The 2004 Pepsi 300 was the seventh stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series and the fourth iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, April 10, 2004, in Gladeville, Tennessee at Nashville Superspeedway, a permanent D-shaped racetrack. The race took its scheduled 225 laps to complete. With two laps to go, the four leaders in the race, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Johnny Benson Jr., and Robby Gordon were involved in an accident when Bowyer tapped Busch exiting turn two. At the last second before the caution, then sixth-place driver, Michael Waltrip Racing driver Michael Waltrip, would pass then fifth-place driver, Brewco Motorsports driver Johnny Sauter, to take the lead when the caution was thrown by NASCAR. NASCAR would hand Waltrip the victory, and Sauter would earn second place. The win was Waltrip's 11th and to date, final career NASCAR Busch Series win and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Kasey Kahne, driving for Akins Motorsports, would finish third.
Background
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee, United States (though the track has a Lebanon postal address), about southeast of Nashville. The track was built in 2001 and is currently hosting the Ally 400, a NASCAR Cup Series regular season event, the Tennessee Lottery 250, and the Rackley Roofing 200.
It is a concrete oval track 1 miles (2.145 km) long. Nashville Superspeedway is owned by Speedway Motorsports, which acquired the track's previous owner Dover Motorsports in December 2021. Nashville Superspeedway is the longest concrete oval in NASCAR. Current permanent seating capacity is approximately 25,000, but will reach up to 38,000 for the NASCAR Cup Series event in 2021.Welcome to Nashville Superspeedway Additional portable seats are brought in for some events, and seating capacity can be expanded to 150,000.Welcome to Nashville Superspeedway Infrastructure is in place to expand the facility to include a short track, drag strip, and road course.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver.
#DriverTeamMakeSponsor0Greg SacksDavis MotorsportsChevroletDavis Motorsports00Jason LefflerHaas CNC RacingChevroletHaas Automation1Johnny Benson Jr.Phoenix RacingDodgeMiccosukee Resort & Gaming2Ron Hornaday Jr.Richard Childress RacingChevroletACDelco02Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevroletThe FanZCar4Mike WallaceBiagi Brothers RacingFordGEICO5Kyle Busch (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevroletLowe's, Pella8Martin Truex Jr.Chance 2 MotorsportsChevroletTaco Bell10Gus WassonDavis MotorsportsChevroletDavis Motorsports12Tim FedewaFitzBradshaw RacingChevroletNBS 24/714Casey AtwoodFitzBradshaw RacingChevroletUnited States Navy16Justin AshburnDay Enterprises RacingChevrolet31-W Insulation, Spectra Metal Sales18J. J. Yeley (R)Joe Gibbs RacingChevroletThe Home Depot, Vigoro20Mike BlissJoe Gibbs RacingChevroletRockwell Automation21Clint Bowyer (R)Richard Childress RacingChevroletReese's22Jason Kellerppc RacingFordppc Racing23Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingChevroletStacker 224Mike HarmonGIC–Mixon MotorsportsChevroletGIC–Mixon Motorsports25Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFordUnited States Marine Corps27Johnny SauterBrewco MotorsportsPontiacKleenex, Dollar General Market!30David StremmeBraun RacingDodgeTrimSpa32Mike GarveyCompetitive Edge MotorsportsChevroletNegotiations Seminar33Paul Menard (R)Andy Petree RacingChevroletMenards, Pittsburgh Paint36Travis GeislerDCT MotorsportsChevroletDCT Motorsports37David GreenBrewco MotorsportsChevroletTimber Wolf38Kasey KahneAkins MotorsportsDodgeGreat Clips39Andy PonsteinJay Robinson RacingFordYahoo!43Aaron FikeCurb Agajanian MotorsportsDodgeOllie's Bargain Outlet46Ashton Lewis Jr.Lewis MotorsportsChevroletLewis Motorsports "Advertise Here!!!"47Robert PressleyST MotorsportsFordClorox, Dollar General49Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingFordAdvil50David StarrHoligan RacingChevroletEnzyte51Stan Boyd (R)Ware Racing EnterprisesDodgeTheKobra.com53Brad TeagueTennessee Mountain Boys RacingChevroletTennessee Mountain Boys Racing55Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevroletFruit of the Loom56Regan SmithMac Hill MotorsportsChevroletMac Hill Motorsports59Stacy ComptonST MotorsportsFordKingsford, Dollar General60Greg BiffleRoush RacingFordCharter Communications63Shane WallaceShane Wallace MotorsportsChevroletSpeed Racer72Randy MacDonaldMacDonald MotorsportsChevroletMacDonald Motorsports74Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevroletBACE Motorsports75Jay SauterHenderson MotorsportsChevroletFood Country USA, Lay's77Chad ChaffinMoy RacingFordBG Products84Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevroletNorm Benning Racing85Brad BakerPremier MotorsportsChevroletPremier Glass87David ReutimannNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletNatural Gear88Jeff FullerNEMCO MotorsportsChevroletNEMCO Motorsports89Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFordRacing with Jesus91Stanton BarrettStanton Barrett MotorsportsPontiacStanton Barrett Motorsports94Eddie BeahrBeahr Racing EnterprisesDodgeBeahr Racing Enterprises95David KeithSadler Brothers RacingChevroletSadler Brothers Racing96Caleb HolmanOrtec RacingChevroletOrtec Racing97Jimmy KitchensStanton Barrett MotorsportsChevroletStanton Barrett Motorsports99Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingChevroletAaron'sOfficial entry list
Practice
First practice The first practice session was held on Friday, April 9, at 12:00 PM CST. The session would last for two hours. David Green, driving for Brewco Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.985 and an average speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed137David GreenBrewco MotorsportsChevrolet28.985165.561225Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord29.003165.45938Martin Truex Jr.Chance 2 MotorsportsChevrolet29.040165.248Full first practice results
Second and final practice The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, April 9, at 6:15 PM CST. The session would last for one hour. Martin Truex Jr., driving for Chance 2 Motorsports, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.452 and an average speed of .
During the session, Martin Truex Jr. would crash along with Jeff Fuller, forcing Truex Jr. to go to a backup car and to start at the rear for the race. Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Martin Truex Jr.Chance 2 MotorsportsChevrolet29.452162.936255Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevrolet29.619162.018325Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord29.619162.018Full Happy Hour practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Friday, April 9, at 3:35 PM CST. 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 champion needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.
Martin Truex Jr., driving for Chance 2 Motorsports, would win the pole, setting a time of 28.819 and an average speed of .
11 drivers would fail to qualify: Shane Wallace, Stan Boyd, Justin Ashburn, Chad Chaffin, Mike Harmon, Greg Sacks, Morgan Shepherd, Jimmy Kitchens, Eddie Beahr, Norm Benning, and Brad Baker.
Full qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed18Martin Truex Jr.Chance 2 MotorsportsChevrolet28.819166.51521Johnny Benson Jr.Phoenix RacingDodge28.826166.475325Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord28.966165.670422Jason Kellerppc RacingFord28.995165.504527Johnny SauterBrewco MotorsportsPontiac29.006165.442638Kasey KahneAkins MotorsportsDodge29.021165.356759Stacy ComptonST MotorsportsFord29.054165.168800Jason LefflerHaas CNC RacingChevrolet29.084164.998920Mike BlissJoe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.097164.9241037David GreenBrewco MotorsportsChevrolet29.126164.7601155Robby GordonRobby Gordon MotorsportsChevrolet29.133164.720125Kyle Busch (R)Hendrick MotorsportsChevrolet29.144164.6581346Ashton Lewis Jr.Lewis MotorsportsChevrolet29.165164.5401430David StremmeBraun RacingDodge29.232164.1631587David ReutimannNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet29.239164.1231660Greg BiffleRoush RacingFord29.240164.1181712Tim FedewaFitzBradshaw RacingChevrolet29.290163.8371823Kenny WallaceBill Davis RacingChevrolet29.300163.7821921Clint Bowyer (R)Richard Childress RacingChevrolet29.310163.7262043Aaron FikeCurb Agajanian MotorsportsDodge29.331163.6092174Tony RainesBACE MotorsportsChevrolet29.338163.5692299Michael WaltripMichael Waltrip RacingChevrolet29.391163.2752336Travis GeislerDCT MotorsportsChevrolet29.395163.2522433Paul Menard (R)Andy Petree RacingChevrolet29.396163.2472518J. J. Yeley (R)Joe Gibbs RacingChevrolet29.460162.8922647Robert PressleyST MotorsportsFord29.518162.5722714Casey AtwoodFitzBradshaw RacingChevrolet29.529162.511282Ron Hornaday Jr.Richard Childress RacingChevrolet29.589162.1822950David StarrHoligan RacingChevrolet29.711161.516304Mike WallaceBiagi Brothers RacingFord29.717161.4833188Jeff FullerNEMCO MotorsportsChevrolet29.724161.4453291Stanton BarrettStanton Barrett MotorsportsChevrolet29.765161.2233302Hermie SadlerSCORE MotorsportsChevrolet29.802161.0233456Regan SmithMac Hill MotorsportsChevrolet29.868160.6673532Mike GarveyCompetitive Edge MotorsportsChevrolet29.871160.6513675Jay SauterHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet29.878160.6133795David KeithSadler Brothers RacingChevrolet29.898160.5063853Brad TeagueTennessee Mountain Boys RacingChevrolet29.975160.093Provisionals3949Derrike CopeJay Robinson RacingFord30.740156.1094096Caleb HolmanOrtec RacingChevrolet30.666156.4864110Gus WassonDavis MotorsportsChevrolet30.198158.9114272Randy MacDonaldMacDonald MotorsportsChevrolet30.095159.4554339Andy PonsteinJay Robinson RacingFord30.592156.865Failed to qualify4463Shane WallaceShane Wallace MotorsportsChevrolet30.148159.1754551Stan Boyd (R)Ware Racing EnterprisesDodge30.167159.0744616Justin AshburnDay Enterprises RacingChevrolet30.167159.0744777Chad ChaffinMoy RacingFord30.180159.0064824Mike HarmonGIC–Mixon MotorsportsChevrolet30.323158.256490Greg SacksDavis MotorsportsChevrolet30.388157.9185089Morgan ShepherdShepherd Racing VenturesFord30.443157.6325197Jimmy KitchensStanton Barrett MotorsportsChevrolet30.538157.1425294Eddie BeahrBeahr Racing EnterprisesDodge31.187153.8725384Norm BenningNorm Benning RacingChevrolet32.133149.3425485Brad BakerPremier MotorsportsChevrolet34.252140.103Official qualifying results
Race results