Top 10: News Stories

The on-track action wasn't the only place where NASCAR made news in 2004. Starting with a new sponsor and new points system, the top news stories of 2004 ranged from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.

Here's my list of the 10 biggest:

Hendrick plane crash

For the third time in five years, a major NASCAR team was devastated by tragedy. But unlike the Pettys in 2000 and the Earnhardts in 2001, it involved more than one individual.

	VIDEO CNN Report CNN's Bob Franken reports on the Hendrick plane crash

Ten people died in the Oct. 24 plane crash, including four leaders at Hendrick Motorsports: team owner Ricky Hendrick, President John Hendrick, Vice President Jeff Turner and Head Engine Builder Randy Dorton.

The group was heading to Martinsville that Sunday, but their King Air crashed as they tried to land in nearby Danville, Va. The crash also killed John Hendrick's twin daughters, Kimberly and Jennifer, as well as Dupont executive Joe Jackson, Hendrick pilots Dick Tracy and Elizabeth Morrison, and Scott Lathram, a pilot for Tony Stewart.

Thousands of fans sent condolences to the families through NASCAR.COM in the weeks after the accident.

Points system change

It was year of Nextel's inaugural, and NASCAR wanted to make a splash. They generated a lot of buzz -- and criticism -- when the creation of the Chase for the Nextel Cup, a playoff-style system that crowned the champion via a 10-race shootout.

The new points system made a huge difference, as Kurt Busch won the title with a stunning run of nine top-10 finishes in the 10 races.

The race for the title came down to the final lap of the season finale at Homestead, generating large ratings increases.

Profanity insanity

It all started with Johnny Sauter at Las Vegas in March, when he said on a PRN broadcast that Michael Waltrip was doing "stupid (bleep)." NASCAR has fined for profanity in the past, but with Janet Jackson's breast-baring incident in the Super Bowl, it became a bigger issue.

	VIDEO Slip of the tongue Dale Jr. utters a profanity during his post-race celebration

So NASCAR also started docking drivers 25 points for cursing. And it didn't take long before they had to use that punishment in the Nextel Cup Series.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. let one slip in victory lane at Talladega in October -- right in the thick of the title chase -- and NASCAR took back 25 points. That slip gave Kurt Busch the points lead, and Busch never relinquished it.

Bleep.

Changing of the guard

A remarkable trio of drivers (Rusty Wallace, Terry Labonte and Mark Martin) all announced in 2004 when they would walk away from the sport.

Labonte's 2004 season ended up being his last full-time in NASCAR, while Wallace and Martin both stated that 2005 would be their final full-time year.

Martin's departure was the most surprising. At 45, he was the youngest of the three and had a top-five points finish in 2004.

The three men have combined to win 111 races and three titles in the Cup Series.

Green-white-checkered

Fans littered the track at Talladega in April after Jeff Gordon won the Aaron's 499 under caution.

In July, NASCAR announced that they were extending the Craftsman Truck Series' green-white-checkered rule to the Busch and Nextel Cup Series, although only one green flag would be attempted in overtime.

The new rule worked well the rest of the season -- it was even used in the season finale, won by Greg Biffle.

Roush makes it two in a row

Kurt Busch stayed in the top 10 for most of the year, but when the Chase for the Nextel Cup rolled around, he was in top form, scoring six top-fives.

	VIDEO The champ Kurt Busch receives the 2004 Nextel Cup trophy

Busch finished a solid fifth in the season finale and ended up winning his first title by just eight points over Jimmie Johnson.

Busch took full advantage of Roush's improved engine program. Roush merged his engine operation with Robert Yates Racing before the season, and the results were startling, as Roush won the title for the second straight year.

Major changes to the schedule

Texas got its second date for 2005 at the expense of Rockingham, reportedly in part to settle a lawsuit filed by a shareholder of Texas Moor Speedway's parent company, SMI.

Rockingham's actual February date was given to Phoenix, which will have two Nextel Cup races in 2005 for the first time in its history.

But other reasons existed for the move, mainly because North Carolina Speedway has had problems selling tickets to fill its 65,000 seats.

The track was knocked back to one date in 2004, which turned out of be one of the best races of the season when Matt Kenseth outdueled Kasey Kahne on the final lap.

Diversity

NASCAR made a huge push to further open the sport for minorities in 2004.

NASCAR's method of doing this was to go to the teams, and they responded by starting grass-roots outfits at the Late Model level for minority drivers and crewmembers. Magic Johnson joined NASCAR as a consultant to increase diversity awareness.

In October, a group calling themselves the "National Association for Minority Race Fans" began picketing at NASCAR events, calling for a safer environment for minority fans.

Earnhardt Jr. suffers burns at Sonoma

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was to compete in an American Le Mans event at Sonoma in July to sharpen his road course skills, but he crashed on the first lap of practice, burning his legs and face.

Earnhardt Jr. didn't miss a start, but he required relief the next week at Loudon. In a later interview with Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes, Earnhardt Jr. said he theorized his late father helped him from the burning wreckage.

Dale Jr. wins the Daytona 500

It took his father 20 tries to win NASCAR's major of majors, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. won it in just his fifth attempt.

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