The 2004 Budweiser Shootout was the first exhibition stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, February 7, 2004, before a crowd of 75,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4.0-km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 70 laps to complete. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would make a last lap pass and defend against Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his third Budweiser Shootout. To fill out the podium, Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would finish third.
Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.
Format and eligibility The race was broken up into two segments: a 20-lap segment, followed by a ten-minute intermission, concluding with a 50-lap second segment. While a pit stop was no longer required by rule, a reduction in fuel cell size (from 22 gallons to 13.5 gallons) made a fuel stop necessary. (In 2007, fuel cells were expanded to 18.5 gallons.) Many drivers also changed two tires during their fuel stop, as the time required to fuel the car allowed for a two-tire change without additional delay.
Pole winners of the previous season were automatically eligible for the race. Then, previous winners who had not already qualified would receive automatic berths.
Entry list #DriverTeamMakeSponsor01Boris SaidMBV MotorsportsChevroletU. S. Army2Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodgeMiller Lite5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevroletKellogg's6Mark MartinRoush RacingFordKraft, Oscar Mayer8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletBudweiser Born On Date 7 Feb 200410Mike SkinnerMBV MotorsportsChevroletValvoline Max Life12Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodgeAlltel18Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletInterstate Batteries19Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodgeDodge Dealers, 2004 NHL All-Star Game20Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletThe Home Depot23Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodgeWhelen Engineering24Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletDuPont29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevroletGM Goodwrench38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFordM&M's Black and White42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodgeTexaco, Havoline43Jeff Green*Petty EnterprisesDodgeCheerios48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevroletLowe's49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodgeSchwan's Home Service88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFordUPS91Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodgeLeukemia & Lymphoma Society *Withdrew due to the team's owner, Richard Petty, holding a 50-year promise to his mother that his race team would not be affiliated with alcohol in any way.
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, February 6, at 3:45 PM EST, and would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 47.756 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed129Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.756188.45822Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge47.832188.159301Boris SaidMBV MotorsportsChevrolet47.856188.064Full first practice results
Second and final practice The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, February 6, at 6:30 PM EST, and would last for one hour. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 47.111 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet47.111191.038218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet47.125190.981329Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet47.362190.026Full Happy Hour practice results
Starting lineup The starting lineup was determined by a blind draw. Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports would win the pole.
Full starting lineup Pos.#DriverTeamMake119Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet342Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge423Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge529Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet65Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet76Mark MartinRoush RacingFord801Boris SaidMBV MotorsportsChevrolet938Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord1091Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge112Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge1218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet1310Mike SkinnerMBV MotorsportsChevrolet1449Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge1588Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord1612Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge1748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet1820Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet198Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.ChevroletWithdrewWD43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge
Race results FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusWinnings11588Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord701running$213,0002198Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet700running$113,0003529Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet7010running$63,000476Mark MartinRoush RacingFord700running$53,0005224Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7016running$51,0006112Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge700running$49,00071820Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet700running$47,000865Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet7017running$46,00091748Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet700running$45,00010801Boris SaidMBV MotorsportsChevrolet700running$44,000111218Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet700running$42,00012938Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord701running$41,000131449Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge700running$40,000141091Bill ElliottEvernham MotorsportsDodge700running$39,000151310Mike SkinnerMBV MotorsportsChevrolet700running$38,000161612Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge694accident$37,00017342Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge688accident$36,00018119Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge590accident$35,00019423Dave BlaneyBill Davis RacingDodge590accident$34,000WithdrewWD43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodgeOfficial race results
References