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NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Champion Busch Tops $9.6 million in 2004 Winnings

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion tops $9.6 million in 2004 winnings

NEW YORK (Dec. 3, 2004) – NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series champion Kurt Busch (No. 97 Sharpie/ IRWIN Tools Ford) will receive $5,356,181 in point fund money at Friday night’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony in the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel. Once Busch accepts the official check, his season winnings will total $9,677,543.

Busch’s point fund payout comes from NASCAR and series sponsor Nextel, which is completing its first season as the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series sponsor.

Prior to Friday night’s celebration, Busch also received a total of $105,000 in various contingency awards during the annual Myers Brothers Breakfast on the Waldorf=Astoria’s historic 18th-floor Starlight Roof.
Busch’s 2004 race winnings total $4,200,332. His career winnings stand at $22,860,894.

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Top 10 runner-up Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) will receive a point fund payout of $2,404,137 from NASCAR and Nextel. Third-place finisher Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) will receive a point fund payout of $1,766,527 from NASCAR and Nextel.

2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series

                             Race            Special      NASCAR/        Leader        Season          Career
Driver                     Winnings      Awards      Nextel             Bonus         Total              Total
1 Busch, Kurt         $4,200,332   $105,000    $5,356,181     $16,030     $9,677,543     $22,860,894
2 Johnson, Jimmie    5,692,624    170,000      2,404,137         8,960       8,275,721      19,931,839
3 Gordon, Jeff           6,437,665     227,000     1,766,527         8,190       8,439,382      66,964,439
4 Martin, Mark          3,948,497                      1,523,087         7,420       5,479,004      46,135,779
5 Earnhardt, Dale Jr. 7,201,380     195,000      1,510,480         6,650       8,913,510      29,555,869
6 Stewart, Tony        6,221,710     385,000      1,218,217         5,880       7,830,807      34,905,161
7 Newman, Ryan      5,152,666     100,000      1,096,480         5,110       6,354,256      18,304,885
8 Kenseth, Matt        6,223,892      75,000      1,102,077         4,340       7,405,309      26,501,894
9 Sadler, Elliott         5,158,362      35,000      1,047,672         3,920       6,244,954      19,429,249
10 Mayfield, Jeremy  3,892,573                      1,023,269         3,500       4,919,342      22,515,017
11 McMurray, Jamie  3,676,311                     1,000,000                        4,676,311        8,653,059
12 Labonte, Bobby    4,570,545                         630,852                       5,201,397       40,843,154
13 Kahne, Kasey      4,759,022       50,000        606,589                        5,415,611         5,415,611
14 Harvick, Kevin      4,739,012                         582,325                        5,321,337       19,709,874
15 Jarrett, Dale         4,539,334                        558,062                         5,097,396       46,915,666
16 Wallace, Rusty    4,447,302                        533,798                         4,981,100      43,670,500
17 Biffle, Greg          3,583,342                         509,535                        4,092,877        7,293,323
18 Burton, Jeff          3,695,075                         359,235                        4,054,310       35,642,417
19 Nemechek, Joe    3,872,415                        473,139                         4,345,554      19,327,669
20 Waltrip, Michael   4,245,688                        448,876                         4,694,564      27,640,029
21 Marlin, Sterling     4,117,753                        339,690                         4,457,443      32,970,362
22 Mears, Casey       3,250,317                       212,306                         3,462,623       6,101,801
23 Gordon, Robby      4,025,545                      200,174                          4,225,719      14,452,181
24 Rudd, Ricky          3,717,099                       188,042                         3,905,141      36,120,592
25 Vickers, Brian       3,044,898                        90,988                          3,135,886       3,399,370
36 Sauter, Johnny      1,333,521                         39,428                         1,372,949       1,654,284
37 Edwards, Carl        1,410,571                        43,809                         1,454,380       1,454,380
38 Blaney, Dave         1,461,638                        27,634                          1,489,272     10,613,812
74 Inglebright, Jim          70,550                           3,033                              73,583         119,323
 
Totals                                                        24,895,631

Post Season Awards:

Driver                               Award                                Amount                              Total
 Kurt Busch                       Sunoco                                $75,000 
                                        Goodyear Tire                         30,000                            $105,000
 Jimmie Johnson                Outback Steakhouse               75,000 
                                        Mechanix                                75,000
                                        Clevite                                    20,000                             170,000
 Jeff Gordon                       Goodyear Belts & Hoses         75,000 
                                        Wix                                        75,000 
                                        Clevite                                    77,000                             227,000
 Dale Earnhardt Jr.             Mobil 1                                 100,000
                                        McDonald’s/PowerAde             75,000 
                                        Clevite                                    10,000
                                        Grands                                   10,000                            195,000
 Tony Stewart                    MBNA                                    85,000 
                                        USG                                     100,000
                                        McDonald’s/PowerAde            200,000                            385,000
 Ryan Newman                  Bud Pole                               100,000                            100,000
 Matt Kenseth                   Waste Management                 75,000                              75,000
 Elliott Sadler                    McDonald’s/PowerAde              35,000                             35,000
 Kasey Kahne                   Raybestos                               50,000                             50,000
 
 Total                                                                                                               $1,157,000