Photo – Phil Manson/AP
Michael Waltrip’s win in the 2001 Daytona 500 for his new team, Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI), began a stranglehold on the field at Daytona and Talladega. DEI went on to win ten of 13 Cup races on restrictor plate tracks from February 2001 to February 2004.
Once again heading into the Aaron’s Dream Weekend at Talladega in April 2004, DEI teammates Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip would be the drivers to beat. The DEI organization won the last five races at Talladega, four in a row with Earnhardt (Oct. 2001-Apr. 2003) and one with Michael Waltrip (Sep. 2003).
Saturday’s Nationwide Aaron’s 312 was a precursor to Sunday’s Sprint Cup race, as Martin Truex Jr. won in the No. 8 car for Earnhardt’s team, Chance 2 Motorsports. Earnhardt already had two wins on the 2004 season, including one in the season-opening Daytona 500. Ricky Rudd won the pole for the Aaron’s 499, with Earnhardt and Waltrip right behind him in second and third.
Earnhardt’s car was once again dominant at Talladega, leading the most laps on the day with 57. The race came down to Earnhardt with a familiar face joining him at the front. It was four-time Cup champ Jeff Gordon.
Gordon restarted seventh with nine laps to go. His teammate, Jimmie Johnson, was close ahead in fifth. Earnhardt fell back from the lead on the restart, but with seven laps to go, he got a push from Waltrip to once again assume the lead. The No. 8 car then cleared Harvick, as Gordon got a run with drafting help from Johnson.
The No. 24 dove to the bottom and went side-by-side with Earnhardt. The two continued to go side-by-side with five to go. Going into turn three, Brian Vickers got loose and lost control of his No. 25 car, bringing out the caution.
NASCAR had to decide who was out in front when the caution came out. Looking at the video at the time of caution, Gordon was out in front of Earnhardt and NASCAR had to decide whether to restart the race or not.
Starting in Sept. 2003, the sanctioning body decided to freeze the field when the caution came out. Due to a safety issue, NASCAR didn’t restart the race and Jeff Gordon claimed his third victory at Talladega.
With the race finishing under caution, much to the dismay of Talladega fans, the No. 24 met with a lot of debris coming from the grandstands.
Gordon went on to win the next restrictor place race at Daytona in July, before Earnhardt took the first-ever Chase race at Talladega in October.
2004 Aaron’s 499 Top Ten