H
Happy29
Guest
The Tropicana 400 from Chicagoland Speedway
Sunday, July 13, 2003 in Joliet, IL. TV: NBC - 3:00pm/et
Purse/Race Awards: $5,106,510 (was $4,491,173 in 2002)
Track Qualifying Record: Todd Bodine, July 2001, 183.717mph
Last Year's Pole Sitter: Ryan Newman, 183.051mph, finished 5th.
- Kevin Harvick
has won the only two races at Chicagoland run so far. No spin-outs, no wrecks can prevent the #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet from entering victory lane. The #29 led 29 laps last year. Kevin Harvick is the first driver to win the first two races at a new Winston Cup track since Tony Stewart won at Miami-Homestead in 1999 and 2000. Before that, no one had done it since A.J. Foyt won at Ontario, Calif., in 1971 and 1972.
- Last year's pole sitter for the race Ryan Newman led the most laps at the race (87 laps) and finished 5th after exploding a tire late in the race.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be running a special #8 Major League Baseball Paint Scheme (originally to be run at Daytona but however didnt) at Chicagoland (To commemorate the MLB All-Star Game which is to held later in the week). Earnhardt somewhat dominated the race leading 81 laps until a pit mistake (taking four tires, shame on you Junior !) landed him in traffic. He finished 10th in the 2002 race.
- Jason Keller will be in the #81 Kraft Chevrolet with Chance 2 Motorsports to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kraft products. Steve Park's #30 AOL Chevrolet will also bear a Kraft Paint Scheme
- Kurt Busch will be back in the #97 Irwin Tools Ford paint scheme (God I so hate that paint scheme). He led no laps last year but finished 6th in that event.
- Jeff Gordon led no laps at Chicagoland last year but finished second. Jimmie Johnson led two laps last year to finish fourth.
- Matt Kenseth blew an engine late in the race at lap 185, above midway through the race. The 17 might have yet another trick up their sleeve at Chicagoland
- NASCAR Busch Series driver Johnny Sauter will be in the #4 Kodak Pontiac driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in the race.
- Rusty Wallace will race a Goo-Goo dolls paint scheme, Ryan Newman will race in the Mobil 1 Paint Scheme, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Mike Wallace, Terry Labonte and Casey Mears will all drive special paint schemes at Chicagoland.
- Beginning with the July 13 race at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR will prohibit teams from throwing or tossing gas cans or gas catch cans over the pit wall during a pit stop. The change was announced in Sunday's prerace drivers' meeting. If a violation happens under caution, the driver will have to restart at the end of the longest line. If it occurs under green-flag conditions, the driver must return to pit road to serve a 15-second penalty. The change is being made to reduce the liklihood of gas spills during pit stops.
- Well, thats it, the only thing I forgot to mention is that the race is sold out...
GO 29 !!!
Sunday, July 13, 2003 in Joliet, IL. TV: NBC - 3:00pm/et
Purse/Race Awards: $5,106,510 (was $4,491,173 in 2002)
Track Qualifying Record: Todd Bodine, July 2001, 183.717mph
Last Year's Pole Sitter: Ryan Newman, 183.051mph, finished 5th.
- Kevin Harvick
has won the only two races at Chicagoland run so far. No spin-outs, no wrecks can prevent the #29 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet from entering victory lane. The #29 led 29 laps last year. Kevin Harvick is the first driver to win the first two races at a new Winston Cup track since Tony Stewart won at Miami-Homestead in 1999 and 2000. Before that, no one had done it since A.J. Foyt won at Ontario, Calif., in 1971 and 1972.- Last year's pole sitter for the race Ryan Newman led the most laps at the race (87 laps) and finished 5th after exploding a tire late in the race.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be running a special #8 Major League Baseball Paint Scheme (originally to be run at Daytona but however didnt) at Chicagoland (To commemorate the MLB All-Star Game which is to held later in the week). Earnhardt somewhat dominated the race leading 81 laps until a pit mistake (taking four tires, shame on you Junior !) landed him in traffic. He finished 10th in the 2002 race.
- Jason Keller will be in the #81 Kraft Chevrolet with Chance 2 Motorsports to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Kraft products. Steve Park's #30 AOL Chevrolet will also bear a Kraft Paint Scheme
- Kurt Busch will be back in the #97 Irwin Tools Ford paint scheme (God I so hate that paint scheme). He led no laps last year but finished 6th in that event.
- Jeff Gordon led no laps at Chicagoland last year but finished second. Jimmie Johnson led two laps last year to finish fourth.
- Matt Kenseth blew an engine late in the race at lap 185, above midway through the race. The 17 might have yet another trick up their sleeve at Chicagoland
- NASCAR Busch Series driver Johnny Sauter will be in the #4 Kodak Pontiac driving for Morgan-McClure Motorsports in the race.
- Rusty Wallace will race a Goo-Goo dolls paint scheme, Ryan Newman will race in the Mobil 1 Paint Scheme, Bobby Labonte, Elliott Sadler, Mike Wallace, Terry Labonte and Casey Mears will all drive special paint schemes at Chicagoland.
- Beginning with the July 13 race at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR will prohibit teams from throwing or tossing gas cans or gas catch cans over the pit wall during a pit stop. The change was announced in Sunday's prerace drivers' meeting. If a violation happens under caution, the driver will have to restart at the end of the longest line. If it occurs under green-flag conditions, the driver must return to pit road to serve a 15-second penalty. The change is being made to reduce the liklihood of gas spills during pit stops.
- Well, thats it, the only thing I forgot to mention is that the race is sold out...
GO 29 !!!
