| Type: | NASNEX |
| Course Km: | 1.703 |
| Pole Time: | 28.776 |
| Pole Driver: | Ryan Newman |
| Most Driver: | Ryan Newman |
| Announcers: | Allen Bestwick, Benny Parsons, Wally Dallenbach Jr. |
| Network: | TNT |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| First Driver: | Kurt Busch |
| Most Laps: | 187 |
| Most Team: | Penske-Jasper Racing |
| Car: | 97 |
| First Team: | Roush Racing |
| Pole Team: | Penske-Jasper Racing |
| Avg: | 97.862mph |
| Scheduled Km: | 510.805 |
| Location: | Loudon, New Hampshire, New Hampshire International Raceway |
| Distance Km: | 510.805 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 317.4 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 300 |
| Distance Laps: | 300 |
| Course Mi: | 1.058 |
| Date: | July 25 |
| Official Name: | 12th Annual Siemens 300 |
| Caption: | The 2004 Siemens 300 program cover. |
| Season No: | 36 |
| Race No: | 19 |
| Race Name: | Siemens 300 |
| Year: | 2004 |
| Distance Mi: | 317.4 |
| Attendance: | 99,000 |
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.[1] To fill out the podium, Jeff Gordon of Hendrick Motorsports and Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would finish second and third, respectively.
New Hampshire International Speedway is a 1.058-mile (1.703 km) oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nicknamed "The Magic Mile", the speedway is often converted into a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) road course, which includes much of the oval. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob Bahre. The track is currently one of eight major NASCAR tracks owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports.
**While he had started the race, he would have to be relieved by Martin Truex Jr. for practice sessions and qualifying, as Earnhardt Jr. was recovering from burns suffered from a sports car race. However, as Earnhardt Jr. did start the race, he was credited with the finish.[3]
The first practice session would occur on Friday, July 23, at 11:20 AM EST and would last for two hours. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 28.678 and an average speed of 132.813mph.[4]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 28.678 | 132.813 | |
| 2 | 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 28.834 | 132.094 | |
| 3 | 9 | Kasey Kahne | Evernham Motorsports | Dodge | 28.906 | 131.765 | |
| Full first practice results | |||||||
The second practice session would occur on Saturday, July 24, at 9:30 AM EST and would last for 45 minutes. Greg Biffle of Roush Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.209 and an average speed of 130.398mph.[5]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.209 | 130.398 | |
| 2 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 29.211 | 130.389 | |
| 3 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.255 | 130.193 | |
| Full second practice results | |||||||
The third and final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, would occur on Saturday, July 24, at 11:10 AM EST and would last for 45 minutes. Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 29.249 and an average speed of 130.22mph.[6]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ryan Newman | Penske-Jasper Racing | Dodge | 29.249 | 130.220 | |
| 2 | 97 | Kurt Busch | Roush Racing | Ford | 29.277 | 130.095 | |
| 3 | 09 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 29.288 | 130.046 | |
| Full Happy Hour practice results | |||||||
Qualifying would occur on Friday, July 23, at 3:05 PM EST. Each driver would have two laps to set a fastest time; the fastest of the two would count as their official qualifying lap. Positions 1-38 would be decided on time, while positions 39-43 would be based on provisionals. Four spots are awarded by the use of provisionals based on owner's points. The fifth is awarded to a past champion who has not otherwise qualified for the race. If no past champ needs the provisional, the next team in the owner points will be awarded a provisional.[7]
Ryan Newman of Penske-Jasper Racing would win the pole, setting a time of 28.776 and an average speed of 132.36mph.[8]
Kyle Busch, driving a part-time schedule for Hendrick Motorsports, would crash in turn 4 on his warm-up lap. Since the No. 84 did not have enough owner's points for a provision, Busch would miss the race.
Two drivers would fail to qualify: Kevin Lepage and Kyle Busch. In addition, Ryan McGlynn, who had taken part in some of the weekend's practice sessions, also withdrew due to unknown reasons.