2004 Champ Car season
The 2004 Champ Car World Series season was the 26th overall season in the CART/Champ Car genealogy, and the first under the ownership of Open-Wheel Racing Series (OWRS) as the Champ Car World Series. It began on April 18, 2004, and ended on November 7 after 14 races. For sponsorship purposes, it was branded as Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford. The Drivers' Champion was Sébastien Bourdais. The Rookie of the Year was A. J. Allmendinger.
| 2004 Champ Car season | |
|---|---|
| Bridgestone Presents the Champ Car World Series Powered by Ford | |
| Season | |
| Races | 14 |
| Start date | April 18 |
| End date | November 7 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion | Sébastien Bourdais |
| Constructors' Cup | Lola |
| Nations' Cup | Canada |
| Rookie of the Year | A. J. Allmendinger |
The open-wheel racing organization Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. had operated until 2003. After that year's season, CART declared bankruptcy and was liquidated in an Indianapolis courtroom in January 2004. Three team owners who had participated in the CART series, Gerald Forsythe, Kevin Kalkhoven, and Paul Gentilozzi, purchased CART's liquidated assets and resurrected it as Open-Wheel Racing Series for the 2004 season.
Champ Car races were broadcast on Spike TV. Also, high-definition live broadcasts were on HDNet.