# 2004 Pocono 500

The 2004 Pocono 500 was the 14th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 13, 2004, before a crowd of 90,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would win the race under caution, after Jeff Burton blew an engine on lap 196. The win was Johnson's ninth NASCAR Nextel Cup Series career win and his third win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.

## Background

The race was held at Pocono Raceway, which is a three-turn superspeedway located in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The track hosts two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, as well as one Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series event. Until 2019, the track also hosted an IndyCar Series race.
Pocono Raceway is one of a very few NASCAR tracks not owned by either Speedway Motorsports, Inc. or International Speedway Corporation. It is operated by the Igdalsky siblings Brandon, Nicholas, and sister Ashley, and cousins Joseph IV and Chase Mattioli, all of whom are third-generation members of the family-owned Mattco Inc, started by Joseph II and Rose Mattioli.
Outside of the NASCAR races, the track is used throughout the year by Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and motorcycle clubs as well as racing schools and an IndyCar race. The triangular oval also has three separate infield sections of racetrack – North Course, East Course and South Course. Each of these infield sections use a separate portion of the tri-oval to complete the track. During regular non-race weekends, multiple clubs can use the track by running on different infield sections. Also some of the infield sections can be run in either direction, or multiple infield sections can be put together – such as running the North Course and the South Course and using the tri-oval to connect the two.

### Entry list

| # | Driver | Team | Make | Sponsor |
| 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | NetZero Hi Speed |
| 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | Buyer's Choice Auto Warranties |
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | U. S. Army |
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Miller Lite |
| 02 | Andy Belmont* | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | ShowControl |
| 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Morgan–McClure Motorsports |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's |
| 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 |
| 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 | Pennzoil SUV, Truck, and Minivan |
| 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, U. S. Air Force |
| 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 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | America Online |
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | Cingular Wireless |
| 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | Tide |
| 37 | Todd Bodine | R&J Racing | Dodge | Carter's Royal Dispos-All |
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | M&M's |
| 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 | P. J. Jones | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | Arnold Development Companies |
| 51 | Kevin Lepage | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | Negotiations Seminar |
| 52 | Stan Boyd* | Rick Ware Racing | Dodge | Rick Ware Racing |
| 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Freddie B's |
| 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Kodak |
| 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | Commercial Truck & Trailer |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | Racing With Jesus, Arnold Development Companies |
| 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | Husqvarna |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Irwin Industrial Tools |
| 98 | Geoff Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | Lucas Oil |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Duke Children's Hospital |
| Official entry list |||||

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session would take place on Friday, June 11, at 11:20 AM EST, and would last for two hours. Brian Vickers of Hendrick Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a 52.254 and an average speed of 172.236 miles per hour (277.187 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.254 | 172.236 |
| 2 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.327 | 171.995 |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 52.412 | 171.716 |
| Official first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session would occur on Saturday, June 12, at 9:30 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Mark Martin of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a 53.731 and an average speed of 167.501 miles per hour (269.567 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.731 | 167.501 |
| 2 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.762 | 167.404 |
| 3 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 53.852 | 167.125 |
| Official second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Saturday, June 12, at 11:10 AM EST, and would last for 45 minutes. Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a 53.681 and an average speed of 167.657 miles per hour (269.818 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 53.681 | 167.657 |
| 2 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 53.804 | 167.274 |
| 3 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.841 | 167.159 |
| Official Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying would occur on Friday, June 11, at 3:05 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.
Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports would win the pole, setting a lap of 52.164 and an average speed of 172.533 miles per hour (277.665 km/h).
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Stanton Barrett and Andy Hillenburg.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 52.164 | 172.533 |
| 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.232 | 172.308 |
| 3 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.270 | 172.183 |
| 4 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.360 | 171.887 |
| 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.379 | 171.825 |
| 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.391 | 171.785 |
| 7 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 52.406 | 171.736 |
| 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 52.426 | 171.671 |
| 9 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.484 | 171.481 |
| 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 52.552 | 171.259 |
| 11 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 52.557 | 171.243 |
| 12 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 52.608 | 171.077 |
| 13 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 52.619 | 171.041 |
| 14 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 52.652 | 170.934 |
| 15 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 52.673 | 170.865 |
| 16 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 52.820 | 170.390 |
| 17 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 52.823 | 170.380 |
| 18 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 52.827 | 170.367 |
| 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 52.849 | 170.296 |
| 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 52.859 | 170.264 |
| 21 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 52.901 | 170.129 |
| 22 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 52.960 | 169.940 |
| 23 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 52.973 | 169.898 |
| 24 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 53.069 | 169.590 |
| 25 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 53.075 | 169.571 |
| 26 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 53.101 | 169.488 |
| 27 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 53.120 | 169.428 |
| 28 | 37 | Todd Bodine | R&J Racing | Dodge | 53.147 | 169.342 |
| 29 | 30 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 53.205 | 169.157 |
| 30 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 53.306 | 168.837 |
| 31 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 53.318 | 168.798 |
| 32 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 53.418 | 168.482 |
| 33 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.576 | 167.986 |
| 34 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.655 | 167.738 |
| 35 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 53.667 | 167.701 |
| 36 | 51 | Kevin Lepage | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 53.789 | 167.320 |
| 37 | 50 | P. J. Jones | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 54.148 | 166.211 |
| 38 | 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | 54.308 | 165.721 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | — | — |
| 40 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 55.540 | 162.045 |
| 41 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | — | — |
| 42 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 55.097 | 163.348 |
| 43 | 98 | Geoff Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 54.425 | 165.365 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||
| 44 | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | 54.322 | 165.679 |
| 45 | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 56.058 | 160.548 |
| WD | 02 | Andy Belmont | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | — | — |
| WD | 52 | Stan Boyd | Rick Ware Racing | Dodge | — | — |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 5 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 126 | running | 190 | $186,950 |
| 2 | 7 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 5 | running | 175 | $149,495 |
| 3 | 17 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 1 | running | 170 | $139,953 |
| 4 | 6 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 19 | running | 165 | $132,858 |
| 5 | 27 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 155 | $95,600 |
| 6 | 16 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 150 | $121,718 |
| 7 | 19 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 1 | running | 151 | $96,640 |
| 8 | 13 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 142 | $98,377 |
| 9 | 14 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 138 | $75,390 |
| 10 | 21 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 134 | $82,090 |
| 11 | 9 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 2 | running | 135 | $71,240 |
| 12 | 12 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 127 | $96,183 |
| 13 | 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 1 | running | 129 | $71,215 |
| 14 | 1 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 4 | running | 126 | $107,990 |
| 15 | 32 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 118 | $87,740 |
| 16 | 40 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 115 | $89,777 |
| 17 | 26 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 112 | $59,290 |
| 18 | 3 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 10 | running | 114 | $85,090 |
| 19 | 35 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 106 | $84,696 |
| 20 | 23 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 103 | $95,593 |
| 21 | 15 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 5 | running | 105 | $105,918 |
| 22 | 37 | 50 | P. J. Jones | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 198 | 1 | running | 102 | $57,790 |
| 23 | 33 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 94 | $68,890 |
| 24 | 39 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 196 | 0 | engine | 91 | $90,632 |
| 25 | 18 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 196 | 0 | running | 88 | $56,915 |
| 26 | 10 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 195 | 2 | engine | 90 | $88,082 |
| 27 | 8 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 194 | 1 | running | 87 | $100,393 |
| 28 | 43 | 98 | Geoff Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 194 | 0 | running | 79 | $53,465 |
| 29 | 29 | 30 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 191 | 0 | running | 76 | $63,790 |
| 30 | 11 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 183 | 18 | crash | 78 | $100,007 |
| 31 | 20 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 176 | 2 | crash | 75 | $86,490 |
| 32 | 30 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 167 | 0 | crash | 67 | $96,673 |
| 33 | 22 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 166 | 0 | crash | 64 | $89,621 |
| 34 | 34 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 152 | 0 | engine | 61 | $68,829 |
| 35 | 24 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 125 | 0 | crash | 58 | $60,265 |
| 36 | 4 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 112 | 2 | engine | 60 | $60,065 |
| 37 | 25 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 101 | 0 | engine | 52 | $51,900 |
| 38 | 41 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 71 | 0 | handling | 49 | $51,785 |
| 39 | 31 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 59 | 0 | engine | 46 | $59,660 |
| 40 | 42 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 42 | 0 | wheel bearing | 43 | $51,505 |
| 41 | 38 | 00 | Carl Long | McGlynn Racing | Chevrolet | 39 | 0 | crash | 40 | $51,365 |
| 42 | 28 | 37 | Todd Bodine | R&J Racing | Dodge | 11 | 0 | overheating | 37 | $51,275 |
| 43 | 36 | 51 | Kevin Lepage | Competitive Edge Motorsports | Chevrolet | 9 | 0 | overheating | 34 | $51,459 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||
| 44 | | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| WD | | 02 | Andy Belmont | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| WD | | 52 | Stan Boyd | Rick Ware Racing | Dodge | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||