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Tropicana 400 - Chicagoland Speedway
Stewart Wins in Windy City
Gordon Scores Fourth Straight Pole
Tony Stewart used his backup car to dominate the Tropicana 400 presented by Meijer on Sunday afternoon at the Chicagoland Speedway. The Home Depot crew had to pull out the backup car after Stewart wrecked his primary car in Friday morning’s practice. Stewart’s backup car was, by far, the class of the field, leading five times for a total of 160 of the event’s 267 laps. Stewart outran Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson to the finish line by 2.925 seconds to score his 18th career win. The trip to victory lane was the first of the season for Stewart, with his last victory coming in October of last season at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Stewart has gotten progressively better at the Chicago track; finishing third in 2002, second in 2003, and now first in 2004. Johnson finished in the runner-up position, his 13th top-five finish this season. Dale Jarrett took the checkered flag in third place, followed by pole-sitter Jeff Gordon and Jeremy Mayfield in the top five. Stewart’s win did not come without controversy, however. On a lap 127 restart, Stewart got into the back of leader Kasey Kahne, spinning Kahne’s Dodge into the wall and out of the event. The crews of both drivers then got into a fight on pit road, having to be separated by NASCAR officials.
Jeff Gordon’s fourth consecutive pole position has him hotter than the fourth of July. Gordon only made one qualifying lap, clocking in at 28.886 seconds, at an average speed of 186.942 mph, to earn him the pole position for the Tropicana 400 presented by Meijer at Chicagoland Speedway. Gordon’s lap shattered the former track record set by Tony Stewart in this event last season. The pole is the series-leading fifth of the season for Gordon and the 51st of his career. Gordon now becomes the first driver since Bill Elliott in 1985 to score four straight pole positions. Rookie Kasey Kahne will join Gordon on the front row after nailing down the second starting spot in qualifying. Gordon’s teammate and Nextel Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson will start from the third position, while Brain Vickers gives Hendrick Motorsports three of the top four starting spots.
