The 2004 Tropicana Twister 300 was a NASCAR Busch Series race held on July 10, 2004, at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois. The race was the 4th iteration of the event. The race was the 19th race of the 2004 NASCAR Busch Series. Bobby Hamilton Jr. won the pole while rookie sensation Kyle Busch led the most laps at 49. But the race became most notable for two reasons. One being the most infamous one where a big inflatable Tropicana Orange made its way onto the race track during Todd Szegedy's qualifying run. And the second being one of the biggest upset winners in NASCAR history as Justin Labonte, the son of Terry Labonte and the nephew of Bobby Labonte, won his first and only Busch Series race after he had not scored a top 10 in 31 career Busch Series starts as he beat out the fuel strategy game at the end of the race.[2]
| Race details[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Map of Speedway | |||
| Date | July 10, 2004 | ||
| Official name | 2004 Tropicana Twister 400 | ||
| Location | Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois | ||
| Course |
Tri-oval 1.5 mi (2.4 km) | ||
| Distance | 200 laps, 300 mi (480 km) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Average speed | 126.790 mph (204.049 km/h) | ||
| Attendance | 70,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Team Rensi Motorsports | ||
| Time | 29.410 | ||
| Most laps led | |||
| Driver | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | |
| Laps | 49 | ||
| Winner | |||
| No. 44 | Justin Labonte | Labonte Motorsports | |
| Television in the United States | |||
| Network | NBC | ||
| Announcers | Allen Bestwick, Wally Dallenbach Jr., Benny Parsons | ||
Background
edit
Chicagoland Speedway is a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) tri-oval speedway in Joliet, Illinois, southwest of Chicago. The speedway opened in 2001 and currently hosts NASCAR racing. Until 2011, the speedway also hosted the IndyCar Series, recording numerous close finishes including the closest finish in IndyCar history. The speedway is owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation and located adjacent to Route 66 Raceway.
Entry list
edit- (R) denotes rookie driver
Qualifying
editBobby Hamilton Jr. won the pole with a time of 29.410 and a speed of 183.611 mph. But during qualifying, it was a really windy day which led to one of the most infamous and weirdest moments in NASCAR history. Todd Szegedy was about to make his qualifying run attempting to qualify for his 2nd Busch Series race. A big gust of wind came through and it ended up breaking the straps that were holding the big inflatable Tropicana Oranges off and the oranges went loose. One orange got ripped apart and landed on the infield spectator area on someone's RV where four people were covered by the orange. Another orange also made its way onto the race track. Szegedy was on his first lap when he was making his way through turns 3 and 4 when he was shocked and startled to see a big inflatable tropicana orange rolling on the apron of the race track. Szegedy went by it very easily without incident. NASCAR immeadietly stopped qualifying to get the orange off the track. Track crews attempted to use the truck with a powerful blower to blow the orange off the track. Unfortunetly, the orange would rip apart and get stuck on the turn 1 catchfence in which they had to take it down by hand. They would but a storm front made its way onto the track which caused a further delay. Qualifying was stopped for about an hour and a half before the track dried and qualifying got going again. Szegedy was granted a re-run by NASCAR and ended up qualifying 12th. Szegedy even joked about it afterwards saying "I used to like orange juice. Now it almost killed me."[3]
Starting grid
edit| Grid | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford |
| 2 | 5 | Kyle Busch (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 3 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 4 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Reiser Enterprises | Ford |
| 5 | 21 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 6 | 20 | Mike Bliss | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 7 | 38 | Kasey Kahne | Akins Motorsports | Dodge |
| 8 | 60 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 9 | 18 | J. J. Yeley (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet |
| 10 | 55 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 11 | 32 | David Stremme | Braun Racing | Dodge |
| 12 | 7 | Todd Szegedy | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 13 | 37 | David Green* | Brewco Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 14 | 29 | Ricky Craven | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 15 | 31 | Todd Bodine | Marsh Racing | Ford |
| 16 | 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chance 2 Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 17 | 9 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford |
| 18 | 12 | Tim Fedewa | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet |
| 19 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Chevrolet |
| 20 | 00 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet |
| 21 | 50 | Regan Smith | Holigan Racing | Chevrolet |
| 22 | 74 | Tony Raines* | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 23 | 22 | Jason Keller | ppc Racing | Ford |
| 24 | 27 | Johnny Sauter* | Brewco Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 25 | 46 | Ashton Lewis | Lewis Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 26 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Phoenix Racing | Dodge |
| 27 | 99 | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet |
| 28 | 66 | Billy Parker (R) | Rusty Wallace Inc. | Dodge |
| 29 | 2 | Ron Hornaday | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet |
| 30 | 14 | Casey Atwood | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet |
| 31 | 72 | Kevin Lepage | MacDonald Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 32 | 36 | Travis Geisler | RCT Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 33 | 59 | Stacy Compton* | ST Motorsports | Ford |
| 34 | 44 | Justin Labonte | Labonte Motorsports | Dodge |
| 35 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Biagi Brothers Racing | Ford |
| 36 | 49 | Derrike Cope | Jay Robinson Racing | Ford |
| 37 | 35 | Kenny Hendrick | Gary Keller Racing | Chevrolet |
| 38 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 39 | 47 | Robert Pressley | ST Motorsports | Ford |
| 40 | 33 | Clint Bowyer (R) | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet |
| 41 | 10 | Gus Wasson | Davis Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 42 | 39 | Tina Gordon | Jay Robinson Racing | Ford |
| 43 | 24 | Steve Grissom | GIC-Mixon Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| Failed to Qualify, withdrew, or driver changes | ||||
| 44 | 88 | Jeff Fuller | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 45 | 51 | Blake Mallory | Ware Racing Enterprises | Chevrolet |
| 46 | 91 | Stanton Barrett | Stanton Barrett Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| 47 | 77 | Jimmy Kitchens | Moy Racing | Ford |
| 48 | 07 | Carl Long | Moy Racing | Ford |
| 49 | 62 | Larry Hollenbeck | S.W.A.T. Racing | Chevrolet |
| 50 | 56 | Kevin Conway | Mac Hill Motorsports | Chevrolet |
| Official Starting grid | ||||
* - Johnny Sauter, David Green, Stacy Compton, and Tony Raines all had to start at the rear of the field due to an engine change.
Race
editPole sitter Bobby Hamilton Jr. led the first lap of the race. The first caution did not take long as it came out on lap 2 when rookie Billy Parker crashed in turn 1. The race would restart on lap 6. On the restart, Kyle Busch took the lead from Hamilton Jr. Unfortunetly for Bobby Hamilton Jr., his engine would give out on lap 9 of the race which would end his chances of winning. On lap 40, Kyle Busch handed the lead to Matt Kenseth as he came in to pit. On lap 44, the second caution would fly for debris in turn 1. Robby Gordon won the race off of pit road and he led the field to the restart on lap 49. On lap 55, Matt Kenseth challenged Robby Gordon for the lead and led that lap but could not pass him. The third caution flew on lap 56 for debris. On lap 61, Matt Kenseth took the lead. On lap 63, the fourth caution flew when Todd Szegedy crashed in turn 2. The race would restart on lap 68. On lap 91, Matt Kenseth decided to pit early and handed the lead to Mike Bliss. On lap 115 during green flag pitstops, the 5th caution flew when Robert Pressley spun in turn 3. Michael Waltrip won the race off of pit road and he led the field to the restart on lap 124. On lap 125, Mike Bliss would retake the lead. On lap 129, the 6th caution flew for debris. Justin Labonte was the new leader and he led the field to the restart on lap 134. On lap 139, the 6th caution would fly when Regan Smith spun down the frontstretch.
Final laps
editKyle Busch would be the new leader and he led the field to the restart on lap 144. With 46 laps to go, J. J. Yeley took the lead from Busch. With 23 to go, Greg Biffle challenged Yeley for the lead and led that lap but couldn't pass Yeley. But with 21 to go, Biffle's waterline broke and his car got into his own water in turns 1 and 2 and slid up the track into the outside wall bringing out the 8th and final caution of the day. Many drivers pitted while some others stayed out including Mike Wallace, Justin Labonte, Robby Gordon, Jason Keller, Ashton Lewis, and Jeff Burton. Wallace led the field to the restart with 15 to go. Wallace got a sizeable lead over Labonte. Wallace was saving fuel as much as he could in order for him to win the race. Wallace was looking for his 2nd win in a row after he won last week at Daytona. If Wallace saves enough fuel he will win the race. Labonte was racing side by side with the lapped car in Tim Fedewa and was trying to get past him for a few laps. Eventually, Labonte would pass him and Labonte would start to close in on Wallace with around 10 to go. Wallace started slowing down a lot to save fuel until he saw Labonte in his review mirror and decided to push it with around 5 to go. Labonte stayed behind Wallace hoping Wallace would either slip up or run out of gas. One of which would eventually happen. Mike Wallace saved but did not save enough. As soon as they took the white flag when they crossed the start-finish line, Wallace's car started to slow down. Mike Wallace's car ran out of fuel after 70 laps since he last got it full giving the lead to Justin Labonte. Behind Labonte about a second back was Jason Keller. Labonte had plenty of fuel left and Justin Labonte would score his first ever victory in the Busch Series and Keller would finish in 2nd. Justin Labonte had no top 10 finishes in his first 30 starts in his Busch Series career from 1999-July 2004 and goes out and wins in his 31st start. Labonte's father Terry was there to celebrate with his son. Terry was proud with his son's first win calling it awesome. Justin Labonte would race full time in 2005 but only scored 2 top 10's and making 1 more start for Hendrick Motorsports in 2006 before deciding not to race in NASCAR again as he failed to make it to the Cup Series. Labonte's upset is still considered by some as one of the best upset victories in NASCAR history. Jeff Burton, Kasey Kahne, and Ashton Lewis rounded out the top 5 while Robby Gordon, Jason Leffler, David Green, J. J. Yeley, and Ron Hornaday would round out the top 10.[4]
Race results
edit| Pos | Car | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Laps Run | Laps Led | Status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Justin Labonte | Labonte Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 1 | running | 185 |
| 2 | 22 | Jason Keller | ppc Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 170 |
| 3 | 9 | Jeff Burton | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 0 | running | 165 |
| 4 | 38 | Kasey Kahne | Akins Motorsports | Dodge | 200 | 0 | running | 160 |
| 5 | 46 | Ashton Lewis | Lewis Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 155 |
| 6 | 55 | Robby Gordon | Robby Gordon Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 14 | running | 155 |
| 7 | 00 | Jason Leffler | Haas CNC Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 146 |
| 8 | 37 | David Green | Brewco Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 142 |
| 9 | 18 | J. J. Yeley (R) | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 25 | running | 143 |
| 10 | 2 | Ron Hornaday | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 134 |
| 11 | 29 | Ricky Craven | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 130 |
| 12 | 5 | Kyle Busch (R) | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 49 | running | 137 |
| 13 | 14 | Casey Atwood | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 124 |
| 14 | 8 | Martin Truex Jr. | Chance 2 Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 0 | running | 121 |
| 15 | 4 | Mike Wallace | Biagi Brothers Racing | Ford | 200 | 18 | running | 123 |
| 16 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Reiser Enterprises | Ford | 200 | 36 | running | 120 |
| 17 | 12 | Tim Fedewa | FitzBradshaw Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | running | 112 |
| 18 | 99 | Michael Waltrip | Michael Waltrip Racing | Chevrolet | 199 | 6 | running | 114 |
| 19 | 27 | Johnny Sauter | Brewco Motorsports | Chevrolet | 199 | 0 | running | 106 |
| 20 | 74 | Tony Raines | BACE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 103 |
| 21 | 59 | Stacy Compton | ST Motorsprots | Ford | 198 | 0 | running | 100 |
| 22 | 72 | Kevin Lepage | MacDonald Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 97 |
| 23 | 36 | Travis Geisler | DCT Motorsports | Chevrolet | 198 | 0 | running | 94 |
| 24 | 31 | Todd Bodine | Marsh Racing | Ford | 197 | 0 | running | 91 |
| 25 | 02 | Hermie Sadler | SCORE Motorsports | Chevrolet | 196 | 0 | running | 88 |
| 26 | 50 | Regan Smith | Holigan Racing | Chevrolet | 196 | 0 | running | 85 |
| 27 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Phoenix Racing | Dodge | 196 | 0 | running | 82 |
| 28 | 24 | Steve Grissom | GIC-Mixon Racing | Chevrolet | 195 | 0 | running | 79 |
| 29 | 10 | Gus Wasson | Davis Motorsports | Chevrolet | 194 | 0 | running | 76 |
| 30 | 39 | Tina Gordon | Jay Robinson Racing | Ford | 192 | 0 | running | 73 |
| 31 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 188 | 0 | engine | 70 |
| 32 | 60 | Greg Biffle | Roush Racing | Ford | 184 | 3 | overheating | 72 |
| 33 | 20 | Mike Bliss | Joe Gibbs Racing | Chevrolet | 140 | 32 | engine | 69 |
| 34 | 32 | David Stremme | Braun Racing | Dodge | 125 | 0 | vibration | 61 |
| 35 | 47 | Robert Pressley | ST Motorsports | Ford | 123 | 0 | engine | 58 |
| 36 | 23 | Kenny Wallace | Bill Davis Racing | Chevrolet | 91 | 0 | engine | 55 |
| 37 | 66 | Billy Parker (R) | Rusty Wallace Inc. | Dodge | 64 | 0 | crash | 52 |
| 38 | 49 | Derrike Cope | Jay Robinson Racing | Ford | 60 | 0 | engine | 49 |
| 39 | 7 | Todd Szegedy | NEMCO Motorsports | Chevrolet | 60 | 0 | crash | 46 |
| 40 | 35 | Kenny Hendrick | Gary Keller Racing | Chevrolet | 25 | 0 | transmission | 43 |
| 41 | 21 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 22 | 0 | vibration | 40 |
| 42 | 33 | Clint Bowyer (R) | Andy Petree Racing | Chevrolet | 17 | 0 | rear end | 37 |
| 43 | 25 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 8 | 5 | engine | 39 |
| Official Race results | ||||||||
References
edit- ^ "2004 Tropicana Twister 300". Archived from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2004.
- ^ "Justin Labonte gets first Busch win". Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2004.
- ^ "Inflatable orange halts qualifying". Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 10, 2004.
- ^ "Justin Labonte's first win thrills father". Archived from the original on October 26, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2004.