NASCAR began the 2004 season under the care of a new title sponsor -- Nextel Communications -- and a new most-coveted prize: the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup. In addition to a new name, the process for winning NASCAR's top prize also changed to a "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" among the top 10 drivers for the last 10 races of the season.
See how the revamped season played out -- and how Kurt Busch eked out a narrow victory over Jimmie Johnson to win the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup -- with our 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup results chart below.
 Ryan Newman (#12) and Dale Jarrett (#88) drive in the 2004 DHL 400, one of the first NASCAR NEXTEL Cup season's events. See more pictures of NASCAR. |
2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Results
| Number | Date | Site | Race Winner | Car | Speed |
| 1 | 2/15/04 | Daytona Beach, FL | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 156.345 |
| 2 | 2/22/04 | Rockingham, NC | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 112.016 |
| 3 | 3/07/04 | Las Vegas, NV | Matt Kenseth | Ford | 128.790 |
| 4 | 3/14/04 | Atlanta, GA | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 158.679 |
| 5 | 3/21/04 | Darlington, SC | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 114.001 |
| 6 | 3/28/04 | Bristol, TN | Kurt Busch | Ford | 82.607 |
| 7 | 4/04/04 | Ft. Worth, TX | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 138.845 |
| 8 | 4/18/04 | Martinsville, VA | Rusty Wallace | Dodge | 68.169 |
| 9 | 4/25/04 | Talladega, AL | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 129.396 |
| 10 | 5/02/04 | Fontana, CA | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 137.268 |
| 11 | 5/15/04 | Richmond, VA | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 98.253 |
| 12 | 5/30/04 | Charlotte, NC | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 142.763 |
| 13 | 6/06/04 | Dover, DE | Mark Martin | Ford | 97.042 |
| 14 | 6/13/04 | Pocono, PA | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 112.129 |
| 15 | 6/20/04 | Brooklyn, MI | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 139.292 |
| 16 | 6/27/04 | Sears Point, CA | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 77.456 |
| 17 | 7/03/04 | Daytona Beach, FL | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 145.117 |
| 18 | 7/11/04 | Chicago, IL | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 129.507 |
| 19 | 7/25/04 | Loudon, NH | Kurt Busch | Ford | 97.862 |
| 20 | 8/01/04 | Pocono, PA | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 126.271 |
| 21 | 8/08/04 | Indianapolis, IN | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | 115.037 |
| 22 | 8/15/04 | Watkins Glen, NY | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | 92.249 |
| 23 | 8/22/04 | Brooklyn, MI | Greg Biffle | Ford | 139.063 |
| 24 | 8/28/04 | Bristol, TN | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 88.538 |
| 25 | 9/05/04 | Fontana, CA | Elliott Sadler | Ford | 128.324 |
| 26 | 9/11/04 | Richmond, VA | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge | 98.946 |
| 27 | 9/19/04 | Loudon, NH | Kurt Busch | Ford | 109.753 |
| 28 | 9/26/04 | Dover, DE | Ryan Newman | Dodge | 119.067 |
| 29 | 10/03/04 | Talledega, AL | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 156.929 |
| 30 | 10/10/04 | Kansas City, KS | Joe Nemechek | Chevrolet | 128.058 |
| 31 | 10/16/04 | Charlotte, NC | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 130.214 |
| 32 | 10/24/04 | Martinsville, VA | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 66.103 |
| 33 | 10/31/04 | Atlanta, GA | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 145.847 |
| 34 | 11/07/04 | Phoenix, AZ | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Chevrolet | 94.848 |
| 35 | 11/14/04 | Darlington, SC | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | 125.044 |
| 36 | 11/21/04 | Homestead, FL | Greg Biffle | Ford | 105.623 |
For more information on all things NASCAR, see:
- NASCAR Home Page
- NASCAR Season Recaps
- NASCAR Tracks
- NASCAR Results
- NASCAR Drivers
- How NASCAR Race Cars Work
- How the Daytona 500 Works
