Who was the 2004 NASCAR Cup champion in the first Chase season?

Kurt Busch won the 2004 NASCAR Cup championship, becoming the champion in NASCAR’s first season using the Chase for the Cup format. He drove a Ford for Roush Racing during the 36-race season.

The Chase began after the first 26 races. The top 10 drivers, plus any additional drivers within 400 points of the leader, qualified for a final 10-race playoff. NASCAR then reset the standings to make the championship battle closer and more dramatic.

Busch entered the Chase among the leading contenders and won the title by eight points over Jimmie Johnson. His consistency and strong late-season performance allowed him to survive a tightly packed standings fight that also included Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The format changed how fans understood the championship. Instead of allowing the season-long points leader to build an increasingly secure advantage, the reset made the final 10 races decisive. Busch’s 2004 title therefore carries a special distinction: he was the first driver to win NASCAR’s modern playoff-style championship.