Monticello, New York -- Shane Mitchell of Yonkers, New York and Paul Donnelly of Maspeth, New York in a Subaru Impreza WRX were the upset winners of Rally New York 2004. The favored team of Seamus Burke and Charles Bradley, both from Georgia, took an early lead, and pulled away to a margin of over a minute. But with a mile and a half remaining on the final special stage (high-speed section), their Mitsubishi Lancer was stopped by mechanical problems. Mitchell told reporters afterward that this was not the way that he wanted to win, but that he would still accept the victory.

John Drislane/Ronan Burke in a Mitsubishi Lancer placed second, nearly two and a half minutes behind the winners. Drislane, a former winner of Rally New York, said that he was running at his own pace, not attempting to run with Burke or Mitchell, but trying to keep ahead of the Mitsubishis of third-placed Celsus "Charlie" Donnelly/Barry McCann and fourth-placed Liam Egan/Charlie Donnelly.

Conditions in the Catskill Mountains were nearly ideal for an auto rally: mild temperatures and partly cloudy skies. Recent rains meant that few competitors complained of encountering dust from earlier cars when traveling on the dirt roads.

Rally New York was the third round of the Eastern States Rally Championship, sanctioned by the National Auto Sport Association.