# 2004 Brickyard 400

The 2004 Brickyard 400, the 11th running of the event, was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race held on August 8, 2004, at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. Contested at 161 laps – extended from 160 laps due to a green–white–checker finish – on the 2.5 mile (4.023 km) speedway, it was the twenty-first race of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series season. Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.

## Background

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana, (an enclave suburb of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately six miles (10 km) west of Downtown Indianapolis. It is a four-turn rectangular-oval track that is 2.5 miles (4.023 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 9 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, has no banking. The back stretch, opposite of the front, also has a zero degree banking. The racetrack has seats for more than 250,000 spectators.

## Summary

For the first time in Nextel Cup Series history, the Green-white-checker finish rule caused a race to be extended, in this case for one additional lap. On the extra lap, Casey Mears blew a tire, Ricky Rudd hit the wall, then Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered tire failures. Jeff Gordon retained the lead to become the first four-time winner of the Brickyard.

## Race results

| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
| 1 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 2 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 3 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | Ford |
| 4 | 9 | Kasey Kahne (R) | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 5 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 7 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 9 | 91 | Bill Elliott | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 10 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 11 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge |
| 12 | 99 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 13 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge |
| 14 | 43 | Jeff Green | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 15 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 17 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 18 | 49 | Ken Schrader | BAM Racing | Dodge |
| 19 | 4 | Jimmy Spencer | Morgan-McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 21 | 30 | Dave Blaney | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 23 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Petty Enterprises | Dodge |
| 24 | 32 | Ricky Craven | PPI Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 6 | Mark Martin | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 26 | 41 | Casey Mears | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 27 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet |
| 28 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Wood Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 29 | 25 | Brian Vickers | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 30 | 23 | Tony Raines | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 31 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge |
| 32 | 22 | Scott Wimmer (R) | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge |
| 33 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Chip Ganassi Racing | Dodge |
| 34 | 00 | Kenny Wallace | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet |
| 35 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan (R) | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge |
| 36 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 37 | 10 | Scott Riggs (R) | MBV Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 38 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 39 | 0 | Ward Burton | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
| 40 | 98 | Derrike Cope | Mach 1 Motorsports | Ford |
| 41 | 50 | Todd Bodine | Arnold Motorsports | Dodge |
| 42 | 09 | Scott Pruett | Phoenix Racing | Dodge |
| 43 | 60 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
Failed to qualify: Kevin Lepage (#51), Hermie Sadler (#02), Morgan Shepherd (#89), Greg Sacks (#13), Andy Hillenburg (#37), Geoffrey Bodine (#34), Kirk Shelmerdine (#72)

## Race statistics

* Time of race: 3:29:56
* Average Speed: 115.037 miles per hour (185.134 km/h)
* Pole Speed: 186.293
* Cautions: 13 for 47 laps
* Margin of Victory: under caution
* Lead changes: 9
* Percent of race run under caution: 29.2%
* Average green flag run: 8.8 laps