2004 Brickyard 400
The 2004 Brickyard 400, the 11th running of the event, was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race held on August 8, 2004 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Contested at 161 laps – extended from 160 laps due to a green–white–checker finish – on the 2.5 mile (4.023 km) speedway, it was the twenty-first race of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 21 of 36 in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season | |||
 Map of the basic speedway | |||
| Date | August 8, 2004 | ||
| Official name | Brickyard 400 | ||
| Location | Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana | ||
| Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.023 km) | ||
| Distance | 161 laps, 402.5 mi (647.76 km) | ||
| Scheduled Distance | 160 laps, 400 mi (643.737 km) | ||
| Weather | Mild with temperatures approaching 77 °F (25 °C); wind speeds up to 8 miles per hour (13 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 115.037 miles per hour (185.134 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Chip Ganassi Racing | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 124 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Wally Dallenbach, Jr. and Benny Parsons | ||
Background
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana, (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis. It is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.023 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a zero degree banking. The racetrack has seats for more than 250,000 spectators.
Summary
For the first time in Nextel Cup Series history, the Green-white-checker finish rule caused a race to be extended, in this case for one additional lap. On the extra lap, Casey Mears blew a tire, Ricky Rudd hit the wall, then Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. suffered tire failures. Jeff Gordon retained the lead to become the first four-time winner of the Brickyard.
Failed to qualify: Kevin Lepage (#51), Hermie Sadler (#02), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Greg Sacks (#13), Andy Hillenburg (#37), Geoffrey Bodine (#34), Kirk Shelmerdine (#72)
Top 10 results
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 9 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 10 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford |
Race statistics
- Time of race: 3:29:56
- Average Speed: 115.037 miles per hour (185.134 km/h)
- Pole Speed: 186.293
- Cautions: 13 for 47 laps
- Margin of Victory: under caution
- Lead changes: 9
- Percent of race run under caution: 29.2%
- Average green flag run: 8.8 laps
References
- "2004 Brickyard 400 weather information". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved November 10, 2015.