The 2005 GFS Marketplace 400 was the 23rd stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 21, 2005, in Brooklyn, Michigan at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile permanent moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. After a caution on lap 144, drivers would use many different fuel strategies to get to the end, including pitting and trying to stretch a fuel run, a gas and go, or two or four tires. Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports would top off on fuel on Lap 149, and would take the lead on lap 195 after many leaders had to pit due to running out of fuel. Mayfield would conserve and coast to the line to win his fifth and final NASCAR Nextel Cup Series career win and his only win of the season. To fill out the podium, Scott Riggs of MBV Motorsports and Matt Kenseth of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2005 Chevy Rock & Roll 400 was the 26th stock car race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the final race of the regular season, and the 48th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, September 10, 2005, before a sold-out crowd of 107,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would take control of the race in the late stages of the race to win his 14th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Busch's teammates, Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2005 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 was the 33nd stock car racing race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the seventh race of the 2005 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 46th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, October 30, 2005, before a crowd of 120,000 in Hampton, Georgia at Atlanta Motor Speedway, a 1.54 miles permanent asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway. The race took the scheduled 325 laps to complete. At race's end, rookie Carl Edwards of Roush Racing would steal the lead on the final restart on Lap 289 to win his third NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win of his career, his third of the season, and completing an Atlanta sweep for the 2005 season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Mark Martin of Roush Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Food City 500 was the sixth stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 44th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 28, 2004, before a crowd of 160,000 in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would hold off the field on the final restart with two to go to win his fifth career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win of his career and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Rusty Wallace of Penske-Jasper Racing and Kevin Harvick of Richard Childress Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Tropicana 400 presented by Meijer was the 18th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 11, 2004, before a crowd of 80,000 in Joliet, Illinois, at Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.41 km) tri-oval speedway. The race took the scheduled 267 laps to complete. At race's end, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would win a controversial race, after an altercation with Evernham Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne left owner Ray Evernham accusing Stewart of numerous occasions of reckless driving and stating that "He needs to get suspended, and he should have his ass beat." The win was Stewart's 18th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 DHL 400 was the 15th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 20, 2004, before a crowd of 160,000 in Brooklyn, Michigan, at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile (3.2 km) moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, the race would end under caution after P. J. Jones crashed in Turn 2 in the last lap, leaving Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing winning his 10th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports and Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Siemens 300 was the 19th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 12th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, July 25, 2004, before a crowd of 99,000 in Loudon, New Hampshire, at New Hampshire International Raceway, a 1.058 miles (1.703 km) permanent, oval-shaped, low-banked racetrack. The race took the scheduled 300 laps to complete. At race's end, Kurt Busch of Roush Racing would hold off the field on the final restart, defeating a dominant Ryan Newman with three to go to take his 10th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his second of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Pocono 500 was the 14th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 23rd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 13, 2004, before a crowd of 90,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would win the race under caution, after Jeff Burton blew an engine on lap 196. The win was Johnson's ninth NASCAR Nextel Cup Series career win and his third win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeremy Mayfield of Evernham Motorsports and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Pennsylvania 500 was the 20th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 32nd iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 1, 2004, before a crowd of 90,000 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, at Pocono Raceway, a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) triangular permanent course. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would hold off the field on the final restart with five to go to win his 10th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his fourth win of the season, sweeping both Pocono races in 2004. To fill out the podium, Mark Martin of Roush Racing and Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Samsung/Radio Shock 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the eighth iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 4, 2004, before a crowd of 216,000 in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At race's end, Elliott Sadler of Robert Yates Racing would win in a photo finish against Kasey Kahne of Evernham Motorsports to win his second career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his first win of the season. Sadler would win by 0.028 seconds over Kahne. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish third.
The 2004 GFS Marketplace 400 was the 23rd stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 35th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, August 22, 2004, before a crowd of 160,000 in Brooklyn, Michigan at Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile permanent moderate-banked D-shaped speedway. The race took the scheduled 200 laps to complete. At race's end, Greg Biffle of Roush Racing would run away with the race, passing team mate Mark Martin to win his second career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his first of the season. To fill out the podium, Dale Jarrett of Robert Yates Racing would finish third.
The 2004 MBNA America 400 was the 28th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the second race of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, September 26, 2004, before a crowd of 140,000 in Dover, Delaware at Dover International Speedway, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would dominate to win his 11th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his second and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Mark Martin of Roush Racing and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Dodge/Save Mart 350 was the 16th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 16th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 27, 2004, in Sonoma, California, at the club layout in Infineon Raceway, a 1.99 miles (3.20 km) permanent road course layout. The race took the scheduled 110 laps to complete. At race's end, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would dominate the race to win his 67th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third of the season. To fill out the podium, Jamie McMurray and Scott Pruett of Chip Ganassi Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 MBNA America 400 "A Salute to Heroes" was the 13th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 36th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, June 6, 2004, before a crowd of 140,000 in Dover, Delaware at Dover International Speedway, a 1 mile (1.6 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Mark Martin of Roush Racing would survive through a wreck-fest to win his 34th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win, his first of the season, and would break a 72-race losing streak. To fill out the podium, Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Sharpie 500 was the 24th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 44th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, August 28, 2004, before a crowd of 160,000 in Bristol, Tennessee at Bristol Motor Speedway, a 0.533 miles (0.858 km) permanent oval-shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 500 laps to complete. At race's end, Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would pull away in the late stages of the race to win his 13th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his fourth win of the season. To fill out the podium, Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing and Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
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.
The 2004 Checker Auto Parts 500 was the 34th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the eighth race of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 17th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, November 7, 2004, before a crowd of 105,000 in Avondale, Arizona at Phoenix International Raceway, a 1-mile (1.6 km) permanent low-banked tri-oval race track. The race was extended from its scheduled 312 laps to 315 due to a green–white–checker finish. On the final restart, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. would hold off the field on the final restart to win his 15th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his sixth and final win of the season. To fill out the podium, Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing and Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 Chevy American Revolution 400 was the 11th stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season and the 50th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, May 15, 2004, before a crowd of 115,000 in Richmond, Virginia, at Richmond International Raceway, a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) D-shaped oval. The race took the scheduled 400 laps to complete. At race's end, Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. would cruise on the final restart to win his 12th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports and Bobby Labonte of Joe Gibbs Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2004 UAW-GM Quality 500 was the 31st stock car race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, the fifth race of the 2004 Chase for the Nextel Cup, and the 45th iteration of the event. The race was on Saturday, October 16, 2004, before a crowd of 140,000 in Concord, North Carolina, at Lowe's Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) permanent quad-oval. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. At race's end, Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports would take advantage of Kasey Kahne's bad luck at the end of the race, holding off the field on the final restart to win his 11th career NASCAR Nextel Cup Series win and his third of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr. of Dale Earnhardt, Inc. would finish second and third, respectively.
The 2003 Samsung/RadioShack 500 was the seventh stock car race of the 2003 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the seventh iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, March 30, 2003, before a crowd of 215,000 in Fort Worth, Texas at Texas Motor Speedway, a 1.5 miles permanent tri-oval shaped racetrack. The race took the scheduled 334 laps to complete. Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman would make a gamble near the end of the race, pitting for only two tires on the final round of pit stops. He would be able to pass and defend Dale Earnhardt, Inc. driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win his second career NASCAR Winston Cup Series win and his first win of the season. To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports would finish third.
