| Type: | NASNEX |
| Car: | 8 |
| Pole Team: | Penske Racing |
| Pole Driver: | Ryan Newman |
| Most Team: | Joe Gibbs Racing |
| Most Laps: | 127 |
| Announcers: | Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds |
| Distance Km: | 805.5 |
| Distance Laps: | 325 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 325 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 500.5 |
| Distance Mi: | 500.5 |
| Network: | FOX |
| Year: | 2004 |
| First Team: | Dale Earnhardt Inc. |
| First Driver: | Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
| Course Mi: | 1.54 |
| Attendance: | 125,000 |
| Most Driver: | Tony Stewart |
| Season No: | 36 |
| Location: | Atlanta Motor Speedway, |
| Avg: | 158.679mph |
| Race No: | 4 |
| Race Name: | Golden Corral 500 |
| Pole Time: | 28.640 secs |
| Course Km: | 2.478 |
| Scheduled Km: | 805.5 |
The 2004 Golden Corral 500 was the 4th race of the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series season, held at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 14, 2004. The race was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who led 55 laps that day.
Ryan Newman of Penske Racing would win the pole, while Tony Stewart of Joe Gibbs Racing would lead the most laps with 127 laps led. 125,000 were in attendance for the race.
| Car #[1] | Driver | Sponsor | Make | Hometown | Team | Crew Chief | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Ward Burton | NetZero Hi Speed | Chevrolet | South Boston, VA | Gene Haas | ||
| 01 | Joe Nemechek | U.S. Army | Chevrolet | Lakeland, FL | Nelson Bowers | ||
| 02 | Andy Belmont | Intell Food Brokers | Pontiac | Langhorne, PA | Hermie Sadler | ||
| 2 | Rusty Wallace | Miller Lite | Dodge | St. Louis, MO | Roger Penske | ||
| 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure | Chevrolet | Shelburne, VT | Larry McClure | ||
| 5 | Terry Labonte | Kellogg's | Chevrolet | Corpus Christi, TX | Rick Hendrick | ||
| 6 | Mark Martin | Viagra | Ford | Batesville, AR | Jack Roush | ||
| 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Budweiser | Chevrolet | Kannapolis, NC | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | ||
| 09 | Joe Ruttman | Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts | Dodge | Upland, CA | James Finch | ||
| 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Dodge | Enumclaw, WA | Ray Evernham | ||
| 10 | Scott Riggs | Valvoline | Chevrolet | Bahama, NC | James Rocco | ||
| 12 | Ryan Newman | Alltel | Dodge | South Bend, IN | Roger Penske | ||
| 15 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA | Chevrolet | Owensboro, KY | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | ||
| 16 | Greg Biffle | National Guard | Ford | Vancouver, WA | Jack Roush | ||
| 17 | Matt Kenseth | DeWalt Power Tools | Ford | Cambridge, WI | Jack Roush | ||
| 18 | Bobby Labonte | Interstate Batteries | Chevrolet | Corpus Christi, TX | Joe Gibbs | ||
| 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Dodge | Owensboro, KY | Ray Evernham | ||
| 20 | Tony Stewart | Home Depot | Chevrolet | Rushville, IN | Joe Gibbs | ||
| 21 | Ricky Rudd | Motorcraft / U.S. Air Force | Ford | Chesapeake, VA | Wood Brothers | ||
| 22 | Scott Wimmer | Caterpillar | Dodge | Wausau, WI | Bill Davis | ||
| 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | Hartford, OH | Bill Davis | ||
| 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont | Chevrolet | Vallejo, CA | Rick Hendrick | ||
| 25 | Brian Vickers | GMAC Financial Services | Chevrolet | Thomasville, NC | Rick Hendrick | ||
| 29 | Kevin Harvick | GM Goodwrench | Chevrolet | Bakersfield, CA | Richard Childress | ||
| 30 | Johnny Sauter | America Online | Chevrolet | Necedah, WI | Richard Childress | ||
| 31 | Robby Gordon | Cingular Wireless | Chevrolet | Bellflower, CA | Richard Childress | ||
| 32 | Ricky Craven | Tide | Chevrolet | Newburgh, ME | Cal Wells | ||
| 38 | Elliott Sadler | M&M's | Ford | Emporia, VA | Yates Racing | ||
| 40 | Sterling Marlin | Coors Light | Dodge | Columbia, TN | Chip Ganassi | ||
| 41 | Casey Mears | Target | Dodge | Bakersfield, CA | Chip Ganassi | ||
| 42 | Jamie McMurray | Texaco / Havoline | Dodge | Joplin, MO | Chip Ganassi | ||
| 43 | Jeff Green | Cheerios / Betty Crocker | Dodge | Owensboro, KY | Petty Enterprises | ||
| 45 | Kyle Petty | Georgia-Pacific / Brawny | Dodge | Trinity, NC | Petty Enterprises | ||
| 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's | Chevrolet | El Cajon, CA | Rick Hendrick | ||
| 49 | Ken Schrader | Schwan's Home Service | Dodge | Fenton, MO | Beth Ann Morgenthau | ||
| 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Development Companies | Dodge | Spanaway, WA | Don Arnold | ||
| 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Tucson | Ford | Winston-Salem, NC | Kirk Shelmerdine | ||
| 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Kodak Easy Share | Dodge | Las Vegas, NV | Doug Bawel | ||
| 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Commercial Truck & Trailer | Ford | Indianapolis, IN | Stan Hover | ||
| 88 | Dale Jarrett | UPS / Arnold Palmer Tribute | Ford | Hickory, NC | Yates Racing | ||
| 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Voyles / Carter's Royal Dispos-all | Dodge | Ferguson, NC | Shepherd Racing Ventures | ||
| 97 | Kurt Busch | Irwin Industrial Tools | Ford | Las Vegas, NV | Jack Roush | ||
| 98 | Todd Bodine | Lucas Oil Products | Ford | Chemung, NY | William Edwards | ||
| 99 | Jeff Burton | SKF | Ford | South Boston, VA | Jack Roush |
Ryan Newman would win the pole with a 28.640. Kirk Shelmerdine would qualify for his first ever NASCAR Cup Series race.
| Pos. | Car | Driver | Sponsor | Make | Time | Avg. (mph) | Behind | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Alltel | Dodge | 28.640 | 193.57 | ||
| 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | GMAC Financial Services | Chevrolet | 28.780 | 192.63 | ||
| 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's | Chevrolet | 28.818 | 192.38 | ||
| 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont | Chevrolet | 28.820 | 192.37 | ||
| 5 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | M&M's | Ford | 28.974 | 191.34 | ||
| 6 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | UPS / Arnold Palmer Tribute | Ford | 28.976 | 191.33 | ||
| 7 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Budweiser | Chevrolet | 28.984 | 191.28 | ||
| 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | GM Goodwrench | Chevrolet | 28.991 | 191.23 | ||
| 9 | 41 | Casey Mears | Target | Dodge | 28.994 | 191.21 | ||
| 10 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Interstate Batteries | Chevrolet | 29.002 | 191.16 | ||
| 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Miller Lite | Dodge | 29.035 | 190.94 | ||
| 12 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Dodge | 29.055 | 190.81 | ||
| 13 | 16 | Greg Biffle | National Guard | Ford | 29.088 | 190.59 | ||
| 14 | 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing | Dodge | 29.102 | 190.50 | ||
| 15 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA | Chevrolet | 29.107 | 190.47 | ||
| 16 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge Dealers / UAW | Dodge | 29.107 | 190.47 | ||
| 17 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Valvoline | Chevrolet | 29.155 | 190.16 | ||
| 18 | 43 | Jeff Green | Cheerios / Betty Crocker | Dodge | 29.169 | 190.07 | ||
| 19 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Home Depot | Chevrolet | 29.176 | 190.02 | ||
| 20 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Irwin Industrial Tools | Ford | 29.194 | 189.90 | ||
| 21 | 0 | Ward Burton | NetZero Hi Speed | Chevrolet | 29.202 | 189.85 | ||
| 22 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Texaco / Havoline | Dodge | 29.220 | 189.73 | ||
| 23 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Cingular Wireless | Chevrolet | 29.224 | 189.71 | ||
| 24 | 49 | Ken Schrader | Schwan's Home Service | Dodge | 29.229 | 189.68 | ||
| 25 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Kodak Easy Share | Dodge | 29.234 | 189.64 | ||
| 26 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | U.S. Army | Chevrolet | 29.261 | 189.47 | ||
| 27 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Georgia-Pacific / Brawny | Dodge | 29.371 | 188.76 | ||
| 28 | 6 | Mark Martin | Viagra | Ford | 29.395 | 188.60 | ||
| 29 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Tide | Chevrolet | 29.422 | 188.43 | ||
| 30 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | DeWalt Power Tools | Ford | 29.471 | 188.12 | ||
| 31 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Coors Light | Dodge | 29.476 | 188.09 | ||
| 32 | 99 | Jeff Burton | SKF | Ford | 29.503 | 187.91 | ||
| 33 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Motorcraft / U.S. Air Force | Ford | 29.520 | 187.81 | ||
| 34 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Development Companies | Dodge | 29.523 | 187.79 | ||
| 35 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure | Chevrolet | 29.565 | 187.52 | ||
| 36 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Kellogg's | Chevrolet | 29.649 | 186.99 | ||
| 37 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Caterpillar | Dodge | 29.661 | 186.91 | ||
| 38 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Lucas Oil Products | Ford | 29.755 | 186.32 | ||
| 39 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | America Online | Chevrolet | 29.779 | 186.17 | ||
| 40 | 09 | Joe Ruttman | Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts | Dodge | 29.835 | 185.82 | ||
| 41 | 02 | Andy Belmont | Intell Food Brokers | Pontiac | 32.115 | 172.63 | ||
| 42 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Tucson | Ford | 31.074 | 178.41 | ||
| 43 | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Commercial Truck & Trailer | Ford | 31.745 | 174.64 | ||
| Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes: | ||||||||
| 44 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Voyles / Carter's Royal Dispos-all | Dodge | 30.010 | 184.74 | ||
| POS[2] | ST | DRIVER | SPONSOR / OWNER | CAR | LAPS | MONEY | STATUS | LED | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | 8 | Dale Earnhardt, Jr. | Budweiser (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) | Chevrolet | 325 | 180078 | running | 55 | 185 | |
| 2 | 16 | 19 | Jeremy Mayfield | Dodge Dealers / UAW (Ray Evernham) | Dodge | 325 | 137750 | running | 22 | 175 | |
| 3 | 12 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Dodge Dealers / UAW (Ray Evernham) | Dodge | 325 | 120125 | running | 0 | 165 | |
| 4 | 3 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Lowe's (Rick Hendrick) | Chevrolet | 325 | 97400 | running | 0 | 160 | |
| 5 | 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Alltel (Roger Penske) | Dodge | 325 | 120467 | running | 43 | 160 | |
| 6 | 30 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | DeWalt Power Tools (Jack Roush) | Ford | 325 | 120728 | running | 0 | 150 | |
| 7 | 19 | 20 | Tony Stewart | Home Depot (Joe Gibbs) | Chevrolet | 325 | 133778 | running | 127 | 156 | |
| 8 | 13 | 16 | Greg Biffle | National Guard (Jack Roush) | Ford | 325 | 74000 | running | 2 | 147 | |
| 9 | 6 | 88 | Dale Jarrett | UPS / Arnold Palmer Tribute (Yates Racing) | Ford | 325 | 96217 | running | 0 | 138 | |
| 10 | 4 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | DuPont (Rick Hendrick) | Chevrolet | 325 | 114228 | running | 38 | 139 | |
| 11 | 14 | 23 | Dave Blaney | Bill Davis Racing (Bill Davis) | Dodge | 325 | 64275 | running | 0 | 130 | |
| 12 | 20 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Irwin Industrial Tools (Jack Roush) | Ford | 325 | 78950 | running | 0 | 127 | |
| 13 | 21 | 0 | Ward Burton | NetZero Hi Speed (Gene Haas) | Chevrolet | 324 | 63775 | running | 0 | 124 | |
| 14 | 28 | 6 | Mark Martin | Viagra (Jack Roush) | Ford | 324 | 70550 | running | 0 | 121 | |
| 15 | 26 | 01 | Joe Nemechek | U.S. Army (Nelson Bowers) | Chevrolet | 324 | 86750 | running | 0 | 118 | |
| 16 | 31 | 40 | Sterling Marlin | Coors Light (Chip Ganassi) | Dodge | 323 | 94800 | running | 0 | 115 | |
| 17 | 23 | 31 | Robby Gordon | Cingular Wireless (Richard Childress) | Chevrolet | 323 | 92987 | running | 1 | 117 | |
| 18 | 10 | 18 | Bobby Labonte | Interstate Batteries (Joe Gibbs) | Chevrolet | 323 | 102673 | running | 0 | 109 | |
| 19 | 18 | 43 | Jeff Green | Cheerios / Old El Paso (Petty Enterprises) | Dodge | 322 | 83615 | running | 0 | 106 | |
| 20 | 32 | 99 | Jeff Burton | SKF (Jack Roush) | Ford | 322 | 96182 | running | 0 | 103 | |
| 21 | 2 | 25 | Brian Vickers | GMAC Financial Services (Rick Hendrick) | Chevrolet | 322 | 69315 | running | 0 | 100 | |
| 22 | 29 | 32 | Ricky Craven | Tide (Cal Wells) | Chevrolet | 322 | 81310 | running | 0 | 97 | |
| 23 | 15 | 15 | Michael Waltrip | NAPA (Dale Earnhardt, Inc.) | Chevrolet | 321 | 93591 | running | 0 | 94 | |
| 24 | 36 | 5 | Terry Labonte | Got Milk? / Kellogg's (Rick Hendrick) | Chevrolet | 321 | 86560 | running | 0 | 91 | |
| 25 | 17 | 10 | Scott Riggs | Valvoline (James Rocco) | Chevrolet | 321 | 85072 | running | 0 | 88 | |
| 26 | 24 | 49 | Ken Schrader | Schwan's Home Service (Beth Ann Morgenthau) | Dodge | 321 | 59235 | running | 0 | 85 | |
| 27 | 37 | 22 | Scott Wimmer | Caterpillar (Bill Davis) | Dodge | 321 | 77420 | running | 0 | 82 | |
| 28 | 27 | 45 | Kyle Petty | Georgia-Pacific / Brawny (Petty Enterprises) | Dodge | 321 | 67059 | running | 0 | 79 | |
| 29 | 5 | 38 | Elliott Sadler | M&M's (Yates Racing) | Ford | 320 | 87293 | running | 0 | 76 | |
| 30 | 39 | 30 | Johnny Sauter | America Online (Richard Childress) | Chevrolet | 320 | 66335 | running | 0 | 73 | |
| 31 | 33 | 21 | Ricky Rudd | Motorcraft / U.S. Air Force (Wood Brothers) | Ford | 320 | 81316 | running | 0 | 70 | |
| 32 | 8 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | GM Goodwrench (Richard Childress) | Chevrolet | 318 | 90963 | running | 0 | 67 | |
| 33 | 25 | 77 | Brendan Gaughan | Kodak Easy Share (Doug Bawel) | Dodge | 314 | 63120 | running | 0 | 64 | |
| 34 | 9 | 41 | Casey Mears | Target (Chip Ganassi) | Dodge | 302 | 56000 | engine | 37 | 66 | |
| 35 | 11 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Miller Lite (Roger Penske) | Dodge | 291 | 88873 | running | 0 | 58 | |
| 36 | 35 | 4 | Kevin Lepage | Morgan-McClure (Larry McClure) | Chevrolet | 287 | 55005 | running | 0 | 55 | |
| 37 | 22 | 42 | Jamie McMurray | Texaco / Havoline (Chip Ganassi) | Dodge | 245 | 62970 | engine | 0 | 52 | |
| 38 | 34 | 50 | Derrike Cope | Arnold Development Companies (Don Arnold) | Dodge | 186 | 54935 | engine | 0 | 49 | |
| 39 | 41 | 02 | Andy Belmont | Intell Food Brokers (Hermie Sadler) | Pontiac | 80 | 54890 | rear end | 0 | 46 | |
| 40 | 42 | 72 | Kirk Shelmerdine | Tucson (Kirk Shelmerdine) | Ford | 60 | 54840 | handling | 0 | 43 | |
| 41 | 38 | 98 | Todd Bodine | Lucas Oil Products (William Edwards) | Ford | 16 | 54800 | engine | 0 | 0 | |
| 42 | 43 | 80 | Andy Hillenburg | Lowe's Motor Speedway (Stan Hover) | Ford | 15 | 54760 | engine | 0 | 37 | |
| 43 | 40 | 09 | Joe Ruttman | Miccosukee Gaming & Resorts (James Finch) | Dodge | 6 | 54071 | vibration | 0 | 34 | |
| Failed to qualify, withdrew, or driver changes: | |||||||||||
| 44 | 89 | Morgan Shepherd | Voyles / Carter's Royal Dispos-all | Dodge | |||||||