4489Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodgeOfficial race results

References