The 2004 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the fifth race of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 45th iteration of the event. The race was on Saturday, October 16, 2004, before a crowd of 140,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At the race's end, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would take advantage of Kasey Kahne's bad luck at the end of the race, holding off the field on the final restart to win his 11th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.
Background
Lowe's Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge, as well as the UAW-GM Quality 500. The speedway was built in 1959 by Bruton Smith and is considered the home track for NASCAR with many race teams located in the Charlotte area. The track is owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI) with Marcus G. Smith (son of Bruton Smith) as track president.
Entry list #DriverTeamMake0Ward BurtonHaas CNC RacingChevrolet00Kenny WallaceMichael Waltrip RacingChevrolet01Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevrolet2Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet4Jimmy SpencerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet5Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet6Mark MartinRoush RacingFord8Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet08Carl LongMcGlynn RacingChevrolet9Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge09Johnny SauterPhoenix RacingDodge10Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet12Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge13Greg SacksSacks MotorsportsDodge14John Andrettippc RacingFord15Michael 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 RacingChevrolet30Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet31Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet32Bobby Hamilton Jr.PPI MotorsportsChevrolet35Mike WallaceGary Keller RacingChevrolet37Kevin LepageR&J RacingDodge38Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord40Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge41Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge42Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge43Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge45Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge48Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet49Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge50Jeff FullerArnold MotorsportsDodge51Tony RainesCompetitive Edge MotorsportsChevrolet59Larry FoytBAM RacingDodge62Damon Lusk*Hollenbeck MotorsportsChevrolet72Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord77Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge84Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet88Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge92Derrike Cope**Front Row MotorsportsDodge94Stanton Barrett**W. W. MotorsportsDodge97Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord98Geoff BodineMach 1 MotorsportsFord99Carl Edwards***Roush RacingFordOfficial entry list *Withdrew.
**Barrett was originally tapped to drive the #94, and Cope to drive the #92. However, the #92 team would withdraw, and Cope would move to the #94.
***Edwards drove in pre-race activities, but would not start the car on Saturday due to a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race he attended on the same day going late. As a result, backup driver Dave Blaney would start for Edwards, and Edwards would get in the car on lap 24. As Blaney had started the race, Blaney was credited with the finish.
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Thursday, October 14, at 2:20 PM EST, and would last for 2 hours. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.870 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge28.870187.045297Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord28.967186.419338Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord29.037185.970Full first practice results
Second practice The second practice session was held on Friday, October 15, at 4:30 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Mark Martin of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.710 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed16Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.710181.75729Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.729181.641399Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord29.732181.622Full second practice results
Third and final practice The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, October 15, at 6:10 PM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Elliott Sadler of Robert Yates Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.710 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed138Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord29.662182.05122Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge29.722181.684348Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.731181.629Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Thursday, October 14, at 7:10 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 28.590 and an average speed of , setting a new track record.
Nine drivers would fail to qualify: Kenny Wallace, Derrike Cope, Mike Wallace, Carl Long, Kirk Shelmerdine, Larry Foyt, Hermie Sadler, Morgan Shepherd, and Geoff Bodine.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed112Ryan NewmanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge28.590188.87729Kasey KahneEvernham MotorsportsDodge28.829187.311341Casey MearsChip Ganassi RacingDodge28.834187.279410Scott RiggsMBV MotorsportsChevrolet28.957186.483538Elliott SadlerRobert Yates RacingFord28.996186.233615Michael WaltripDale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet28.997186.226729Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.010186.143801Joe NemechekMBV MotorsportsChevrolet29.022186.066948Jimmie JohnsonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.237184.6971099Carl EdwardsRoush RacingFord29.036185.9761132Bobby Hamilton Jr.PPI MotorsportsChevrolet29.039185.957126Mark MartinRoush RacingFord29.139185.3191319Jeremy MayfieldEvernham MotorsportsDodge29.146185.274142Rusty WallacePenske-Jasper RacingDodge29.154185.2231520Tony StewartJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.170185.1221677Brendan GaughanPenske-Jasper RacingDodge29.192184.9821725Brian VickersHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.213184.8491816Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord29.215184.8371931Robby GordonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.241184.6722014John Andrettippc RacingFord29.250184.6152197Kurt BuschRoush RacingFord29.264184.527224Jimmy SpencerMorgan–McClure MotorsportsChevrolet29.268184.5022324Jeff GordonHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.289184.3702442Jamie McMurrayChip Ganassi RacingDodge29.300184.300258Dale Earnhardt Jr.Dale Earnhardt, Inc.Chevrolet29.339184.0552650Jeff FullerArnold MotorsportsDodge29.431183.4802737Kevin LepageR&J RacingDodge29.452183.3492851Tony RainesCompetitive Edge MotorsportsChevrolet29.458183.3122909Johnny SauterPhoenix RacingDodge29.470183.2373049Ken SchraderBAM RacingDodge29.472183.2253140Sterling MarlinChip Ganassi RacingDodge29.482183.1633245Kyle PettyPetty EnterprisesDodge29.497183.0703343Jeff GreenPetty EnterprisesDodge29.500183.0513418Bobby LabonteJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.506183.0143530Jeff BurtonRichard Childress RacingChevrolet29.515182.9583617Matt KensethRoush RacingFord29.604182.4083713Greg SacksSacks MotorsportsDodge29.628182.2603884Kyle BuschHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.629182.254Provisionals3988Dale JarrettRobert Yates RacingFord29.763181.433405Terry LabonteHendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.704181.7944121Ricky RuddWood Brothers RacingFord29.756181.4764222Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingDodge29.845180.935430Ward BurtonHaas CNC RacingChevrolet29.631182.242Failed to qualify or withdrew4400Kenny WallaceMichael Waltrip RacingChevrolet29.732181.6224594Derrike CopeW. W. MotorsportsDodge29.807181.1654635Mike WallaceGary Keller RacingChevrolet29.868180.7964708Carl LongMcGlynn RacingChevrolet29.885180.6934872Kirk ShelmerdineKirk Shelmerdine RacingFord30.230178.6304959Larry FoytBAM RacingDodge30.382177.7375002Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet30.483177.1485189Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesDodge30.498177.0615298Geoff BodineMach 1 MotorsportsFord30.615176.384WD62Damon LuskHollenbeck MotorsportsChevrolet——WD92Derrike CopeFront Row MotorsportsDodge——Official qualifying results
Race On the first lap of the race, a multi-car crash occurred in turn 1. It started when the 4th place start car in Scott Riggs when his car did not get up to speed going into turn 1. Riggs went up the track to move out of the way but Greg Biffle all of a sudden got hit from behind by John Andretti collecting Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Tony Raines, and Ken Schrader. Pole sitter Ryan Newman led the first lap of the race. The race got back going on lap 8 but the caution would be immeadeatly be thrown again when Jeff Fuller blew a tire and hit the wall in turn 1. The race got back going on lap 13 with Newman still leading and got some green flag laps. On lap 23, the third caution flew when Brian Vickers crashed hard on the front stretch after contact with Robby Gordon. The race would be red flagged for a short period of time to repair the outside SAFER barrier on the front stretch. During the caution, Dave Blaney was taken out of the #99 and Carl Edwards jumped in. After the red flag was lifted, Elliott Sadler won the race off of pit road and led the field to the restart on lap 31. On lap 42, Kasey Kahne took the lead on Sadler. On lap 76, the fourth caution flew when Jeff Gordon spun off of turn 4 and got hit again by Rusty Wallace. Kahne won the race off of pit road and lead the field to the restart on lap 81. The fifth caution would fly on lap 120 for debris. Kahne won the race off of pit road and lead on the restart on lap 125. Kahne would be passed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the lead. On lap 130, Kahne took the lead back. On lap 172, the 6th caution flew when Matt Kenseth blew a tire and hit the wall. Kahne won the race off of pit road and lead the field to green on lap 177. Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the lead from Kahne on the restart. On lap 180, Jimmie Johnson took the lead from Jr. On lap 187, Kasey Kahne took the lead back. On lap 210, the 7th caution flew for debris. Kahne lead the field on lap 215 for the restart. On the next lap, Mark Martin took the lead. Kahne took it back on lap 220. On lap 223, the 8th caution flew when Kevin Harvick's engine blew and laid fluid. It also caused other drivers to spin like Matt Kenseth, Jeremy Mayfield, and Carl Edwards where Edwards crashed out. Race restarted on lap 232 with Kasey Kahne leading.
Final Laps