# 2004 Samsung/Radio Shack 500

The 2004 Samsung/Radio Shock 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 4, 2004, before a crowd of 216,000 in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At race's end, Elliott Sadler of Robert Yates Racing would win in a photo finish against Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports to win his second career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his first win of the season. Sadler would win by 0.028 seconds over Kahne. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish third.

## Background

Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas. The track measures 1.5 miles (2.4 km) around and is banked 24 degrees in the turns, and is of the oval design, where the front straightaway juts outward slightly. The track layout is similar to Atlanta Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway (formerly Lowe's Motor Speedway). The track is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., the same company that owns Atlanta and Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as the short-track Bristol Motor Speedway.

### 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 | Andy Belmont | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | Continental Fire & Safety, Southern Pan Services |
| 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | Featherlite Luxury Coaches |
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Kellogg's, Delphi |
| 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 Benson Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming |
| 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | Valvoline |
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Alltel |
| 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | Fort Worth Harley-Davidson, Smith Chrysler-Dodge |
| 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 Genuine Parts, U.S. Air Force |
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Caterpillar |
| 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Batesville Speedway, Bad Boy Mowers |
| 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, Ice Breakers |
| 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 | M&M's |
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Coors Light |
| 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | Fujifilm / 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 | Arnold Development Companies |
| 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | Freddie B's |
| 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | Kodak Easy Share |
| 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | Commercial Truck & Trailer, Kevin Triplett for Congress |
| 84 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | Carquest, Kellogg's |
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | UPS |
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | Racing With Jesus, Voyles Equipment Co. |
| 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | Evernham Motorsports |
| 94 | Stanton Barrett* | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | Bojangles |
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | Irwin Industrial Tools, Sharpie |
| 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | Lucas Oil Products |
| 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | Roush Racing |
| Official entry list |||||
*Withdrew.

## Practice
### First practice

The first practice session would occur on Friday, April 2, at 11:20 AM CST and would last for two hours. Casey Mears of Chip Ganassi Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.081 and an average speed of 192.301 miles per hour (309.478 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.081 | 192.301 |
| 2 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.092 | 192.226 |
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.105 | 192.137 |
| Full first practice results |||||||

### Second practice

The second practice session would occur on Saturday, April 3, at 9:30 AM CST and would last for 45 minutes. Bill Elliott of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.759 and an average speed of 187.767 miles per hour (302.182 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.759 | 187.767 |
| 2 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.856 | 187.136 |
| 3 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.925 | 186.690 |
| Full second practice results |||||||

### Third and final practice

The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Saturday, April 3, at 11:10 AM CST and would last for 45 minutes. Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.759 and an average speed of 187.767 miles per hour (302.182 km/h).
| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.957 | 186.483 |
| 2 | 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.003 | 186.188 |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 29.124 | 185.414 |
| Full Happy Hour practice results |||||||

## Qualifying

Qualifying was held on Friday, April 2, at 3:00 PM CST. 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.
Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 27.849 and an average speed of 193.903 miles per hour (312.057 km/h).
Andy Belmont, driving for SCORE Motorsports would crash on his first lap. As the team had already run out of provisionals, Belmont failed to qualify.
Four drivers would fail to qualify: Kyle Busch, Morgan Shepherd, Andy Hillenburg, and Andy Belmont.

### Full qualifying results

| Pos. | # | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed |
| 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 27.849 | 193.903 |
| 2 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.874 | 193.729 |
| 3 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 27.882 | 193.673 |
| 4 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 27.951 | 193.195 |
| 5 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.952 | 193.188 |
| 6 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 27.961 | 193.126 |
| 7 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 27.965 | 193.098 |
| 8 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 27.993 | 192.905 |
| 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.043 | 192.561 |
| 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 28.062 | 192.431 |
| 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.069 | 192.383 |
| 12 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.073 | 192.356 |
| 13 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.074 | 192.349 |
| 14 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.139 | 191.904 |
| 15 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 28.141 | 191.891 |
| 16 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 28.149 | 191.836 |
| 17 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 28.173 | 191.673 |
| 18 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.223 | 191.333 |
| 19 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 28.226 | 191.313 |
| 20 | 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.239 | 191.225 |
| 21 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.251 | 191.144 |
| 22 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.259 | 191.090 |
| 23 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.269 | 191.022 |
| 24 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.296 | 190.840 |
| 25 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.298 | 190.826 |
| 26 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 28.320 | 190.678 |
| 27 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 28.342 | 190.530 |
| 28 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 28.350 | 190.476 |
| 29 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 28.386 | 190.235 |
| 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.390 | 190.208 |
| 31 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 28.412 | 190.061 |
| 32 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 28.422 | 189.994 |
| 33 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.453 | 189.787 |
| 34 | 09 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 28.462 | 189.727 |
| 35 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 28.493 | 189.520 |
| 36 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 28.551 | 189.135 |
| 37 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 28.572 | 188.996 |
| 38 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 28.581 | 188.937 |
| Provisionals |||||||
| 39 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 28.591 | 188.871 |
| 40 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.164 | 185.160 |
| 41 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.847 | 187.195 |
| 42 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.812 | 187.422 |
| 43 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 30.017 | 179.898 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||
| 44 | 84 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 28.695 | 188.186 |
| 45 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | 28.883 | 186.961 |
| 46 | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | 29.511 | 182.983 |
| 47 | 02 | Andy Belmont | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | — | — |
| WD | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | — | — |
| Official qualifying results |||||||

## Race results

| Fin | St | # | Driver | Team | Make | Laps | Led | Status | Pts | Winnings |
| 1 | 19 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 334 | 48 | running | 185 | $507,733 |
| 2 | 3 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 334 | 148 | running | 180 | $335,550 |
| 3 | 9 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 47 | running | 170 | $253,178 |
| 4 | 7 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 334 | 4 | running | 165 | $227,653 |
| 5 | 10 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 334 | 2 | running | 160 | $174,883 |
| 6 | 12 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 334 | 1 | running | 155 | $147,050 |
| 7 | 6 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 146 | $117,875 |
| 8 | 17 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 142 | $156,453 |
| 9 | 8 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 334 | 0 | running | 138 | $126,475 |
| 10 | 26 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 134 | $114,150 |
| 11 | 20 | 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 334 | 0 | running | 130 | $101,950 |
| 12 | 13 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 127 | $107,950 |
| 13 | 22 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 333 | 0 | running | 124 | $135,153 |
| 14 | 5 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 333 | 33 | running | 126 | $104,925 |
| 15 | 24 | 10 | Scott Riggs | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet | 332 | 0 | running | 118 | $121,712 |
| 16 | 25 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 115 | $145,103 |
| 17 | 28 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 112 | $100,425 |
| 18 | 11 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 109 | $121,842 |
| 19 | 39 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge | 332 | 0 | running | 106 | $89,425 |
| 20 | 41 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 332 | 0 | running | 103 | $124,981 |
| 21 | 38 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 332 | 1 | running | 105 | $87,375 |
| 22 | 29 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford | 332 | 0 | running | 97 | $110,981 |
| 23 | 18 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 331 | 0 | running | 94 | $119,537 |
| 24 | 37 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 331 | 1 | running | 96 | $89,925 |
| 25 | 1 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 330 | 5 | running | 93 | $139,908 |
| 26 | 14 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge | 330 | 18 | running | 90 | $111,925 |
| 27 | 23 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 330 | 0 | running | 82 | $110,842 |
| 28 | 40 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet | 330 | 0 | running | 79 | $83,925 |
| 29 | 42 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 328 | 0 | running | 76 | $74,825 |
| 30 | 35 | 14 | Larry Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Dodge | 327 | 0 | running | 48 | $74,175 |
| 31 | 4 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 318 | 0 | engine | 70 | $79,775 |
| 32 | 27 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 304 | 0 | running | 67 | $70,675 |
| 33 | 32 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 294 | 0 | crash | 64 | $78,500 |
| 34 | 21 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 293 | 0 | crash | 61 | $76,475 |
| 35 | 33 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge | 290 | 0 | engine | 58 | $93,625 |
| 36 | 2 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 273 | 26 | crash | 60 | $72,350 |
| 37 | 31 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge | 232 | 0 | driveshaft | 52 | $65,125 |
| 38 | 16 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 230 | 0 | engine | 49 | $72,000 |
| 39 | 15 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 194 | 0 | crash | 46 | $110,742 |
| 40 | 34 | 09 | Johnny Benson Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 151 | 0 | rear end | 43 | $63,750 |
| 41 | 30 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 119 | 0 | engine | 40 | $90,385 |
| 42 | 43 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Kirk Shelmerdine Racing | Ford | 8 | 0 | handling | 37 | $63,525 |
| 43 | 36 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford | 5 | 0 | engine | 34 | $63,634 |
| Failed to qualify or withdrew |||||||||||
| 44 | | 84 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| 45 | | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Shepherd Racing Ventures | Dodge | | | | | |
| 46 | | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Hover Motorsports | Ford | | | | | |
| 47 | | 02 | Andy Belmont | SCORE Motorsports | Pontiac | | | | | |
| WD | | 94 | Stanton Barrett | W. W. Motorsports | Chevrolet | | | | | |
| Official race results |||||||||||