STARTING THE 2004 NASCAR SEASON

Up from this year there are no longer Pontiacs Grand Prix involved in the Nextel Cup Series. Only the Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Taurus and Dodge Intrepid will be seen in competition. Haas CNC Racing has substituted its Pontiac by Chevrolet (#0). The same was done by Morgan McClure Racing, having lost Kodak as main sponsor on its #4, by MB2 Motorsports for the #01 U.S. Army, by P.P.I. Motorsports for the #32 Tide, and by MBV Motorsports for the #10 Valvoline. Last year Joe Gibbs Racing, with Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart as racers, changed its Pontiacs already for Chevrolets.
Number of Fords Taurus at the start has been decreased now that Jasper Motorsports - having won Kodak as sponsor - changed its #77 Ford for a Dodge Intrepid. Edward Campbell (#57), Travis Carter (#66) and Cindy Shepherd (#189), who raced Fords last year, seem having found no sponsor for this season. So, the only teams racing Fords in 2004 are Roush Racing (#6, #16, #17, #97, #99), Robert Yates Racing (#38, #88), and Wood Brothers Racing (#21), so that there are only 8 Fords as regular entrants.
Number of Chevrolets Monte Carlo increased after 5 Pontiacs were changed for Chevies. Only Derrike Cope, now racing for Arnold Motorsports changed his #37 Chevy for a #50 Dodge. Dale Earnhardt Inc. (#1, #8, #15), Richard Childress Racing (#29, #30, #31 and at 5 races #33 for Kerry Earnhardt), Hendrick Motorsports (#5, #24, #25, #48) and Joe Gibbs Racing stay all with Chevrolets. In total no less than 18 Chevies will be regular entrants this year. Another Chevy, the #84 is planned to do 6 races with young Kyle Bush as driver.
Number of Dodges Intrepid increased also with the venue of Arnold Motorsports and with a third Dodge for Everham Motorsports (where Bill Eliott will race no longer the #9, but the #91, and this only at a limited number of races). At least 16 Dodges will be regular entrants in 2004.

Several famous Nascar racers found no wheel in 2004. Steve Park has been replaced by rookie Johnny Sauter on the #30 AOL Chevy of Richard Childress Racing. Johny Benson has been replaced by Scott Riggs at the #10 Valvoline Chevrolet of MBV Motorsports. Dave Blaney is no longer the driver of the #77 since the wheel went to rookie Brendan Gaughan. Another rookie this year is Kasey Kahne who will drive Everham Motorsport's #9, now that Bill Elliott goes to the #91 of the same team. Todd Bodine has not be confirmed on the BelCar Racing #54, after his sponsor (Army National Guard) went to the #16 of Greg Biffle. Jerry Nadeau is healing slower than expected after his terrible accident of last year at Richmond, and stays replaced by Joe Nemecek. There is no come-back for Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Jason Leffler or Christian Fittipaldi, who where already fired last year. After a disappointing 2003 season Kenny Wallace has to leave the Nextel Cup Series, since there will be no longer a #23 at Bill Davis Racing. Probably Kenny will only do the Busch Series for Davis. Out too seems Brett Bodine, just as Mike Wallace.
Starting the season several drivers are without a full season sponsor. The most dramatic case is Jeff Burton's, being affraid that he will be unable to do all races. There are plenty other racers finding no $ 15,000,000 US sponsor, from Kevin Lepage's Morgan-McClure Motorsports #4 to Jimmy Spencer's Ultra Motorsports #7 to Ken Schrader's BAM Racing #49 to Tony Raines' BACE Motorsports #74. Those drivers are committed to their teams, but there are other teams who may not be able to run a full season. Major sponsors as Pennzoil (#1) or Citgo (#99) decided to stop investments in Nextel Cup Series racing. Alarming is that not one new full season sponsor could be found by the racing teams, whilst several new series sponsors joined Nascar. Not only Travis Carter and Dave Marcis will enter probably no cars in 2004: also Andy Petree is out after his sold his complete equipment.