The traditional Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway found itself in an unusual spot in 2004. A big shake-up in the Cup schedule moved the Labor Day date to the second-to-last race in the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup.
The 2004 championship was coming down to the wire. Kurt Busch held the points lead over Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, and others. Inclement weather during the weekend cancelled qualifying, giving Busch the pole. Continue reading