# 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400

The 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400 was the 11th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 50th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 15, 2004, before a crowd of 115,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. would cruise on the final restart to win his 12th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

Richmond International Raceway (RIR) is a 3/4-mile (1.2 km), D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Known as "America's premier short track", it formerly hosted an IndyCar Series race and two USAC sprint car races.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | NetZero Hi Speed |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | U. S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | Jenkins & Jenkins Attorneys at Law |
| 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Morgan–McClure Motorsports |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | Reverse Viagra |
| 7 | Dave Blaney | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | Ultra Motorsports |
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | Budweiser |
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Dodge Dealers / UAW |
| 09 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Alltel |
| 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 | Rent-A-Center |
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | DuPont |
| 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | GMAC Financial Services |
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | GM Goodwrench |
| 30 | Johnny Sauter | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | Pedigree |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 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 |
| 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | Schwan's Home Service |
| 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | Chesapeake Mobile Home Sales |
| 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing |
| 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Jasper Engines & Transmissions |
| 80 | Randy LaJoie | Hover Motorsports | Ford | Commercial Truck & Trailer |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | Racing with Jesus / Carter's Royal Dispos-All |
| 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | Husqvarna |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Irwin Industrial Tools |
| 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | Lucas Oil |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Roundup |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session was held on Friday, May 14, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for two hours. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.367 and an average speed of 132.567 miles per hour (213.346 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 20.367 | 132.567 |
| 2 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 20.492 | 131.759 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.542 | 131.438 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second and final practice

The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, May 14, at 6:00 PM EST, and would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 20.989 and an average speed of 128.639 miles per hour (207.024 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 20.989 | 128.639 |
| 2 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 21.003 | 128.553 |
| 3 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.141 | 127.714 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, May 14, at 3:10 PM EST. 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.
Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports would win the pole, setting a time of 20.772 and an average speed of 129.983 miles per hour (209.187 km/h). At the time, Vickers was the youngest ever pole-sitter.
Two drivers would crash during qualifying. First, Ricky Craven would slam the wall on his second lap, damaging the rear end of his car. Then, Kasey Kahne would crash on his first lap. While both had qualified, they would be forced to start at the rear for the race for switching to a backup car. In addition, the #9 team was forced to use a provisional.
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Stanton Barrett and Kirk Shelmerdine.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.772 | 129.983 |
| 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 20.774 | 129.970 |
| 3 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 20.821 | 129.677 |
| 4 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 20.827 | 129.639 |
| 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.839 | 129.565 |
| 6 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 20.875 | 129.341 |
| 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 20.894 | 129.224 |
| 8 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.897 | 129.205 |
| 9 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 20.901 | 129.180 |
| 10 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.916 | 129.088 |
| 11 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 20.919 | 129.069 |
| 12 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 20.929 | 129.008 |
| 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 20.952 | 128.866 |
| 14 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 20.967 | 128.774 |
| 15 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 21.002 | 128.559 |
| 16 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.009 | 128.516 |
| 17 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.013 | 128.492 |
| 18 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 21.015 | 128.480 |
| 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.020 | 128.449 |
| 20 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 21.023 | 128.431 |
| 21 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.035 | 128.357 |
| 22 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 21.047 | 128.284 |
| 23 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.058 | 128.217 |
| 24 | 7 | Dave Blaney | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 21.078 | 128.096 |
| 25 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 21.086 | 128.047 |
| 26 | 09 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 21.090 | 128.023 |
| 27 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 21.112 | 127.889 |
| 28 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 21.113 | 127.883 |
| 29 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 21.141 | 127.714 |
| 30 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 21.217 | 127.256 |
| 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 21.271 | 126.933 |
| 32 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 21.284 | 126.856 |
| 33 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.289 | 126.826 |
| 34 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 21.360 | 126.405 |
| 35 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 21.390 | 126.227 |
| 36 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 21.397 | 126.186 |
| 37 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 21.416 | 126.074 |
| 38 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.630 | 124.827 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 23.135 | 116.706 |
| 40 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 21.941 | 123.057 |
| 41 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 21.674 | 124.573 |
| 42 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 21.762 | 124.070 |
| 43 | 80 | Randy LaJoie | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 22.287 | 121.147 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||
| 44 | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | 21.692 | 124.470 |
| 45 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 22.457 | 120.230 |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 4 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 115 | running | 190 | $285,053 |
| 2 | 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 91 | running | 175 | $135,350 |
| 3 | 27 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 0 | running | 165 | $142,333 |
| 4 | 28 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 400 | 59 | running | 165 | $127,478 |
| 5 | 29 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 4 | running | 160 | $122,303 |
| 6 | 13 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 2 | running | 155 | $113,278 |
| 7 | 12 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 400 | 0 | running | 146 | $76,825 |
| 8 | 1 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 400 | 32 | running | 147 | $81,775 |
| 9 | 2 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 400 | 9 | running | 143 | $108,642 |
| 10 | 18 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 400 | 56 | running | 139 | $110,581 |
| 11 | 30 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 400 | 2 | running | 135 | $91,831 |
| 12 | 14 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 127 | $99,393 |
| 13 | 31 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 399 | 1 | running | 129 | $96,067 |
| 14 | 17 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 399 | 0 | running | 121 | $97,342 |
| 15 | 32 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 399 | 0 | running | 118 | $99,255 |
| 16 | 7 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 399 | 0 | running | 115 | $102,983 |
| 17 | 26 | 09 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 399 | 0 | running | 112 | $58,470 |
| 18 | 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 109 | $89,150 |
| 19 | 35 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 106 | $70,175 |
| 20 | 15 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 398 | 0 | running | 103 | $63,475 |
| 21 | 10 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 398 | 0 | running | 100 | $69,100 |
| 22 | 11 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 397 | 23 | running | 102 | $85,875 |
| 23 | 34 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 397 | 0 | running | 94 | $60,575 |
| 24 | 6 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 397 | 0 | running | 91 | $93,012 |
| 25 | 20 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 397 | 0 | running | 88 | $96,328 |
| 26 | 21 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 396 | 0 | running | 85 | $82,925 |
| 27 | 22 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 395 | 0 | running | 82 | $72,700 |
| 28 | 39 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 394 | 0 | running | 79 | $89,350 |
| 29 | 41 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 392 | 0 | running | 76 | $56,250 |
| 30 | 25 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 392 | 0 | running | 73 | $78,075 |
| 31 | 23 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 386 | 6 | running | 75 | $76,025 |
| 32 | 9 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 380 | 0 | running | 67 | $67,364 |
| 33 | 36 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 373 | 0 | running | 64 | $56,850 |
| 34 | 40 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 362 | 0 | running | 61 | $66,375 |
| 35 | 16 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 341 | 0 | engine | 58 | $81,012 |
| 36 | 8 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 265 | 0 | crash | 55 | $63,775 |
| 37 | 3 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 239 | 0 | crash | 52 | $81,975 |
| 38 | 37 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 202 | 0 | crash | 49 | $63,675 |
| 39 | 42 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 131 | 0 | engine | 46 | $55,620 |
| 40 | 24 | 7 | Dave Blaney | Ultra Motorsports | Dodge | 123 | 0 | vibration | 43 | $55,555 |
| 41 | 38 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 118 | 0 | crash | 40 | $55,500 |
| 42 | 33 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 114 | 0 | engine | 37 | $55,450 |
| 43 | 43 | 80 | Randy LaJoie | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 36 | 0 | vibration | 34 | $55,651 |
| Failed to qualify |||||||||||
| 44 | | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||