(Author’s Note: On Sunday, November 19, 2017, just two days from now, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take the checkered flag for the final time as a full-time driver in NASCAR after a hard-fought race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The conclusion of the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Sunday will prove to be the end of an era for one of NASCAR’s most recognizable and popular drivers. The 14-time Most Popular Driver, who is soon to be crowned 15-time at the Annual awards on November 30, will conclude a full-time NASCAR career that included two NASCAR Busch Series, now Xfinity Series, championships, two Daytona 500 victories in 2004 and 2014, five Talladega Cup Series victories, 260 Top 10’s and 149 Top 5’s in the Cup Series, and 26 premier series victories. Of course, if he wins on Sunday afternoon in Florida or finishes well, those numbers will improve. Honestly, as a fan of the sport, I would love to see Junior add to those career numbers in his final race. Earnhardt Jr. will not leave the sport completely in retirement, though. He has plans of running at least two NXS races in 2018 and he is signed to be a broadcaster for NBC’s race coverage as well as other sporting events in the coming years. Still, since the fan favorite driver will not be in the race and competing on the track, the sport and his fans will be left with a prominent void to fill by the next wave of superstar drivers. To honor Dale Earnhardt Jr’s contributions to NASCAR, we are going to analyze what he described in victory lane as “one of the biggest wins of my career”: his lone victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in the 2004 Sharpie 500. At a track where his 7-time champion father won 9 times, Junior turned in a spectacular performance on the half-mile speedway and grabbed the checkered flag after leading 295 of the 500 laps. Also, he became the first driver in NASCAR history to win the NBS and NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races at Bristol in the same weekend. In the thirteen years since the win, the race has remained an important victory for Dale Jr.’s career and his entire fanbase. Thank you, Dale, for not only bringing our sport through one of its toughest times, but launching NASCAR into the future as an ambassador and role model for future generations of drivers. Your impact on the track will be missed, but fans, like myself, know you will be a powerful fixture for years to come off the track and help grow this incredible sport with your leadership, dedication, and humility. Plus, I know you’ll be an amazing father and friend as you continue this journey of life. Keep on being you, Junior! Let’s analyze Dale Jr.’s only win at Bristol and show appreci88ion for a prominent figure in our sport’s history as if the checkered flag just waved in the Tennessee mountains.)
Thanks to some early strategy in the Sharpie 500, Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved to the front of the field and grabbed a dominating first victory at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Earnhardt Jr. started in 30th position and struggled in the first run of the race to advance positions. Fortunately, two early cautions waved in the first 35 laps of the event and he pitted under the second one as the leaders stayed out. When the third caution waved on lap 57, Earnhardt Jr. stayed on track and inherited the second-place position as the leaders pitted for the first time. From there, the reigning Most Popular Driver dominated the event and passed Jeff Burton with 85 laps left in the race to score a thrilling victory at the half-mile speedway. However, if it wasn’t for early race strategy and challenging green flag pit stops during a long run in the middle of the race, tonight’s event would have ended differently for Earnhardt Jr. and the rest of the field. Jeff Gordon started on the pole for the sixth time this year and the four-time NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion led the early part of the race. Through three cautions in the first 57 laps of the event, Gordon remained at the front. However, after the third caution on lap 57, the running order changed for the first time. During the first two cautions of the race, several drivers pitted from the back of the lead lap for fresh tires as a strategy move. When the leaders pitted on lap 57, six drivers, including Rusty Wallace and Earnhardt Jr., stayed on the race track to move into the Top 6 positions. Meanwhile, Gordon slipped to 11th as some drivers elected to take two tires. When the race restarted, Wallace maintained the lead for a couple of laps, but Earnhardt Jr. grabbed the top spot on lap 64 as the two competitors drove through turn 2. The North Carolina drive set a torrid pace until the fourth caution waved on lap 83. When the green flag waved following the caution, a restart stack-up caused by Matt Kenseth led to the fifth caution with Earnhardt Jr. still out front. When the race restarted, drivers began to battle hard as Junior held the lead. However, the action for the lead began to heat up. On lap 105, Wallace powered past the #8 car in turn 1 to take the lead. 14 laps later, Earnhardt Jr. returned to the front as he took the lead in turn 1. On lap 132, the two drivers battled again as Wallace grabbed the top spot in turn 3. It appeared the Missouri driver would be untouchable the remainder of the run, but Earnhardt Jr. continued to pressure him and returned to the lead on lap 191. Amidst all the battling between Earnhardt Jr. and Wallace, the two drivers set a torrid pace and a lapped a large portion of the field as green flag pit stops neared. When the stops began on lap 204, several drivers committed costly mistakes. Wallace ran out of fuel as he pitted and lost all his track position as well as a lap to the leader. Jeff Gordon slid through his pit box and lost a lap under the green flag conditions. Instead of exiting pit road on the backstretch, Mark Martin drove down both pit roads and cost himself a lot of unnecessary time as well as a lap to the field. Earnhardt Jr.’s stop was perfect and when the cycle of stops concluded on lap 240, he returned to the lead with a blazing fast Chevrolet. After a 229-lap green flag run, the sixth caution waved on lap 327 with only seven drivers on the lead lap, including the lucky dog driver in Elliott Sadler. The seven drivers pitted during the caution and when the green flag waved, Earnhardt Jr. remained the leader as he raced with a multitude of lapped cars. The seventh caution waved on lap 358 and delivered more strategy. Jimmie Johnson and Dale Jarrett stayed on track as the rest of the lead lap drivers pitted for four tires and fuel. For Jarrett, the move proved to be ineffective as Robby Gordon spun him on the restart and caused a pile-up, which brought out the eighth caution. Again, the field lined up for the restart with Johnson out front. The California driver didn’t stay in the lead long as Earnhardt Jr. returned to the top spot on lap 376 entering turn 1. Just 12 laps later, the ninth and final caution waved thanks to a huge melee on the backstretch. Finally, the last few strategy calls played out for the leaders. Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman stayed out to inherit the Top 2 positions, respectively, as Earnhardt Jr. and the other leaders pitted for four tires. When the race restarted for the final time, Burton powered away from the pack with a desire to win his first race since Phoenix in 2001. However, he only managed to hold onto the lead until lap 416 when Earnhardt Jr. powered past him through turns 3 and 4. The 2000 NNCS Rookie of the Year returned to his dominating form through the middle portion of the race as the laps clicked by in the final run. After leading the final 85 laps, the checkered flag waved for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and he emotionally drove to victory lane for the first time in his career at Bristol. Despite the long green flag run in the middle of the event and only seven lead lap cars left after 500 laps of racing, tonight’s Sharpie 500 was a showcase of competitive short track racing for NASCAR’s premier series. Restart stack-ups, strategy, crashes, and hard racing thrilled 160,000 fans in the stands and made tonight’s 500-mile event amazing. Ultimately, 43 drivers tested themselves around the Bristol high banks as an Earnhardt went to victory lane for the tenth time in the Cup Series in the Tennessee mountains. As these 5 stages of analysis highlight, a dominating performance by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Bristol and competitive racing mixed with strategy made tonight’s race memorable.
Stage 1:
Driver of the Night: Earnhardt Jr. Moves to the Front Thanks to Strategy and Leads 295 of 500 Laps
2004 has been a year of extreme highs and lows for Dale Earnhardt Jr., the two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion and 2000 NNCS Rookie of the Year. The biggest high occurred in the opening event of the 2004 NNCS season as the third-generation driver won the 46th running of the Daytona 500 to claim his first victory in the Great American race. Following his Daytona triumph, Junior won two more races to bring his win total to three after 11 events. His early season success catapulted him to the points lead for seven races throughout the spring and early summer months. However, during a NNCS off weekend on July 18th, the North Carolina driver’s year hit its lowest point. While running a practice session prior to competing in an American Le Man Series race at Sonoma as a test for future NASCAR road course events, Earnhardt Jr.’s Corvette caught fire after a massive impact with the tire barrier. As a ball of flames engulfed the entire vehicle, he managed to miraculously climb out and safety crews carried him to safety. Unfortunately, Earnhardt Jr. suffered burns from the massive fire and since then, he has been faced with the toughest stretch of the season while battling severe injuries. In the five races since suffering the burns coming into tonight at Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. only managed one Top 5 finish with the rest of his finishes being outside the Top 20. Plus, in the first two races of the stretch with his injuries, Earnhardt Jr. needed relief from Martin Truex Jr., his NBS driver, to finish the event. The burns have affected Junior considerably in pursuit of his first championship. He sat in third in the points standings coming into tonight, but the North Carolina driver came into Bristol with increased motivation to run well and return to championship form. He started the weekend well with a win last night in the Food City 300 after an excellent race. However, a 30th place qualifying effort for the Sharpie 500 in the NNCS left him with a lot of positions to gain for a weekend sweep. On the initial start, Earnhardt Jr. dropped a couple of positions as he struggled with his Chevrolet. When the first caution waved on lap 20, he found himself in 32nd with a desperate need to move to the front of the field. Several drivers pitted during the first caution and Earnhardt Jr. restarted 28th. Again, the North Carolina driver couldn’t advance positions and he remained deep in the field as the second caution waved on lap 33. As a strategy move, his crew chief, Tony Eury Sr., brought him down pit road for four tires and fuel as the leaders stayed on track. If the strategy call worked perfectly, he would advance positions when the leaders pitted in the subsequent runs. The green flag waved again in the race with Earnhardt Jr. restarting in 31st after his stop. Thanks to the fresh tires, he gained a few positions during the run until the third caution waved on lap 57. His team’s plan worked to perfection as all the leaders pitted in front of him and the #8 stayed on track during the caution. Earnhardt Jr. lined up in second for the subsequent restart with only Rusty Wallace in front of him. On the restart, Earnhardt Jr.’s car began to excel at the front of the field and he grabbed the lead on lap 64. He led through the fourth and fifth cautions on lap 84 and lap 89, respectively, with a rejuvenated Chevrolet Monte Carlo. On the restart following the fifth caution, he remained the leader as he began to battle with Wallace. The two drivers swapped the lead on lap 105 in turn 1 before Earnhardt Jr. returned to the point on lap 119 in turn 3. Again, they switched positions on lap 132 in turn 3 and Wallace maintained the lead for about 60 laps before Earnhardt Jr. returned to the lead on lap 191. Their battles for the lead occurred throughout a long green flag run as pit stops neared under green flag. Junior pitted from the lead on lap 216 as other began to come down pit road. The cycle of stops concluded on lap 240 and Earnhardt Jr. returned to the top spot. He remained the leader until the sixth caution finally waved on lap 327. The 229-lap run left only seven drivers on the lead lap and Earnhardt Jr. found himself in contention for a historic victory. The seven lead lap drivers pitted during the caution and the #8 remained out front. However, on the subsequent run, Jimmie Johnson passed him for the lead on lap 356 just as the seventh caution waved. Instead of staying on track, the North Carolina driver came to the attention of his crew and asked for four tires as he complained about the diminished performance from the previous set. He restarted in third on the new tires and managed to pass Dale Jarrett just as the eighth caution waved on lap 365. Earnhardt Jr. restarted second after the caution and his fresher tires propelled him past Johnson on lap 376 for the lead. 12 laps later, the ninth and final caution waved with strategy looming on the minds of teams and drivers. Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman stayed out while Earnhardt Jr. led the final charge down the pit lane. He received four fresh tires and fuel before returning to the race in third. On the final restart, the North Carolina driver began the battle for his first Bristol win. On lap 407, he slid past Newman entering turn 3 for second as he set his sights on Burton. Nine laps later, Earnhardt Jr. moved to Burton’s inside and grabbed the lead through turns 3 and 4. From there, Junior drove away from his fellow competitors and passed slower cars as the laps clicked away quickly at the half-mile speedway. After 85 laps out front in the final run, Earnhardt Jr. crossed the finish line and grabbed his triumphant first victory at Bristol after leading 295 laps. Fans cheered and camera shutters flickered as the fan favorite performed his burnout on the frontstretch and pulled into victory lane for an emotional celebration with his crew. Thanks to some strategy, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team managed to put the #8 at the front of the field where the fan favorite driver proved to be unstoppable in a dominating performance at the half-mile short track known as Bristol.
Stage 2:
Comeback of the Race: Johnson Takes Backup Car from the Rear to the Front as He Finishes Third
In only his third full-time season in the NNCS, Jimmie Johnson has established himself as a championship caliber driver. After winning three races in each of his first two seasons, the California driver has improved tremendously throughout 2004. Coming into tonight’s race at Bristol, Johnson had captured four wins on the season and proved himself to be a championship contender. However, in the month of August prior to tonight’s race, the #48 team experienced continual bad luck. After a win at Pocono on August 1st, the California driver did not finish three consecutive races at Indianapolis, Watkins Glen, and Michigan due to rare failures in his reliable Hendrick engines. The three finishes outside the Top 35 dropped Johnson, who had been the points leader throughout the summer, to second in the points standings behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jeff Gordon. Yet, despite all the engine failures and bad luck, Johnson and his team came to Bristol with the goal of grabbing the #48’s first win at the short track and moving back into the points lead with just three races before the Chase cutoff. However, the weekend started off rough just like the month of August for the #48 team. In the penultimate practice of the weekend on Saturday, Johnson crashed his primary racecar and moved to a back-up car for the race. Moving to a back-up car caused Johnson to forfeit his 11th place starting spot and begin the 500-mile event in the rear. From the start, Johnson would have to work hard to rebound from the back of the pack. He passed several cars in the first 20 laps of the race just as the first caution waved for Jimmy Spencer’s crash. For some strategy early in the event, Johnson’s crew chief, Chad Knaus, brought him down pit road for four tires and fuel as the leaders stayed on track, hoping to take advantage of an early caution. Johnson restarted outside the Top 30 and advanced a few positions before the second caution waved on lap 33. Again, the California driver came down pit road for four tires during the yellow flag period. He restarted outside the Top 30 with fresh tires and a need to gain spots. After moving up a few positions during the short run, Johnson found himself in 31st as the third caution waved on lap 57. Fortunately for the #48, the caution brought the leaders to pit road for the first time in the event, which allowed Johnson to stay out and inherit the fourth position. Finally, he would have some track position and a chance to race hard with his fast Chevrolet. On the subsequent restart, Johnson lost a few positions to the fresher tires around him, but he remained just inside the Top 10 as the fourth and fifth cautions waved on lap 83 and 89, respectively. After the race restarted following the fifth caution, the event entered a long green flag run with contenders struggling to maintain their car control. Several drivers began to drop back on older tires. For Johnson, though, his Hendrick Chevrolet handled excellently and he found himself in seventh on lap 200 as green flag pit stops loomed. He managed to inherit the lead 20 laps later as drivers in front of him hit pit road. He finally pitted around lap 221 and his team executed a flawless stop. 20 laps later, after the cycle of stops finished, Johnson found himself in second after he gained five spots during the stops thanks to miscues from his fellow competitors. The California driver remained in second until the sixth caution of the race waved on lap 327. The caution brought pit stops for the seven lead lap drivers and Johnson returned to the race track with four fresh tires in the runner-up position. On the subsequent restart, he managed to stay close to the leader, Dale Earnhardt Jr., as they battled for the top spot. On lap 356, Johnson grabbed the lead exiting turn 2 and for the first time all night, his back-up car found itself at the front. Two laps after the #48 moved to the lead, the seventh caution of the race waved and provided some strategy for the frontrunners. Johnson and Dale Jarrett stayed on track while the handful of other lead lap drivers pitted for four fresh tires. A lap after the restart, Johnson maintained the lead with the fresh tires behind him as the eighth caution waved for Jarrett’s spin. The race quickly restarted after the accident and Johnson’s older tires began to hinder his performance at the front of the pack. On lap 376, Earnhardt Jr. passed him for the top spot and by the time the ninth caution and final waved 12 laps later, Johnson needed fresh tires despite being in second position. Knaus brought him down pit road for the final time and he prepared to restart fourth as Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman stayed out during the yellow flag. When the green flag waved for the final time, Johnson looked to power past the two drivers on older tires in front of him and battle for the win. Unfortunately for him, his #48 seemed stuck in fourth throughout the first portion of the run as Earnhardt Jr. powered to the lead with his fresh tires. Johnson tried for several laps to pass Burton for third, but it appeared fourth would be all he could muster with 35 laps to go. The #48 finally cleared Burton, though, with 19 to go and Johnson set his sights on Newman for second place. As the final laps clicked by, Johnson remained steady in third position and the California driver crossed the line there as the checkered flag waved. Even though the victory eluded him in the final run thanks to strategy, Jimmie Johnson managed an incredible comeback to move from the back on the initial start to the third position in his back-up car at the half-mile speedway.
Stage 3:
Underdog of the Race: Burton Grabs Top 5 in Struggling #30 for Richard Childress Racing at Bristol
Even though they didn’t start the year together, Jeff Burton and the #30 team for Richard Childress Racing have joined each other to conclude the 2004 season in the NNCS. The year has been tumultuous for the Virginia driver and the North Carolina based organization. For Burton, the year started as his ninth full-time season driving the #99 for Roush Racing. However, with decreased performance and sponsorship issues facing the team, Burton left and signed a contract with RCR just two weeks ago after the Watkins Glen race. Prior to the signing, Burton had only three Top 10’s in 22 starts on the season. As part of the contract signing, the Virginia driver left Roush immediately to compete in the #30 Chevrolet for RCR as a test session for running full-time in 2005. The team had fared much worse than Burton throughout the first 22 races of the year. Three drivers piloted the car and each race saw the American Online Chevrolet finish outside the Top 10. In fact, the team hadn’t finished in the Top 10 coming into tonight since last year at Michigan when Steve Park grabbed an impressive Top 5. Yet, after finishing 12th last week at Michigan with Burton behind the wheel for the first time, the entire organization came to Bristol with increased momentum and confidence, despite a rough year. Burton started 15th in tonight’s race and as the third caution waved on lap 57, the Virginia driver found himself in 10th after an excellent start to the race. During the caution, his crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, decided to change four tires and the Virginia driver returned to the track in 15th as the sixth driver in line with fresh tires. Since most of the competitors in front of him had older tires, Burton prepared to advance through the pack and gain positions. After a 22-lap run on fresher tires, the #30 sat in 14th after making up minimal ground compared to others on newer Goodyear rubber. The next run only lasted a couple of corners before the fifth caution waved on lap 89. The subsequent restart resulted in a long run, which benefitted Burton and his team since they had fresher tires on track for the grueling stint in the race. As drivers who stayed on track or took two tires during the third caution began to drop throughout the run, Burton steadily gained positions and he sat in ninth as green flag pit stops approached on lap 200. Burton pitted around lap 230 and his team performed a clean stop. However, he lost a lap to the leader in the cycle of stops and fell outside the Top 10, which made him desperate for a caution and a lucky dog. The seventh caution finally came on lap 327, but Burton was the sixth car one lap down and Elliott Sadler received the lucky dog. Still, Burton and his team hoped for a chance to move into the spot for the lucky dog. Their chance came during the caution when the lapped down drivers pitted. Burton’s team executed their stop perfectly and the #30 returned to the track as the second car one lap down behind his teammate, Robby Gordon. When the race restarted, Burton managed to work past his teammate and secure the lucky dog position on track. About 20 laps later, the seventh caution waved and Burton moved back onto the lead lap in eighth position. He pitted for four tires and assumed his spot at the back of the lead lap. Now, the team would have to execute in the final 140 laps to grab an excellent finish for the new tandem of driver and team. The eighth caution waved just a lap after the seventh caution restart. After a short clean-up, the green flag waved for the penultimate time for Burton and the field. A 15-lap run ended with the ninth and final caution of the day on lap 388 with the Virginia driver in sixth position. Instead of pitting like the rest of the leaders, Burton and his team utilized some pit strategy to try and end their respective winless streaks. The #30 stayed on track with Ryan Newman as the rest of the lead lap drivers pitted for four tires. For only the third race all year, Burton held the top spot with intentions of going to victory lane. On the final restart, he held off Newman and attempted to drive away as fresher tires started moving towards the front. On lap 416, Burton surrendered the lead to Earnhardt Jr. in turn 3 due to the difference between old and new tires, but the Virginia driver held out hope for a valiant Top 5 despite losing the lead. He eventually dropped to third and then fell to fourth as the laps clicked by quickly at Bristol. However, with 20 laps to go, Burton stabilized in fourth and he crossed the finish line in that position. The strategy move allowed Burton to tie his best finish of the season and deliver the RCR #30 team its first Top 5 in over one year. While Jeff Burton and RCR aren’t typically considered underdogs, the struggles of both entities and the new combination of team and driver made tonight’s fourth-place finish an underdog performance under the Bristol lights.
Stage 4:
Controversial Call: Gordon’s Questionable Restart Penalty Costs Him Potential Top 10 at Bristol
Jeff Gordon’s distinction as a champion in the NNCS will always be true, but the four-time champion has lacked his championship caliber abilities since he grabbed his fourth title in 2001. Throughout the 2002 and 2003 seasons, Gordon never led the points and, despite six victories combined during the two years, he lacked his championship drive from his early years in the sport. However, 2004 has delivered a return of the Indiana native to his championship ways of past seasons. Thanks to five wins in the first 21 races of the season and struggles for Jimmie Johnson throughout the past three races, Gordon entered Bristol as the points leader for the first time since he was crowned champion after the 2001 season finale at New Hampshire. Gordon’s increased motivation and championship drive brought him to the Tennessee mountains with a desire to win his sixth Bristol race and increase his points lead with two races left until the start of the Chase for the Nextel Cup. However, a late race call by NASCAR made Gordon and his team angry as their chances for a Top 10 disappeared thanks to a pass-through penalty. The four-time champion started on the pole for the 52nd time of his career and the fourth time at BMS. Throughout the first 50 laps, Gordon was unstoppable as he managed the initial restart and two restarts following cautions in the early stages of the race. When the third caution waved on lap 57, Gordon remained the leader, but pit stops and strategy during the caution shuffled the running order. The #24 team added four fresh tires and their driver returned to the track in eleventh as the second driver in line with four tires. With nine other drivers in front of Gordon on older tires, the Indiana driver prepared himself to pass a bevy of cars on the subsequent restart. Throughout the run, he negotiated around traffic and found himself in fourth as the yellow flag waved on lap 83 after a brilliant run. On the next restart, the fifth caution quickly waved on lap 89 due to a restart stack-up as Gordon remained fourth. The green flag waved after the crash and the race entered a long green flag run. Gordon maintained his position in fourth, but the green flag run began to take a toll on the handling of his Chevrolet. As pit stops neared on lap 200, the four-time champion sat in sixth position, pleading for four fresh tires. His crew chief, Robbie Loomis, brought him down pit road on lap 228 and Gordon made his first big mistake of the day. As he slid into his box, the nose of his Chevrolet crossed the outer boundary of his pit stall. A NASCAR official quickly noticed and motioned for the team to push the racecar back into the box. The team had already started servicing Gordon’s #24 and the interruption caused the pit stop to last at least five seconds longer than normal. The loss in time cost Gordon a lap on track and when the cycle of green flag pit stops concluded, he was in ninth as the first driver one lap down. However, as the run continued after the stops and finally ended thanks to the sixth caution on lap 327, Earnhardt Jr. lapped more drivers, which left Gordon out of the lucky dog position and still a lap down during the yellow flag period. He would need more cautions to find his way back into contention for the win. After the restart following the sixth caution on lap 327, two more cautions waved on lap 358 and 365, respectively. Unfortunately for Gordon, Jeff Burton and Ryan Newman were a lap down ahead of him when the yellow flag waved and he was unable to earn a lucky dog. With a little more than 100 miles to go, the champion’s chances of returning to the lead lap were disappearing fast. When the race restarted for the penultimate time after the eighth caution, Gordon received a lucky break. Kurt Busch, who was the first driver a lap down when the race restarted, managed to pass the leader on the restart, which allowed him to unlap himself. Gordon became the first driver a lap down thanks to Busch’s move and the Indiana driver hoped for a caution to move back into the hunt. Finally, the ninth and final caution waved on lap 388 and Gordon received the lucky dog as the first driver one lap down. He would restart at the back of the field, but he would still be on the lead lap and able to advance his position in the Top 10. When the green flag waved for the final time as he tried to gain spots, Gordon’s race took a dramatic turn and his chances for a Top 10 ended. NASCAR determined that Gordon did not line up in the proper position for the restart and as the field sped up at the half-mile speedway, the #24 was black flagged and given a pass-through penalty down pit road. The entire team couldn’t believe the ruling from NASCAR and the whole crew passionately pleaded their case to NASCAR. After a few laps of protest from driver and crew, Gordon made the sharp turn down the pit lane in turn 3 to serve his penalty. He coasted down the frontstretch pit lane at only 30 mph. He didn’t have to drive down the backstretch pit lane for his penalty since the race was green and as soon as he came to the end of pit road, he mashed the accelerator in hopes of losing the least amount of time. Gordon did lose a lap and all his track position due to the penalty and he rode around for the remainder of the event, hoping for more cautions and a lucky dog. Those cautions never came and the four-time champion lost another lap before he crossed the finish line in 14th. Gordon still wasn’t happy after the race as he mentioned in his NBC interview that he was headed to discuss the infraction with NASCAR officials in the hauler. Despite his best efforts, the penalty was, of course, upheld and the #24 remained 14th in the final running order. Even though he maintained his points lead and finished in the Top 15, Jeff Gordon was denied a higher finishing position thanks to a controversial call made by the NASCAR officials concerning the final restart order.
Stage 5:
Memorable Moment: Chase Battle Heats Up in the Tennessee Mountains as Contenders and Outsiders Struggle
Prior to the start of the 2004 season, NASCAR introduced a brand-new format to decide the champion in the NNCS. Instead of points from 36 races deciding a champion, ten drivers would have their points reset after the 26th event and the points earned during the ten remaining races would decide the champion. The new idea was instituted to make Homestead more interesting and increase the intensity of the final stretch of the season. So far in 2004, the format has created added drama. With only three races left before the start of the Chase entering tonight’s race at Bristol, positions 8 through 15 in the points standings were separated by 110 points. Plus, Kasey Kahne, the driver who was sitting in 10th in the points as the green flag waved at Bristol, sat just six points from being outside of the Chase cutoff. The tight points battle and the uncertainty of 500 miles at the half-mile oval had a lot of teams questioning whether the points battle would shift in Tennessee. After 500 laps, it completely changed for several drivers as the checkered flag waved. Kevin Harvick, who entered the race 8th in points and 46 points ahead of 11th, struggled throughout the night. He started in 21st and consistently found himself just inside the Top 20 throughout the early part of the event. During the long green flag run following the lap 89 caution, though, Harvick began experiencing some physical problems. The intense and consistent g-force changes at Bristol in the turns combined with an uncomfortable seating position caused Harvick’s left arm to fall asleep during the middle of the long run. Plus, the humidity and heat of Bristol in August left the California driver dehydrated and in desperate need of a relief driver. When the caution finally waved on lap 329, he decided to stay in the car for at least one more run as the #29 sat outside the Top 20 and two laps down. About 30 laps later, the seventh caution waved and Harvick decided to climb out and let Kyle Petty finish the event. Petty completed the remainder of the race in Harvick’s Chevrolet and brought it home in a dismal 24th after the tough race. Although the #29 remained in the eighth position in the points, Harvick’s gap back to eleventh shrunk to only 31 points after the checkered flag waved with two races left before the Chase. Bobby Labonte, who entered the race ninth in points and 13 points ahead of 11th, had an average day for his Joe Gibbs Racing team. He started in 19th, but used strategy under the early cautions to stay out when the leaders pitted following the third caution. He restarted third thanks to the strategy call and he remained in the Top 10 until the fifth caution waved on lap 89. From there, Labonte lost a few positions in the race throughout the remainder of the runs and he began to fight for a Top 15 on the Bristol high banks. After keeping his nose clean all race and maintaining his consistency, Labonte finished in 16th as many of his fellow Chase contenders finished behind him. He remained in ninth in the standings and gained eight points on his cushion back to eleventh place. Behind those two drivers, though, the points standings changed dramatically. Ryan Newman entered the race in 13th spot in the points with just 44 points needed to slide in 10th. The Indiana driver started in fourth and his team used some strategy during the third caution to gain a few positions. Newman received two fresh tires instead of four and restarted in ninth, ahead of several drivers with four fresh tires. The move proved costly for the #12 Dodge as he didn’t hit pit road again before the long green flag run began on lap 89. He lost many positions on his older left side tires and after his green flag pit stop around lap 220, Newman found himself a lap down. When the sixth caution waved on lap 327, the 2002 NNCS Rookie of the Year remained a lap down with several other drivers in front of him vying for the lucky dog to return to the lead lap. Finally, after missing out on the lucky dog following the sixth and seventh cautions, Newman moved back onto the lead lap thanks to the eighth caution pile-up. 30 laps later, the ninth and final caution waved, which allowed for more strategy for the #12 team. Newman stayed on track to inherit the second position and this move worked out perfectly. Despite having older tires, he remained strong on the final run and came home with a brilliant second place finish. He jumped into the tenth spot in the points standings with a 26-point gap back to Kasey Kahne in 11th. For Kahne and his Evernham Motorsports teammate, Jeremy Mayfield, their nights couldn’t have been worse with Chase berths on the line. Kahne started in second, but he used the same strategy as Newman during the third caution and quickly began to struggle throughout the long green flag run. He was two laps down when the sixth caution waved on lap 327 and his race continued to be a struggle after he was involved in the ninth caution on lap 388. When the checkered flag waved, he brought his Dodge home four laps down in 21st, which moved him outside of the 10 driver Chase field by 26 points. Mayfield, on the other hand, stayed around the 20th spot all day and as the seventh caution waved on lap 327, he appeared to be on the verge of gaining points thanks to attrition and struggles for other drivers. However, a flat right rear tire brought him to pit road under green on lap 345 and he lost several laps. When the checkered flag waved, he crossed the line in 22nd after a disappointing conclusion to his race. He dropped to a tie for twelfth in the standings with 35 points separating him from tenth. The rest of the Chase contenders had good and average finishes as well. Jamie McMurray moved into a tie for 14th in the standings with a seventh-place finish, Mark Martin remained 12th in points after finishing 13th thanks to a pit road miscue, and Dale Jarrett remained in 14th spot in the standings with a 10th place finish after a spin late in the event. The usual craziness of Bristol proved to be true tonight as the Chase bubble tightened with only two races left before the start of the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup. The points gap from 8th to 15th in the standings is now only 50 points with two opportunities left for the ten-driver field to completely shift. Tonight’s race could be a memorable moment in just a few months when a champion is crowned at Homestead-Miami Speedway as several drivers lost and gained points with only two races left to decide the ten-driver battle for the Nextel Cup title.
After 500 laps of nonstop action from the half-mile colosseum known as Bristol Motor Speedway, the NNCS heads to the high speed, two-mile oval known as California Speedway. For the first time since 1950, the premier NASCAR series will not be at Darlington Raceway for a 500-mile Labor Day weekend showdown. In its place will be a 500-mile thriller at over 200 mph on the west coast in Fontana, California. Even though the change has upset many traditional NASCAR fans, the speedway, which was commissioned to be built by Roger Penske in the mid-1990s, promises to pack similar action into the Labor Day weekend. The wide racing groove, high speeds, and close finishes make the track exciting and intense for drivers as well as fans. For next Sunday night’s race, teams will have to contend with a new strategic element: a transition from evening to night. Throughout its young history, California Speedway has sanctioned races during the afternoon. Now, crew chiefs and teams will have to compete with a complete change in weather, which will affect racecars handling-wise due to the temperature drop. Plus, the likelihood of strategy late in the race and unbelievable restarts in the closing laps will excite the fans as well as raise the level of tension for the drivers. Finally, with the California Speedway race being the penultimate event before the start of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, drivers near the Chase bubble will be fighting hard to secure their berth in the championship fight. In addition to the action-packed racing and battles for points in the news for next Sunday’s race, several drivers find themselves with storylines heading into the 500-mile event. Dale Earnhardt Jr. dominated tonight at Bristol and grabbed a clutch victory in pursuit of his first championship, but he heads to a track where he has never won in five previous races. Jimmie Johnson somehow grabbed a third place finish, which gives him some added momentum as he heads to his home track in search of his second win at the speedway. Jeff Gordon left Bristol disappointed after being hit with a controversial penalty late in the race, but the four-time champion maintained his points leads and heads to a track where he is a three-time and reigning winner in his illustrious career. Finally, Kasey Kahne needs two excellent races to make the Chase in his rookie year and his pole at California earlier this year could point to the potential for another good day on the west coast. Tonight’s Bristol night race featured a memorable first Bristol win for Dale Earnhardt Jr., a grueling 229-lap green flag run, several bumps and bangs throughout the field, costly pit road miscues from Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, and Rusty Wallace, constant strategy calls, and a shake-up in the Chase points standings with only two races left before the ten-driver field is decided.
(More Stats Down Below!)
Cautions:
1st Caution: Lap 20- Jimmy Spencer slid up the track in turn 2 while racing with Jimmie Johnson, which caused Spencer to slam into the outside wall. He drove away, but came to pit road with heavy damage to his car.
2nd Caution: Lap 33- Ricky Craven bumped Scott Wimmer exited turn 4, which caused Wimmer to slide up the track and slam into the outside wall. He spun back down the frontstretch and clipped Joe Nemechek, which sent Nemechek straight up the banking and hard into the outside wall with his driver’s side door.
3rd Caution: Lap 57- Ricky Rudd moved up the track exiting turn 3, which caused him to slam into Mike Wallace. Both drivers slammed into the outside wall hard and the contact left them with considerable damage to their racecars.
4th Caution: Lap 83- Ricky Craven broke loose in turn 3 and spun up the race track. He destroyed the right rear of his Ford, but he drove away without damage.
5th Caution: Lap 89- Matt Kenseth stacked up the field on the restart, which caused Brendan Gaughan to slam into Carl Edwards. Gaughan spun towards the inside of the track as Ken Schrader, Kyle Petty, and Tony Raines slammed into each other.
6th Caution: Lap 327- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 1.
7th Caution: Lap 358- Debris was spotted on the track in turn 4.
8th Caution: Lap 365- Robby Gordon bumped Dale Jarrett entering turn 1, which caused Jarrett to spin in front of the field. However, no one hit him and he continued in the race. Carl Edwards spun Sterling Marlin as the field tried to avoid, but the two drivers powered away. Finally, Tony Stewart spun while trying to slam on brakes and Jeff Green slammed into his driver’s side door, which left the two drivers with heavily damaged racecars.
9th Caution: Lap 388- Brian Vickers and Mark Martin stacked up several drivers in turn 2. Dale Jarrett bumped Rusty Wallace, which sent him spinning in front of the field. Many drivers avoided as Wallace piled into the outside wall. Carl Edwards couldn’t avoid and he slammed into Wallace’s left front. Tony Stewart, subsequently, slammed into Edwards and added more damage to their battered racecars. Kasey Kahne also spun onto the apron as he slammed on brakes.
Lucky Dogs:
1st Caution: None
2nf Caution: None
3rd Caution: Kyle Petty
4th Caution: Derrike Cope
5th Caution: Ricky Craven
6th Caution: Elliott Sadler
7th Caution: Jeff Burton
8th Caution: Ryan Newman
9th Caution: Jeff Gordon
Top 5 Finishers:
1st: Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2nd: Ryan Newman
3rd: Jimmie Johnson
4th: Jeff Burton
5th: Elliott Sadler
Notables Not in Top 5:
8th: Kurt Busch
9th: Matt Kenseth
10th: Dale Jarrett
13th: Mark Martin
14th: Jeff Gordon
15th: Terry Labonte
16th: Bobby Labonte
19th: Tony Stewart
21st: Kasey Kahne
24th: Kevin Harvick
26th: Rusty Wallace
27th: Michael Waltrip
33rd: Carl Edwards
Credits:
-My Own Notes
-Statistics:
http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2004_Sharpie_500/W
-Image:
http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/fans/blog/dale-wins-daytona-500-can-make-feel-like-2004-food-city-500.html
-Full Race:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmDl7eo3wRE
