2004 IndyCar Series

The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series was dominated by two teams, Andretti Green Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. While there was great parity in 2003 between Honda and Toyota powered teams, in 2004 Honda began to outshine Toyota bringing their teams Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing down with it, leaving Scott Dixon winless and in 10th place in his attempt to defend his 2003 championship.

Season champion Tony Kanaan set a record by completing all 3,305 possible laps, the first IndyCar driver in modern history to do so.

This season was the last to feature an all oval tracks schedule, which was part of the concept that led to the creation of the Indy Racing League. By 2005, road and street courses started to appear in the schedule by a mainstream scheduling method, and by 2015, there were more races run on road/street courses than on oval tracks.

Changes for 2004

 * The engine displacement for all IndyCar Series cars was reduced from 3.5 L to 3.0 L starting from the 2004 Indianapolis 500 in an effort to reduce speeds and ensure safer and exciting racing. The 3.5 L engine displacement was used at the first three races of the season but a 3-inch by 12-inch slot was cut into the airbox and engine cover, behind the driver's head. The slot decreased positive airflow to the engine, reducing horsepower as well as reducing overall speeds.

Race results
BOLD indicates Superspeedways. Note: All races ran on Ovals/Speedways.

Toyota Indy 300
This race was held at Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 29. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 2) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 12- Tora Takagi
 * 5) 4- Tomas Scheckter
 * 6) 10- Darren Manning
 * 7) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 8) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 24- Robbie Buhl

Copper World Indy 200
This race was held at Phoenix International Raceway on March 21. Dan Wheldon won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 51- Alex Barron
 * 5) 10- Darren Manning
 * 6) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 7) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 8) 12- Tora Takagi
 * 9) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 10) 13- Greg Ray

Indy Japan 300
This race was held at Twin Ring Motegi on April 17. This was Honda's first win in the annual oval race held at their own track. Dan Wheldon won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 8) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 12- Tora Takagi

88th Indianapolis 500
The 88th Indianapolis 500 mi race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30. Buddy Rice sat on pole. The race was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles) due to rain.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 5) 36- Bruno Junqueira
 * 6) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 10) 16- Roger Yasukawa

Bombardier 500
This race was held at Texas Motor Speedway on June 12. Dario Franchitti won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 3) 51- Alex Barron
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 5) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 6) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 7) 13- Greg Ray
 * 8) 10- Darren Manning
 * 9) 24- Felipe Giaffone
 * 10) 12- Tora Takagi

SunTrust Indy Challenge
This race was held at Richmond International Raceway on June 26. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 24- Felipe Giaffone

Argent Mortgage 300
This race was held at Kansas Speedway on July 4. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 3) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 4) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 5) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 6) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 7) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 8) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 9) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 10) 51- Alex Barron

Firestone Indy 200
This race was held at Nashville Superspeedway on July 17. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 13- Mark Taylor
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 10) 5- Adrián Fernández

Menards A. J. Foyt 225
This race was held at the Milwaukee Mile on July 25. Vítor Meira won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 2) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 3) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 4) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 5) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 6) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 7) 51- Alex Barron
 * 8) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 55- Kosuke Matsuura

Michigan Indy 400
This race was held at Michigan International Speedway on August 1. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 5) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 6) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 7) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 8) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 3- Hélio Castroneves

Belterra Casino Indy 300
This race was held at Kentucky Speedway on August 15. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 2) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 7) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 8) 52- Ed Carpenter
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 10- Darren Manning

Honda Indy 225
This race was held at Pikes Peak International Raceway on August 22. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 2) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 3) 6- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 7) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 8) 20- Jaques Lazier
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 51- Alex Barron

Firestone Indy 225
This race was held at Nazareth Speedway on August 29. Hélio Castroneves won the pole. The race was heralded as the series' 100th event. This was also the final IndyCar race at the track which closed down following this race.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 4) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 5) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 6) 10- Darren Manning
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 9) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 10) 17- Vítor Meira

Delphi Indy 300
This race was held at Chicagoland Speedway on September 12. Hélio Castroneves won the pole. This race was memorable due to a scary crash involving Buddy Rice with 15 laps remaining as he slid down the backstretch upside down. Adrián Fernández won the race, despite having a broken on-board pneumatic air jack. His pit crew had to use a manual jack to service his car during pit stops, losing several seconds each time.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández 200 laps in 2:09:31.3301
 * 2) 7- Bryan Herta +0.0716
 * 3) 11- Tony Kanaan +0.1239
 * 4) 26- Dan Wheldon +0.2464
 * 5) 17- Vítor Meira +0.4873
 * 6) 6- Sam Hornish Jr. +0.5402
 * 7) 1- Scott Dixon +0.6109
 * 8) 24- Felipe Giaffone +1.1137
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp +1.1878
 * 10) 3- Hélio Castroneves +1.2595

Toyota Indy 400
This race was held at California Speedway on October 3. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish Jr.
 * 5) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 6) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 7) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 10) 13- Mark Taylor

This was Adrián Fernández's final IndyCar victory.

By finishing in 2nd, Tony Kannan clinched the championship with 1 race remaining.

Chevy 500
This race was held at Texas Motor Speedway on October 17. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 17- Vítor Meira
 * 5) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 6) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 7) 13- Mark Taylor
 * 8) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 9) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 10) 14- A. J. Foyt IV

Final driver standings

 * Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.

Notes:
 * Hélio Castroneves had 15 points deduction at Texas Motor Speedway due to a premature start after the final caution.
 * After a red flag for rain at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jaques Lazier replaced Robby Gordon, but all points were awarded to Robby Gordon.