2004 Indianapolis 500
The 88th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 30, 2004. It was part of the 2004 IndyCar Series season and the ninth Indy 500 sanctioned by the Indy Racing League. Buddy Rice qualified for the pole position, captured the pit stop contest, led the most laps, and won the race for team owners Bobby Rahal and David Letterman.
The race began two hours behind schedule due to a morning rain delay. After 27 laps had been completed, rain began to fall again and threatened to wash out the rest of the day. About two hours later, the rain had ceased, and the track was dry. The race resumed on lap 28 and cruised beyond the halfway point to make the race official. At the 150-lap mark, the race had been very competitive up to that point, but was destined to come down to the final round of pit stops to decide the winner. Moreover, dark skies were looming, and inclement weather was moving back into the area. As the race passed the 400-mile mark it was turning into a weather battle. Some leaders headed for the pits to make their final pit stops. At the same time, a handful of teams gambled by staying out, hoping to stretch their fuel and lead the race when the approaching rain arrived.
Despite desperate attempts to prevail over the approaching rainstorm, all leaders ultimately were forced to cycle through their final round of pit stops. Nobody was able to stretch their fuel long enough to beat the rain. Buddy Rice, who had led the most laps thus far, re-emerged as the leader on lap 172. The race was ended after 450 miles, just 50 miles short of the scheduled distance. A severe thunderstorm, which eventually produced an F2 tornado, formed in the speedway area, shutting the track down and sending the spectators and competitors for cover. Buddy Rice was declared the winner, his first victory in championship-level competition.
Honda, which had first arrived at Indianapolis in 1994, scored its long-anticipated first Indy 500 victory. It was also the fourth and final Indy victory for the Panoz G-Force chassis.
Race background
Rule changes were implemented before the start of the season, which reduced engine displacement from 3.5 L down to 3.0 L. In addition, the on-board fuel capacity was reduced from 35 gallons down to 30. The changes were made to curtail speeds, which had crept up into the low 230 mph range in 2003, and in the wake of Chip Ganassi Racing No. 10 driver Tony Renna dying on October 22, 2003, the second day of a Firestone off-season tire test. On a cool 50 degree morning, Renna spun in turn three, became airborne, and crashed into the outside wall and catch fence. The car was heavily damaged, and Renna died of massive internal trauma. Furthermore, the series imposed a minimum ambient and track surface temperature requirement.For the first time, single-point refueling rigs were allowed. During pit stops, teams could utilize a single combined fuel/vent hose assembly. This eliminated the need for a separate and dedicated vent hose operator, improving safety.
Race schedule
Practice
Rookie Orientation
Rookie orientation was held April 26, with seven drivers participating. Newcomers Ed Carpenter, Kosuke Matsuura, Mark Taylor, and Luis Díaz passed all four phases of the rookie tests. Jeff Simmons and Marty Roth passed three phases, and can pass the fourth phase during routine practice.Larry Foyt participated, but due to his previous high-speed oval experience, was exempted from needing to pass the four-phase test.
Carpenter led the speed chart at 215.584 mph. Though Díaz passed the rookie test, he did not return with Ganassi for practice come May.
Sunday, May 9 – Opening Day
led the speed chart with a lap of 219.760 mph on opening day. No incidents were reported.Monday, May 10
Track remained closed most of the afternoon, due to thunderstorms. The track re-opened just before 5 p.m., and Hélio Castroneves set the fastest lap of the month at 220.300 mph. Late in the day, Robby Gordon spun and hit the outside wall in turn 2 but was uninjured.Tuesday. May 11
brushed the wall in the north chute, then slid along the wall to the entrance to the pits. He was uninjured. Adrián Fernández became the first driver of the month to break the 221 mph barrier, but Kosuke Matsuura ended up with the fastest lap of the day.Wednesday, May 12
drove the fastest lap of the month, at 222.668 mph.Thursday, May 13
Rain kept the track closed until 3 p.m. The session ended about 10 minutes early when Scott Sharp crashed in turn 1. Hélio Castroneves turned the fastest lap of the day. Buddy Rice was among the top five for the first time all week.Friday, May 14 – Fast Friday
The track opened at 11 a.m. but lasted only four minutes, as rain began falling and closed the track for the day. During the brief session, only four cars had entered the track, with Sarah Fisher the only car to run a single lap at speed.Time trials
Saturday, May 15 – Pole Day
Pole day dawned cool and damp. Overnight rain kept the track closed until shortly after noon. During the first practice session, Tony Kanaan reached 223.224 mph, the fastest lap of the month.Pole qualifying began at 2:15 p.m. Roger Yasukawa earned the distinction as the first driver in the field. Shortly after, Robby Gordon qualified his car and immediately boarded a plane to Richmond to participate in the evening NASCAR event. At 3:06 p.m., Dan Wheldon placed himself on the provisional pole position after a qualifying run of 221.524 mph. Several wave-offs and two wrecks characterized the early attempts.
At 4:14 p.m., Buddy Rice took over the pole position with a run of 222.024 mph. Rice held off late runs by Dario Franchitti and Tony Kanaan to secure his first Indy 500 pole. The field was filled with 22 cars at the end of the day.
Sunday, May 16 – Second Day
Four cars completed attempts to fill the field to 26 cars. After wrecking the day before, Bryan Herta and Felipe Giaffone put their cars safely in the field. Herta was the fastest qualifier of the afternoon.The track was then closed for two days. Practice continued on Wednesday through Saturday. Mark Taylor brushed the wall on Wednesday but suffered only minor damage. On Thursday, A. J. Foyt IV spun in turn 3, brushed the inside wall, and suffered minor damage. Buddy Lazier joined Dreyer & Reinbold Racing on Friday to drive the #24 car. On his first day of track activity, Lazier led non-qualified cars at 215.513 mph. The final full day of practice was held on Saturday, May 22. P. J. Jones took to the track for the first time but only managed 208 mph.
Sunday, May 23 – Bump Day
On the final day of qualifying, seven positions were opened in the field. P. J. Jones was the first car to qualify, followed by Marty Roth and others. At 1:45 p.m., Greg Ray filled the field to 33 cars with a run of 216.641 mph, the fastest attempt of the afternoon.A brief rain shower followed, with Robby McGehee sitting on the bubble as the slowest qualifier. At that point, it did not appear that any additional drivers would attempt to qualify. The only driver left on the sidelines was Jaques Lazier, who briefly practiced during the week for Foyt. However, the ride fizzled. Nevertheless, the track was reopened after the shower as track crews were able to dry the circuit.
During the afternoon, Tony Stewart visited the track. He was running full-time in NASCAR and had raced in the NEXTEL All-Star Challenge the night prior. A. J. Foyt reportedly called Stewart at the track and invited him to practice in one of his backup cars. Stewart quickly passed his physical and went to the pit area to prepare for a possible qualifying attempt. With little else going on during the afternoon, the rumors promptly buzzed around the track and throngs of media surrounded Stewart to cover the breaking story.
With about an hour left in the day, a car was prepared for Stewart and fired up on the pit lane. Stewart had yet to climb into the car but was suited up in his driving uniform. At 5:36 p.m., however, Stewart left the pits on foot and announced he would not attempt to qualify. Stewart's contracts with Joe Gibbs Racing, Home Depot, and Chevrolet precluded him from driving Foyt's Toyota Indy car.
Carb Day
The final practice was held on Thursday, May 27. The session was scheduled for two hours, but rain ended the day about 15 minutes early. Kosuke Matsuura was the fastest of the day. No incidents were reported, but P. J. Jones suffered an oil leak, which delayed his appearance on track.Pit Stop Challenge
The 28th annual Checkers and Rally's Pit Stop Challenge was held Thursday May 27. Twelve teams competed in a single-elimination bracket. Ten participants were named to the event. On May 19, a last-chance qualifying session was held. Kosuke Matsuura and Bryan Herta filled the final two spots. The bracket was determined by a blind draw.Four teams received byes for the first round. During the quarterfinal matches, Sam Hornish Jr. was disqualified for stalling the engine and not leaving the pit box under power. In one of the semifinal matchups, Dan Wheldon was issued a 5-second penalty for a missed lug nut, handing the win to Buddy Rice. The finals pitted Penske versus Rahal Letterman. It was a rematch of drivers from the previous year's final round, though Rice won the 2003 event with Cheever Racing. Rice and Castroneves had won the event the previous two years, respectively. Castroneves ran over his air hose and was subsequently issued a 10-second penalty. Even without the penalty, Rice had a faster time and won the contest for the second year in a row. It was the first of two wins, as of 2024, in the pit stop contest for the Rahal team.
Starting grid
Failed to qualify
#10 Luis Díaz — Participated in Rookie Orientation, but not official practice#14 Jaques Lazier — Became relief driver for Robby Gordon#14T Tony Stewart — Passed physical, did not practice