Full Throttle

Drivers Notes:

Kurt Busch

“This one by far has got to be the sweetest because of what we had to overcome,” Busch said of his victories here, nearly half of his career total of nine. “Our engine had about 1,000 RPM less all day today … and I just couldn’t get the car to handle right. It’s just unreal.”

Asked why he stayed on track when the other leaders pitted on lap 382, he grimaced.

“We only had 20 laps on our tires,” Busch said. “I looked in the mirror and some guys didn’t pit behind us, so I just … stayed out. But all those guys were a lap down. “It was a decision I was wrong on and I had to bail myself out on it.”

Rusty Wallace on the late race yellows.

“Doggone, man,” Wallace said, shaking his head. “We didn’t need those last cautions. I was just about to pass him that one time. Man, I wanted that bad. So close.”

editors notes: In looking at the last three finishers can anyone believe the published reasons for their retirement. Mechanical ? It’s been common for the under financed teams to just “make the show” then quietly bow out to save equipment. As someone that faced similiar problems during his career the words of James Hylton come to mind.

“If I’d gotten some help, I feel like I could have run with anybody,” he says. “If I’d had some financial backing-a sponsor-where we could have hired people to let me concentrate on racing, I feel I could have driven with anybody. I’m not too happy with NASCAR for not supporting the (independent drivers). Not only me, there were a dozen independent drivers who could have been winners if they’d had some financial help.

“I know it wasn’t NASCAR’s responsibility to see that everybody’s got the best of the best. But I know there were opportunities there, that with a little bit of coaching from NASCAR, they could have shoved a little sponsorship our way, but they never did,” Hylton said. Hylton is still bitter about the decades old events. ” I have a little resentment there, because I feel like I was left out, not because of a lack of ability or a lack of working myself to death,” Hylton said. ” It was all a financial deal.”

As in most things the past can be the best teacher. In Hylton’s era the “Big Three” ruled with massive amounts of cash in support of the “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday” theory. Today, while auto makers still hold some purse strings, the advent of multi-car teams may be creating more problems than realized. And apparently NEXTEL, now the Title Sponsor in NASCAR, may be part of the problem as evidenced by its refusal to let AT&T become a sponsor of #49 car of Ken Schrader, because they thought AT&T would take away from their business. If this report is true the petty little BS has to stop or NASCAR’S efforts to expand will only lead to more venue’s to race on, and field size’s that hit the 30 mark.

Pos Driver Car Make Laps Money Status

1 Kurt Busch 97 Ford 500 $173,465, Running
2 Rusty Wallace 2 Dodge 500 $141,878, Running
3 Kevin Harvick 29 Chevrolet 500 $131,978, Running
4 Sterling Marlin 40 Dodge 500 $135,125, Running
5 Matt Kenseth 17 Ford 500 $136,098, Running
6 Ken Schrader 49 Dodge 500 $77,945, Running
7 Ryan Newman 12 Dodge 500 $124,862, Running
8 Jamie McMurray 42 Dodge 500 $87,095, Running
9 Jeff Gordon 24 Chevrolet 500 $120,168, Running
10 Michael Waltrip 15 Chevrolet 500 $110,796, Running
11 Dale Earnhardt Jr 8 Chevrolet 500 $118,748, Running
12 Greg Biffle 16 Ford 500 $84,890, Running
13 Scott Wimmer 22 Dodge 500 $102,440, Running
14 Elliott Sadler 38 Ford 500 $103,273, Running
15 Johnny Sauter 30 Chevrolet 500 $83,090, Running
16 Jimmie Johnson 48 Chevrolet 500 $90,215, Running
17 Jeremy Mayfield 19 Dodge 500 $96,565, Running
18 Terry Labonte 5 Chevrolet 500 $100,065, Running
19 Robby Gordon 31 Chevrolet 500 $104,792, Running
20 Brendan Gaughan 77 Dodge 500 $81,900, Running
21 Dale Jarrett 88 Ford 500 $104,557, Running
22 Ricky Craven 32 Chevrolet 499 $93,390, Running
23 Mark Martin 6 Ford 499 $81,045, Running
24 Tony Stewart 20 Chevrolet 498 $115,518, Running
25 Kyle Petty 45 Dodge 498 $82,570, Running
26 Derrike Cope 50 Dodge 497 $68,440, Running
27 Joe Nemechek 01 Chevrolet 496 $87,694, Running
28 Ward Burton 0 Chevrolet 496 $71,150, Running
29 Jeff Green 43 Dodge 496 $94,285, Running
30 Kevin LePage 4 Chevrolet 495 $70,685, Running
31 Hermie Sadler 02 Pontiac 490 $66,890, Running
32 Stanton Barrett 94 Chevrolet 453 $66,845, Accident
33 Bobby Labonte 18 Chevrolet 428 $112,808, Running
34 Scott Riggs 10 Chevrolet 404 $91,922, Accident
35 Brian Vickers 25 Chevrolet 377 $74,690, Running
36 Casey Mears 41 Dodge 331 $66,645, Running
37 Ricky Rudd 21 Ford 166 $92,666, Accident
38 Jeff Burton 99 Ford 138 $99,977, Accident
39 Geoffrey Bodine 98 Ford 59 $66,505, Mechanical
40 Kasey Kahne 9 Dodge 57 $96,315, Accident
41 Kirk Shelmerdine 72 Ford 7 $66,390, Mechanical
42 Joe Ruttman 09 Dodge 4 $66,335, Mechanical
43 Andy Hillenburg 80 Ford 4 $65,656, Mechanical

2004 Food City 500 Stats
Total Laps: 500
Average Speed: 82.607
Time of Race: 03:13:34
Margin of Victory: 00.4280 secs
Cautions: 11 for 85 laps
Lead Changes: 13 among 10 drivers