As the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series prepares for its first night race of the season in Texas this weekend a look back at one of the more memorable finishes in the history of Texas Motor Speedway. The 2004 Samsung/Radio Shack 500, as it was known at the time, went to the wire with a great battle between Elliott Sadler and a rookie by the name of Kasey Kahne.

Bobby Labonte qualified on the pole at his home track with fellow veteran Bill Elliott filling out row number one. Kahne started third with Greg Biffle and Joe Nemecheck taking the green from the fourth and fifth starting positions.

Kasey Kahne took command from the beginning and dominated by leading 148 laps of the 334-lap event. Sadler and Kahne traded the lead for the final ten laps with Kahne making a final attempt coming off four for the checkered flag but came up .028 seconds short at the line, bringing 216,000 fans to their feet.

Sadler earned his second career Sprint Cup Series victory while Kahne proved to the racing world he had what it took to successfully compete at NASCAR’s highest level.

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