2004 Budweiser Shootout

The 2004 Budweiser Shootout was the first exhibition stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 26th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, February 7, 2004, before a crowd of 75,000 in Daytona Beach, Florida, at Daytona International Speedway, a 2.5-mile (4.0-km) permanent triangular-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 70 laps to complete. Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett would make a last lap pass and defend against Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his third Budweiser Shootout. To fill out the podium, Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would finish third.

Background
Daytona International Speedway is one of three superspeedways to hold NASCAR races, the other two being Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. The standard track at Daytona International Speedway is a four-turn superspeedway that is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. The track's turns are banked at 31 degrees, while the front stretch, the location of the finish line, is banked at 18 degrees.

Format and eligibility
The race was broken up into two segments: a 20-lap segment, followed by a ten-minute intermission, concluding with a 50-lap second segment. While a pit stop was no longer required by rule, a reduction in fuel cell size (from 22 gallons to 13.5 gallons) made a fuel stop necessary. (In 2007, fuel cells were expanded to 18.5 gallons.) Many drivers also changed two tires during their fuel stop, as the time required to fuel the car allowed for a two-tire change without additional delay.

Pole winners of the previous season were automatically eligible for the race. Then, previous winners who had not already qualified would receive automatic berths.

Entry list
* Withdrew due to the team's owner, Richard Petty, holding a 50-year promise to his mother that his race team would not be affiliated with alcohol in any way.

First practice
The first practice session was held on Friday, February 6, at 3:45 PM EST, and would last for one hour and 15 minutes. Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 47.756 and an average speed of 188.458 mph.

Second and final practice
The second and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Friday, February 6, at 6:30 PM EST, and would last for one hour. Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 47.111 and an average speed of 191.038 mph.

Starting lineup
The starting lineup was determined by a blind draw. Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports would win the pole.