The Chase was born in 2004 with a lot of attention placed on the Chase drivers. When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolled into Kansas that fall for the Banquet 400 one non-Chase driver grabbed the spotlight after winning from the pole.

“Front Row Joe” Nemechek, who also won Saturday’s Nationwide race that October weekend, blistered the 1.5-mile Kansas oval with a qualifying lap at 180.156 mph to capture the pole. Kasey Kahne started on the outside front row followed by Jeremy Mayfield, Jimmie Johnson and Bobby Labonte.

The race got off to a slow start as Sterlin Marlin’s car slowed with a transmission problem when the green flag dropped then Carl Edwards brought out a caution when he spun on lap 16 in turn four. A number of Chase contenders ran into problems during the race including Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman.

With fifty laps remaining most of the lead cars pitted while Nemechek and Ricky Rudd elected to stay out. Restarting fourth Nemechek passed leader Elliott Sadler lap 231 then went into fuel conservation mode.

Rudd, driving the No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford, closed on Nemechek in the final laps. 

"There at the end I was trying to save gas, and here comes Ricky Rudd out of nowhere," Nemechek said. "I was like, 'Holy Moly.' I had to get back on it. He got beside me one time, but I wasn't going to let it happen."

Nemechek won the 2004 Banquet 400 by 0.081 seconds to sweep the 2004 Kansas weekend. Rudd finished a close second with Greg Biffle, Elliott Sadler and Jeremy Mayfield completing the top-five, respectively.

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