2004 IndyCar Series season

The 2004 IRL IndyCar Series season was dominated by two teams, Andretti Green Racing and Rahal Letterman Racing. While there was great parity in 2003 between Honda and Toyota powered teams, in 2004 Honda began to outshine Toyota bringing their teams Penske Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing down with it, leaving Scott Dixon winless and in 10th place in his attempt to defend his 2003 championship.

Season champion Tony Kanaan set a record by completing all 3,305 possible laps, the first IndyCar driver in modern history to do so.

2004 IndyCar Series schedule
All races running on Oval/Speedway.

BOLD indicates a Superspeedways.

Toyota Indy 300
This race was held and Homestead-Miami Speedway on February 29. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 2) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 12- Toranosuke Takagi
 * 5) 4- Tomas Scheckter
 * 6) 10- Darren Manning
 * 7) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 8) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 24- Robbie Buhl

Copper World Indy 200
This race was held and Phoenix International Raceway on March 21. Dan Wheldon won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 51- Alex Barron
 * 5) 10- Darren Manning
 * 6) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 7) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 8) 12- Toranosuke Takagi
 * 9) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 10) 13- Greg Ray

Indy Japan 300
This race was held and Twin Ring Motegi on April 17. This was Honda's first win in the annual oval race held at their own track. Dan Wheldon won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 8) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 12- Toranosuke Takagi

88th Indianapolis 500
The 88th Indianapolis 500 mi race was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 30. Buddy Rice sat on pole. The race was shortened to 180 laps (450 miles) due to rain.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 5) 36- Bruno Junqueira
 * 6) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 10) 16- Roger Yasukawa

Bombardier 500
This race was held and Texas Motor Speedway on June 12. Dario Franchitti won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 3) 51- Alex Barron
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 5) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 6) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 7) 13- Greg Ray
 * 8) 10- Darren Manning
 * 9) 24- Felipe Giaffone
 * 10) 12- Toranosuke Takagi

SunTrust Indy Challenge
This race was held and Richmond International Raceway on June 26. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 24- Felipe Giaffone

Argent Mortgage 300
This race was held and Kansas Speedway on July 4. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 3) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 4) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 5) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 6) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 7) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 8) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 9) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 10) 51- Alex Barron

Firestone Indy 200
This race was held and Nashville Superspeedway on July 17. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 2) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 3) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 6) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 7) 13- Mark Taylor
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 10) 5- Adrián Fernández

Menards A.J. Foyt 225
This race was held and the Milwaukee Mile on July 25. Vitor Meira won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 2) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 3) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 4) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 5) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 6) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 7) 51- Alex Barron
 * 8) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 55- Kosuke Matsuura

Michigan Indy 400
This race was held and Michigan International Speedway on August 1. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 5) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 6) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 7) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 8) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 10) 3- Hélio Castroneves

Belterra Casino Indy 300
This race was held and Kentucky Speedway on August 15. Buddy Rice won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 2) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 55- Kosuke Matsuura
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 7) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 8) 52- Ed Carpenter
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 10- Darren Manning

Honda Indy 225
This race was held and Pikes Peak International Raceway on August 22. Tony Kanaan won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 2) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 3) 6- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 10- Darren Manning
 * 5) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 6) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 7) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 8) 20- Jaques Lazier
 * 9) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 10) 51- Alex Barron

Firestone Indy 225
This race was held and Nazareth Speedway on August 29. Hélio Castroneves won the pole. The race was heralded as the series' 100th event.

Top ten results
 * 1) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 4) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 5) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 6) 10- Darren Manning
 * 7) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 8) 7- Bryan Herta
 * 9) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 10) 17- Vitor Meira

Delphi Indy 300
This race was held and Chicagoland Speedway on September 12. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández 200 laps in 2:09:31.3301
 * 2) 7- Bryan Herta +0.0716
 * 3) 11- Tony Kanaan +0.1239
 * 4) 26- Dan Wheldon +0.2464
 * 5) 17- Vitor Meira +0.4873
 * 6) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr. +0.5402
 * 7) 1- Scott Dixon +0.6109
 * 8) 24- Felipe Giaffone +1.1137
 * 9) 8- Scott Sharp +1.1878
 * 10) 3- Hélio Castroneves +1.2595

Toyota Indy 400
This race was held and California Speedway on October 3. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 6- Sam Hornish, Jr.
 * 5) 15- Buddy Rice
 * 6) 27- Dario Franchitti
 * 7) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 8) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 9) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 10) 13- Mark Taylor

Chevy 500
This race was held and Texas Motor Speedway on October 17. Hélio Castroneves won the pole.

Top ten results
 * 1) 3- Hélio Castroneves
 * 2) 11- Tony Kanaan
 * 3) 26- Dan Wheldon
 * 4) 17- Vitor Meira
 * 5) 5- Adrián Fernández
 * 6) 1- Scott Dixon
 * 7) 13- Mark Taylor
 * 8) 8- Scott Sharp
 * 9) 2- Townsend Bell
 * 10) 14- A. J. Foyt IV

Final driver standings
In every race, points are awarded to drivers on the following basis:
 * Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc.