2004 Daytona 500
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 36 in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
Daytona International Speedway
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| Date | February 15, 2004 | ||
| Location | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km) |
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| Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
| Weather | Temperatures reaching up to 73 °F (23 °C); wind speeds approaching 20 miles per hour (32 km/h) | ||
| Average speed | 156.341 miles per hour (251.606 km/h) | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Roush Racing | ||
| Time | 47.774 | ||
| Qualifying race winners | |||
| Duel 1 Winner | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Duel 2 Winner | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | |
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
| Laps | 98 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
| Nielsen Ratings | 10.6/24 (17.8 million viewers) |
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The 2004 Daytona 500, the 46th running of the event, was the first race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was race held on February 15, 2004 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was televised by NBC, with Allen Bestwick, 1975 race winner Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach, Jr. calling the action for the second time after the 2002 race. It was the first NASCAR Nextel Cup race to air in high definition.
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won the race, making this his first Daytona 500 victory exactly six years to the day after his father Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won his first and only Daytona 500 in the 1998 race. Tony Stewart finished second and rookie Scott Wimmer finished third.
Greg Biffle won his first career Cup Series pole, but an engine change during Speedweeks allowed him to go the rear of the field. The inside column of cars all moved up one row, promoting Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who had won the first Gatorade 125, to the number one starting spot. Elliott Sadler won the second of the Gaterade 125s, after holding off two-time 500 winner Sterling Marlin. Of the 45 cars entered, the two who failed to qualify were Kirk Shelmerdine, driving his own #72 Ford Taurus, and ARCA veteran Andy Hillenburg in the #90 Ford Taurus, one of Junie Donlavey's final attempts at entering a Cup car.
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