January 3, 2005
10:19 AM EST (15:19 GMT)
NASCAR.COM's look back at various top-10 moments of 2004: Top 10 Races From Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s victory in the Daytona 500 to Rusty Wallace ending a 106-race drought by taking the checkered flag at Martinsville through Tony Stewart overcoming an upset stomach to win at Watkins Glen and Kurt Busch's championship-clinching at Homestead, we reel off the top races. And pay tribute to venerable North Carolina Speedway -- "The Rock" -- which played host to one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history in its finale. • 10 Questions ... with Kenny Wallace --- Top 10 Celebrations Victory Lane is the end of the line, and each celebration is unique. In 2004, there were poignant displays of emotion -- though no other race had the mournful undercurrent of Jimmie Johnson's victory at Atlanta in October. Take a walk down memory lane as we look back at the best end-game moments of the season gone by, including Bobby Hamilton's Craftsman Truck and Martin Truex Jr.'s Busch series celebrations, and two vastly different revelries by Junior. • 10 Questions ... with David Green --- Top 10 Images Perhaps nothing can capture the spirit of NASCAR like a photograph. From the revelry in Victory Lane to the pulse-pounding emotional roller coaster that is a crash, pictures say more than words. The images of 2004 that are seared in our memories include Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s win in the Daytona 500, Elliott Sadler's tumble at Talladega and Kurt Busch celebrating his Cup championship. The season gone by was remarkable, just like these images. • 10 Questions ... with Martin Truex Jr. --- Top 10 Surprises Each year brings a new batch of storylines -- whether it be drivers riding under the radar, rookies making an unexpected splash or crew changes. The 2004 season was no different. Michael McSwain was released as crew chief of a top-10 team. Kasey Kahne came out of the blocks firing on all cylinders. And who can forget the point system change -- and Kurt Busch's run in the Chase. But perhaps nothing was more stunning than the year-end crew changes at DEI. • 10 Questions ... with Kyle Busch --- Top 10 Quotes Stick a microphone or tape recorder in the face of a NASCAR personality and sometimes you never know what you'll hear. In 2004, NASCAR washed out Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s point total with soap, Tony Stewart dissed ol' D.W. and then went digital on Rusty Wallace, Sterling Marlin waxed eloquently about Greg Biffle's eyes and Carl Long described the sensation of being upside down at Rockingham in some of 2004's most memorable quotes. • 10 Questions ... with David Stremme --- Top 10 Paint Schemes When thinking of NASCAR, the brilliant colors of the sport are often the first thing to come to mind. It seems that every year there are more and more special paint schemes designed to run in conjunction with newly-released movies, as tributes to famous people or in commemoration of a historical event. It was difficult to narrow this year's crop down to so few, but here are our picks for the 10 most colorful and creative paint schemes of 2004. • 10 Questions ... with Mike Wallace --- Top 10 Disappointments When you've won one championship, anything that falls short of that goal has to be a disappointment. Former champs Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart, Bobby Labonte and Dale Jarrett were some who had a disappointing 2004. But disappointment didn't just come to the contenders. It struck veterans like Rusty Wallace and rookies like Brian Vickers with equal ferocity. Check out all of our selections for the 10 most disappointing seasons of 2004. • 10 Questions ... with Hermie Sadler --- 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 the season ranged from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, including the loss of 10 people in a plane crash at Martinsville. The sport's biggest name had a particularly newsworthy year, winning the Daytona 500, suffering a serious injury and collecting a fine for an off-color post-race remark at Talladega. • 10 Questions ... with Todd Kluever --- Top 10 Silly Season Silly Season is no longer confined to a few weeks between the end of one racing schedule and the beginning of the next. It seems like Silly Season is a year-round phenomenon, especially after the changes that took place during -- and immediately following -- the 2004 season. Veterans like Jeff Burton, Robby Gordon and John Andretti played musical chairs, while Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards made it to the top rung of the NASCAR ladder. • 10 Questions ... with Carl Edwards --- Top 10 Prospects The emphasis on younger drivers has never been more apparent. Big-time car owners are drivers to development contracts before they can even vote. Ford already has Mark Martin's 13-year-old son, Matt, in its camp, and Hendrick Motorsports signed 15-year-old Chase Austin to a contract late last year. But here are the 10 best prospects to make it big in NASCAR's top series, including 2004 Busch Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Shane Hmiel and Reed Sorenson. • 10 Questions ... with Greg Biffle --- Top 10 Predictions What does the 2005 season hold? Well, if we knew that we'd be in Vegas playing the odds. But since no one knows what the future holds, these are a guess for what to expect this year. Among the things to look for: a resurgence from Ganassi with drivers Casey Mears and Jamie McMurray, retirement dates from Dale Jarrett and Sterling Marlin, more than 10 drivers in the Chase and -- gasp! -- as off year (by his standards) from Dale Earnhardt Jr. • 10 Questions ... with Brendan Gaughan | 
