The 2004 NASCAR racing seasons are a done deal, with the exception of the series awards banquets which are all due within a couple of weeks. The Cup Series banquet at the infamous Waldorf Astoria ballroom in New York City is scheduled for December 3rd and will be aired live by the TNT channel at 9 PM EST.
So now us racing junkies are out of luck, with no races to watch other than reruns that we know the results of. NOT much fun! As per usual, there won't be any real live racing action until the second week of February when they throw the green flag for the Bud Shootout.
Kurt Busch is the winner of the 2004 Chase for the Championship. Of course, if you visit the NASCAR.com web site, they are still touting Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as leading the power rankings for the 2004 season, but what do they know? They have Dale Earnhardt Jr. listed third and our new champion listed fourth! All they think about is the drivers who are the most marketable, they aren't interested in the competitive side of racing anymore, NASCAR has sold its soul to the almighty dollar.
When you view the statistics for the ten week Chase for the Championship, the top three drivers in NASCAR's so-called power rankings leave a lot to be desired compared to those of 2004 Champion Kurt Busch:
- Jeff Gordon - 5050 ~|~ Wk. #1, 5201, 3rd ~|~ Wk. #2, 5371, 1st ~|~ Wk. #3, 5482, 3rd (-61) ~|~ Wk. #4, 5606, 3rd (-79) ~|~ Wk. #5, 5576, 3rd (-74) ~|~ Wk. #6, 5919, 2nd (-96) ~|~ Wk. #7, 5980, 3rd (-72) ~|~ Wk. #8, 6150, 2nd (-41) ~|~ Wk. #9, 6325, 3rd (-21) ~|~ Wk. #10, 6490, 3rd (-16)
- Jimmie Johnson - 5045 ~|~ Wk. #1, 5180, 5th ~|~ Wk. #2, 5314, 4th ~|~ Wk. #3, 531, 9th (-172) ~|~ Wk. #4, 5438, 9th (-247) ~|~ Wk. #5, 5623, 8th (-227) ~|~ Wk. #6, 5808, 4th (-207) ~|~ Wk. #7, 5993, 2nd (-59) ~|~ Wk. #8, 6143, 4th (-48) ~|~ Wk. #9, 6328, 2nd (-18) ~|~ Wk. #10, 6498, 2nd (-8)
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. - 5040 ~|~ Wk. #1, 5210 1st ~|~ Wk. #2, 5353, 3rd ~|~ Wk. #3, 5543, 1st ~|~ Wk. #4, 5656, 2nd (-29) ~|~ Wk. #5, 5826, 2nd (-24) ~|~ Wk. #6, 5890, 3rd (-125) ~|~ Wk. #7, 5954, 5th (-98) ~|~ Wk. #8, 6144, 3rd (-47) ~|~ Wk. #9, 6274, 4th (-72) ~|~ Wk. #10, 6368, 5th (-138)
