# 2004 Checker Auto Parts 500

The 2004 Checker Auto Parts 500 was the 34th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the eighth race of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 7, 2004, before a crowd of 105,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race was extended from its scheduled 312 laps to 315 due to a green–white–checker finish. On the final restart, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. would hold off the field on the final restart to win his 15th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his sixth and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Phoenix International Raceway – also known as PIR – is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. It is named after the nearby metropolitan area of Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the IndyCar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.
The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 mi (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 mi (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | NetZero Hi Speed |
| 00 | Ryan McGlynn | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | Howes Lubricator, Buyer's Choice Auto Warranties |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | U. S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Treasure Island Hotel and Casino |
| 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lucas Oil, Love's |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's, The Incredibles |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Viagra |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 09 | Johnny Sauter | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Alltel TXT2WINMVP |
| 14 | John Andretti | ppc Racing | Ford | A-Plus, VB |
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | NAPA Auto Parts |
| 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | National Guard |
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | DeWalt Power Tools |
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | Interstate Batteries |
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers, UAW |
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | The Home Depot |
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | Motorcraft |
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont "Always In Our Hearts" |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | GMAC Financial Services "Always In Our Hearts" |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide, The Incredibles |
| 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | R&J Racing |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light, U.S. Marine Corps |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Target |
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Texaco, Havoline |
| 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Cheerios, Betty Crocker |
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | Georgia-Pacific Brawny |
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Lowe's "Always In Our Hearts" |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service |
| 50 | Todd Bodine | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | Arnold Motorsports |
| 51 | Tony Raines | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Marathon Oil |
| 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Freddie B's |
| 75 | Mike Garvey | Haefele Racing | Dodge | Jani-King |
| 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Kodak |
| 80 | Mario Gosselin | Hover Motorsports | Ford | Hover Motorsports |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | Racing with Jesus "Keep The Passion Going" |
| 93 | Geoff Bodine | GIC–Mixon Motorsports | Chevrolet | Quality Plus Services |
| 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Ford | W. W. Motorsports |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Irwin Industrial Tools |
| 98 | Randy LaJoie | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | Airaid |
| 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | Roush Racing |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, November 5, at 9:20 AM PST, and would last for two hours. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 26.697 and an average speed of 134.847 miles per hour (217.015 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 26.697 | 134.847 |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 26.950 | 133.581 |
| 3 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 26.955 | 133.556 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session was held on Saturday, November 6, at 8:30 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.526 and an average speed of 130.785 miles per hour (210.478 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.526 | 130.785 |
| 2 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.559 | 130.629 |
| 3 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.578 | 130.539 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, November 6, at 10:10 AM PST, and would last for 45 minutes. Robby Gordon of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 27.626 and an average speed of 130.312 miles per hour (209.717 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.626 | 130.312 |
| 2 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.754 | 129.711 |
| 3 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 27.786 | 129.562 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, November 5, at 1:10 PM PST. 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 14.930 and an average speed of 128.520 miles per hour (206.833 km/h).
Seven drivers failed to qualify: Mike Garvey, Tony Raines, Stanton Barrett, Mario Gosselin, Ryan McGlynn, Kirk Shelmerdine, and Geoff Bodine.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 26.499 | 135.854 |
| 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.890 | 133.879 |
| 3 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 26.937 | 133.645 |
| 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 26.950 | 133.581 |
| 5 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 26.979 | 133.437 |
| 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 26.980 | 133.432 |
| 7 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.006 | 133.304 |
| 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.044 | 133.116 |
| 9 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.045 | 133.111 |
| 10 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.050 | 133.087 |
| 11 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.068 | 132.998 |
| 12 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.088 | 132.900 |
| 13 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.093 | 132.876 |
| 14 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.101 | 132.836 |
| 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 27.126 | 132.714 |
| 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.160 | 132.548 |
| 17 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.165 | 132.523 |
| 18 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 27.172 | 132.489 |
| 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.183 | 132.436 |
| 20 | 30 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 27.219 | 132.261 |
| 21 | 14 | John Andretti | ppc Racing | Ford | 27.237 | 132.173 |
| 22 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.251 | 132.105 |
| 23 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.261 | 132.057 |
| 24 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.280 | 131.965 |
| 25 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 27.309 | 131.825 |
| 26 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 27.318 | 131.781 |
| 27 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 27.324 | 131.752 |
| 28 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.340 | 131.675 |
| 29 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.347 | 131.641 |
| 30 | 09 | Johnny Sauter | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 27.394 | 131.416 |
| 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.406 | 131.358 |
| 32 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.435 | 131.219 |
| 34 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.453 | 131.133 |
| 33 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 27.481 | 131.000 |
| 35 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.524 | 130.795 |
| 36 | 50 | Todd Bodine | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 27.539 | 130.724 |
| 37 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | 27.574 | 130.558 |
| 38 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 27.603 | 130.421 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 27.684 | 130.039 |
| 40 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 27.630 | 130.293 |
| 41 | 98 | Randy LaJoie | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 27.664 | 130.133 |
| 42 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.995 | 128.594 |
| 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 28.147 | 127.900 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 75 | Mike Garvey | Haefele Racing | Dodge | 27.625 | 130.317 |
| 45 | 51 | Tony Raines | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.662 | 130.142 |
| 46 | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Ford | 27.927 | 128.908 |
| 47 | 80 | Mario Gosselin | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 28.123 | 128.009 |
| 48 | 00 | Ryan McGlynn | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | 28.218 | 127.578 |
| 49 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | — | — |
| 50 | 93 | Geoff Bodine | GIC–Mixon Motorsports | Chevrolet | — | — |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 14 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 315 | 118 | running | 190 | $274,503 |
| 2 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 315 | 59 | running | 175 | $181,167 |
| 3 | 8 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 100 | running | 170 | $170,503 |
| 4 | 5 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 160 | $134,938 |
| 5 | 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 155 | $126,950 |
| 6 | 13 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 150 | $96,225 |
| 7 | 15 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 146 | $111,658 |
| 8 | 6 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 142 | $112,028 |
| 9 | 27 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 315 | 4 | running | 143 | $113,083 |
| 10 | 28 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 315 | 14 | running | 139 | $84,300 |
| 11 | 20 | 30 | Jeff Burton | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 130 | $72,500 |
| 12 | 3 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 127 | $88,200 |
| 13 | 23 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 315 | 0 | running | 124 | $70,225 |
| 14 | 11 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 121 | $85,187 |
| 15 | 22 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 315 | 0 | running | 118 | $67,975 |
| 16 | 32 | 32 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 115 | $80,950 |
| 17 | 19 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 112 | $91,006 |
| 18 | 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 315 | 0 | running | 109 | $65,825 |
| 19 | 25 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 315 | 0 | running | 106 | $83,081 |
| 20 | 18 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 103 | $57,300 |
| 21 | 24 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 100 | $78,525 |
| 22 | 26 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 315 | 0 | running | 97 | $87,767 |
| 23 | 12 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 94 | $82,375 |
| 24 | 10 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 315 | 0 | running | 91 | $64,800 |
| 25 | 35 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 314 | 0 | running | 88 | $89,050 |
| 26 | 38 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 314 | 0 | running | 85 | $73,925 |
| 27 | 37 | 37 | Kevin Lepage | R&J Racing | Dodge | 314 | 0 | running | 82 | $52,300 |
| 28 | 34 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 313 | 0 | running | 79 | $63,564 |
| 29 | 33 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 313 | 0 | running | 76 | $54,550 |
| 30 | 40 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 311 | 0 | running | 73 | $59,925 |
| 31 | 21 | 14 | John Andretti | ppc Racing | Ford | 311 | 0 | running | 70 | $52,300 |
| 32 | 31 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 309 | 0 | running | 67 | $78,400 |
| 33 | 42 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 307 | 0 | running | 64 | $52,450 |
| 34 | 7 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 306 | 0 | crash | 61 | $51,400 |
| 35 | 17 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 306 | 0 | engine | 58 | $86,462 |
| 36 | 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 280 | 4 | engine | 60 | $101,903 |
| 37 | 29 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 272 | 0 | running | 52 | $84,417 |
| 38 | 9 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 252 | 16 | running | 54 | $89,708 |
| 39 | 30 | 09 | Johnny Sauter | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 236 | 0 | crash | 46 | $50,750 |
| 40 | 39 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 201 | 0 | rear end | 43 | $50,600 |
| 41 | 43 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 181 | 0 | handling | 40 | $50,460 |
| 42 | 41 | 98 | Randy LaJoie | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 105 | 0 | transmission | 37 | $50,335 |
| 43 | 36 | 50 | Todd Bodine | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 11 | 0 | vibration | 34 | $50,447 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 75 | Mike Garvey | Haefele Racing | Dodge | | | | | |
| 45 | | 51 | Tony Raines | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 46 | | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 80 | Mario Gosselin | Hover Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 48 | | 00 | Ryan McGlynn | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 49 | | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| 50 | | 93 | Geoff Bodine | GIC–Mixon Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||