Race Report for the Daytona 400

Kyle Petty, #45 Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge Finished: 24; Started: 33

ATLANTA, GA. July 07, 2004 -- A strong performance from Kyle Petty and the #45
Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge team left Kyle Petty with a 24th place finish
Saturday night. Kyle Petty was pleased with the car's performance throughout the
night and the team made minimal changes to the handling of the
Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge. Kyle Petty was able to move to the front where he
battled in the lead pack of cars throughout the night. The right decisions in
the draft proved critical through the course of the race as drivers positioned
themselves for the race's final stages. Kyle Petty was just unable to catch up
to the lead draft of cars at the end, and raced with his pack of cars to a
24th-place finish.

"It's a shame that we didn't get a better finish," said Kyle Petty. "The car was
pretty easy to drive and the guys did an awesome job with the car all weekend."


OVERVIEW:

Jeff Gordon stayed hot at Daytona, winning his second straight race Saturday in
the Daytona 400 at the 2.5-mile Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. Gordon
and teammate Jimmie Johnson were able to beat the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) team
of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Waltrip, who had dominated Daytona in recent
years. The win was Gordon's fifth win at the track and 68th of his career.

A hard rain just a few hours before the start of Saturday night's race postponed
the start for over two hours. The rain showers over the track resulted in very
green race track - one with little or no rubber ground into it from earlier
practices and qualifying - but actually helped make the track more "racer
friendly." The race was started under yellow conditions, allowing extra time for
the track to dry, but once the race went green it didn't take long before a
four-car wreck slowed the field. The race went green for a while after that and
it was then the Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael
Waltrip showed their strength. Both took turns up front, but Earnhardt Jr.
proved to be the most dominant. He lost the lead under the yellow on pit road
when he was forced into the rain-soaked infield to avoid another car. It didn't
take long before Earnhardt Jr. was able to get back to the front and race with
Waltrip for the lead. The DEI contention didn't have the
night wrapped up, however, as Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and
Jimmie Johnson swapped the lead with the DEI pair. The end of the race boiled
down to pit strategy. The leaders came to pit road with about 20 laps to go and
the stage was then set. The final contenders included Gordon, Johnson, Earnhardt
Jr. and Tony Stewart. Stewart, who took only two tires on his final stop.
Stewart faded, leaving Gordon and Johnson in front. Earnhardt Jr. was unable to
break up the duo and was left with a third-place finish. Gordon beat Johnson to
the line for the win.

1. Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet
2. Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet
4. Kurt Busch, Ford
5. Tony Stewart, Chevrolet
24. Kyle Petty, Georgia-Pacific/Brawny Dodge
30. Jeff Green, Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge


Jeff Green, #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Finished: 30; Started: 30

Jeff Green and the #43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge team had to fight for
everything they got Saturday night after fighting handling woes all night. Jeff
Green developed the problems in the night's first wreck when he was forced into
the grass to avoid the accident. That move unbalanced the front end of Jeff
Green's Dodge and the team had to work to improve the car throughout the race.
The "Helping Hands" crew made major adjustments and gave Jeff Green a car that
he worked up to a 30th-place finish at the end. Jeff Green did lose a little
engine power in the final laps of the race, that resulting in him losing a
little track time at the end.

"There was something off with the car at the end," said Jeff Green. "It was
still a pretty long night for us. We just couldn't get the car to handle the way
we needed to. It was pretty tough to get it through the turns, but we hung in
there to the end."



"It's just been our life that I
always end up being the man in
the middle." Dr. Maurice E. Gibb
www.victoryjunction.org












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