Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 1 of 36 in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series | |||
![]() 2004 Daytona 500 logo | |||
Date | February 15, 2004 | ||
Location | Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida | ||
Course |
Permanent racing facility 2.5 mi (4.02336 km) | ||
Distance | 200 laps, 500 mi (804.672 km) | ||
Weather | Temperatures reaching up to 73 °F (23 °C); wind speeds approaching 20 miles per hour (32 km/h)[1] | ||
Average speed | 156.341 miles per hour (251.606 km/h) | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Roush Racing | ||
Time | 47.774 | ||
Qualifying race winners | |||
Duel 1 Winner | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
Duel 2 Winner | Elliott Sadler | Robert Yates Racing | |
Most laps led | |||
Driver | Tony Stewart | Joe Gibbs Racing | |
Laps | 98 | ||
Winner | |||
No. 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | |
Television in the United States | |||
Network | NBC | ||
Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach Jr. | ||
Nielsen Ratings |
10.6/24 (17.8 million viewers) |
The 2004 Daytona 500, the 46th running of the event, was the first race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup season. It was a race held on February 15, 2004, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. The race was televised by NBC, with Allen Bestwick, 1975 race winner Benny Parsons, and Wally Dallenbach Jr. calling the action for the second time after the 2002 race. It was the first NASCAR Nextel Cup race to air in high definition.
This was the first Daytona 500 without 2-time Daytona 500 Champion and 4-time pole-sitter Bill Elliott since 1976.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the race, making this his first Daytona 500 victory exactly six years to the day after his father Dale Earnhardt, Sr. won his first and only Daytona 500 in the 1998 race. Tony Stewart finished second and rookie Scott Wimmer finished third.