2004 Auto Club 500
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox NASCAR race report
| Type = CUST
| Description = Race 10 of 36 in the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season
| Race Name = Auto Club 500
| Fulldate = {{Start date|2004|05|2}}
| Year = 2004
| Race_No = 10
| Season_No = 36
| Image = 2004_Auto_Club_500_program_cover.jpg
| image-size = 200px
| image-alt =
| Caption = The 2004 Auto Club 400 program cover.
| Official name = Auto Club 500
| Location = California Speedway, Fontana, California
| Course_mi = 2.0
| Course_km = 3.23
| Distance_laps = 250
| Distance_mi = 500
| Distance_km = 804.672
| Scheduled_km = 804.672
| Scheduled_mi = 500
| Scheduled_laps = 250
| Weather =
| Avg = {{convert|137.268|mph}}
| Attendance = 120,000
| Pole_Driver = Kasey Kahne
| Pole_Team = Evernham Motorsports
| Pole_Time = 38.515
| Most_Driver = Jeff Gordon
| Most_Team = Hendrick Motorsports
| Most_laps = 81
| Car = 24
| First_Driver = Jeff Gordon
| First_Team = Hendrick Motorsports
| Network = Fox Broadcasting Company
| Announcers = Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds
}}
The 2004 Auto Club 500 was a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car race held on May 2, 2004 at California Speedway in Fontana, California. Contested over 250 laps on the 2-mile (3.23 km) asphalt D-shaped oval, it was the tenth race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season. Rookie Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports won the pole, and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports won the race.{{Cite web|title=2004 Auto Club 500 race results|url=https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2004_Auto_Club_500/W|url-status=live|website=Racing-Reference|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428015712/https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/2004_Auto_Club_500/W/ |archive-date=2021-04-28 }}
File:Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) - Speedway.svg, the venue where the race was held.]]
Background
The track, California Speedway, was a four-turn superspeedway that was {{convert|2|mi|km}} long.{{cite web|title=Auto Club Speedway Track Facts|url=http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Track-Info/Track-Facts.aspx|publisher=Auto Club Speedway|accessdate=March 22, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100824155657/http://www.autoclubspeedway.com/Track-Info/Track-Facts.aspx|archive-date=2010-08-24|url-status=dead}} The track's turns were banked from fourteen degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, was banked at eleven degrees. Unlike the front stretch, the backstraightaway was banked at three degrees.
| class="wikitable"
|+Entry list !Driver !Team !Make !Sponsor |
| 0 |
| 01 |
| 02 |
| 2 |
| 4 |
| 5 |
| 6
|Ford |
| 8 |
| 9 |
| 09 |
| 10 |
| 12 |
| 15 |
| 16
|Ford |
| 17
|Ford |
| 18 |
| 19 |
| 20 |
| 21
|Ford |
| 22 |
| 24 |
| 25 |
| 29 |
| 30 |
| 31 |
| 32
|Tide |
| 38
|Ford |
| 40 |
| 41 |
| 42 |
| 43 |
| 45 |
| 48 |
| 49 |
| 50 |
| 72
|Ford |
| 77 |
| 88
|Ford |UPS |
| 89
|Racing With Jesus, Voyles Equipment Co., Carter's Royal Dispos-All |
| 94 |
| 97
|Ford |
| 98
|Ford |
| 99
|Ford |
Qualifying
| class="wikitable"
|+ !# !Driver !Team !Make !Time !Speed |
| 1
|9 |38.515 |186.940 |
|---|
| 2
|01 |38.557 |186.737 |
| 3
|43 |38.644 |186.316 |
| 4
|10 |38.679 |186.148 |
| 5
|77 |38.742 |185.845 |
| 6
|25 |38.750 |185.806 |
| 7
|12 |38.760 |185.759 |
| 8
|40 |38.763 |185.744 |
| 9
|2 |38.806 |185.538 |
| 10
|8 |38.808 |185.529 |
| 11
|20 |38.886 |185.157 |
| 12
|42 |38.912 |185.033 |
| 13
|41 |38.954 |184.883 |
| 14
|38 |Ford |38.978 |184.720 |
| 15
|0 |39.007 |184.582 |
| 16
|24 |39.028 |184.483 |
| 17
|15 |39.037 |184.440 |
| 18
|16 |Ford |39.075 |184.261 |
| 19
|48 |39.083 |184.223 |
| 20
|19 |39.089 |184.195 |
| 21
|97 |Ford |39.090 |184.190 |
| 22
|4 |39.116 |184.068 |
| 23
|31 |39.150 |183.908 |
| 24
|29 |39.158 |183.870 |
| 25
|17 |Ford |39.167 |183.828 |
| 26
|6 |Ford |39.167 |183.828 |
| 27
|18 |39.180 |183.767 |
| 28
|45 |39.239 |183.491 |
| 29
|5 |39.275 |183.323 |
| 30
|99 |Ford |39.310 |183.159 |
| 31
|88 |Ford |39.372 |182.871 |
| 32
|49 |39.438 |182.565 |
| 33
|09 |39.499 |182.283 |
| 34
|32 |39.505 |182.255 |
| 35
|21 |Ford |39.573 |181.942 |
| 36
|50 |39.577 |181.924 |
| 37
|30 |39.672 |181.488 |
| 38
|89 |39.717 |181.283 |
| colspan="7" |Provisionals |
| 39
|22 |40.173 |179.225 |
| 40
|02 |40.181 |179.189 |
| 41
|98 |Ford |40.421 |178.094 |
| 42
|72 |Ford |41.273 |174.448 |
| 43
|94 |41.108 |175.148 |
Results
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:95%" |
| Fin{{Cite web|title=2004 Auto Club 500 - The Third Turn|url=https://www.thethirdturn.com/wiki/2004_Auto_Club_500|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.thethirdturn.com|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=Auto Club 500|url=http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/race.php?raceid=7327|access-date=2021-08-27|website=www.ultimateracinghistory.com}}
! St ! Car no. ! Driver !Team !Make !Laps !Laps Led !Status !Pts !Winnings |
|---|
| 1
| 16 || 24 || Jeff Gordon |250 |81 |running |190 |$318,628 |
| 2
| 19 || 48 || Jimmie Johnson |250 |37 |running |175 |$194,675 |
| 3
| 7 || 12 || Ryan Newman |250 |2 |running |170 |$191,267 |
| 4
| 25 || 17 || Matt Kenseth |Ford |250 |11 |running |165 |$172,578 |
| 5
| 27 || 18 || Bobby Labonte |250 |0 |running |155 |$150,233 |
| 6
| 5 || 77 || Brendan Gaughan |250 |1 |running |155 |$106,125 |
| 7
| 29 || 5 || Terry Labonte |250 |0 |running |146 |$119,625 |
| 8
| 13 || 41 || Casey Mears |250 |0 |running |142 |$108,375 |
| 9
| 24 || 29 || Kevin Harvick |250 |3 |running |143 |$123,203 |
| 10
| 15 || 0 || Ward Burton |250 |0 |running |134 |$88,350 |
| 11
|26 |6 |Ford |250 |0 |running |130 |$90,450 |
| 12
|23 |31 |250 |0 |running |127 |$112,437 |
| 13
|1 |9 |250 |77 |running |129 |$127,250 |
| 14
|20 |19 |249 |1 |running |126 |$112,437 |
| 15
|12 |42 |249 |0 |running |118 |$87,725 |
| 16
|11 |20 |249 |0 |running |115 |$120,603 |
| 17
|35 |21 |Ford |249 |0 |running |112 |$102,981 |
| 18
|34 |32 |249 |0 |running |109 |$97,225 |
| 19
|10 |8 |249 |0 |running |106 |$119,203 |
| 20
|32 |49 |249 |1 |running |108 |$74,925 |
| 21
|37 |30 |249 |0 |running |100 |$84,175 |
| 22
|14 |38 |Ford |249 |0 |running |97 |$109,058 |
| 23
|21 |97 |Ford |249 |0 |running |94 |$90,550 |
| 24
|31 |88 |Ford |249 |0 |running |91 |$103,217 |
| 25
|4 |10 |249 |0 |running |88 |$97,187 |
| 26
|30 |99 |Ford |249 |0 |running |85 |$104,317 |
| 27
|8 |40 |249 |0 |running |82 |$103,200 |
| 28
|2 |01 |249 |2 |running |84 |$88,100 |
| 29
|6 |25 |248 |1 |running |81 |$76,900 |
| 30
|39 |22 |248 |0 |running |73 |$83,039 |
| 31
|36 |50 |248 |0 |running |70 |$65,975 |
| 32
|17 |15 |245 |0 |running |67 |$101,831 |
| 33
|18 |16 |Ford |223 |28 |running |69 |$74,500 |
| 34
|41 |98 |Ford |209 |1 |engine |66 |$65,375 |
| 35
|9 |2 |193 |0 |running |58 |$109,008 |
| 36
|38 |89 |163 |1 |electrical |60 |$65,025 |
| 37
|3 |43 |147 |0 |engine |52 |$91,050 |
| 38
|22 |4 |127 |3 |engine |54 |$64,550 |
| 39
|28 |45 |40 |0 |engine |46 |$64,430 |
| 40
|43 |94 |20 |0 |crash |43 |$64,280 |
| 41
|40 |02 |20 |0 |transmission |40 |$64,155 |
| 42
|42 |72 |Ford |5 |0 |handling |37 |$64,050 |
| 43
|33 |09 |2 |0 |vibration |34 |$64,161 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{NASCAR next race
| Season = 2004
| Series = Nextel Cup Series
| Previous_race = 2004 Aaron's 499
| Next_race = 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400
}}
{{2004 Nextel Cup}}