TOYOTA SCORES FIRST EVER NASCAR TRUCK VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Prafull Koli]

Kvapil Scores Toyota's First-Ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Victory

07/31/2004 Brooklyn, MI

Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 24 Bang Racing Line-X Toyota Tundra put his name into the history books by earning Toyota's first-ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) victory in the Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200 at Michigan International Speedway this afternoon.

With this afternoon's victory, Kvapil joins the likes of racing stars Juan Montoya, Ivan "Ironman" Stewart, Scott Dixon and Rod Millen in giving Toyota a historic "first" win.

Stewart captured Toyota's first American motorsports victory in 1983 in MTEG Stadium Racing competition in a Toyota truck. The first victory by a Toyota-powered car came a year later when Chris Cord drove his Toyota Celica to victory in GTU competition at Miami for Dan Gurney's All American Racers.

Toyota's first major U.S. racing victory came in 1990 when Juan Manuel Fangio II won at Topeka in an AAR Eagle GTP car.

Juan Montoya earned the distinction of taking the checkered flag in Toyota's first-ever CART victory for Target Chip Ganassi Racing at Milwaukee in 2000. Three years later, the Target/Ganassi team would put their names into the record books again as the first team to win with Toyota power in IRL competition when Scott Dixon won the 2003 Toyota Indy 300 at Miami-Homestead Speedway.

Last year, Toyota earned its first Indianapolis 500 victory when Gil de Ferran captured the checkered flag at Indianapolis Motor Speedway driving for Penske Racing.

A quick look at Toyota's "firsts":

2004 Travis Kvapil earns Toyota's first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory
2003 Gil de Ferran wins Toyota's first Indianapolis 500 crown
2003 Scott Dixon wins Toyota's first IRL race at Homestead
2000 Juan Montoya wins Toyota's first CART race at Milwaukee
1994 Rod Millen wins Toyota's first-ever Pikes Peak Hill Climb overall title
1993 Ivan "Ironman" Stewart wins Toyota's first Baja 1000
1993 Toyota wins first Daytona 24 Hours overall title
1989 Juan Manuel Fangio drives to Toyota's first-ever GTP victory at Topeka
1984 Chris Cord drives a Celica to the first win by a Toyota-powered car at Miami in GTU
1983 Ivan "Ironman" Stewart gives Toyota its first-ever American racing victory in an MTEG Stadium Truck

[Prafull Koli]

tOYOTA RULES 8)

[Burrcold]

Toyota does rule :) hey do I get a cookie for this being my 5000th post?

[subterfuge]

Yes:

http://imagescommerce.bcentral.com/merchantfiles/4898255/Giant%20Heart%20Cookie.jpg
:gap:

[Burrcold]

Yes:

http://imagescommerce.bcentral.com/merchantfiles/4898255/Giant%20Heart%20Cookie.jpg
:gap:thanks Mark! that actually looks reallllly good right now...off to eat lunch

[Baelnorn]

Damn you for posting that pic when im on a protien diet! :drool:

Go Toyota!

[Prafull Koli]

btw Mike..that friggen diet is really working!! Good work :thumbup:

[gtsturbo]

I was there. They almost had a 1-2 win..but had to settle for the 1st and 3rd position due to an accident late in the laps. The Toyota trucks just out powered all the other trucks. It wasn't even close. After the end of every caution, Toyota just pulled away.

[Prafull Koli]

wicked...man...Toyota is systematically taking down the entire domestic auto market - in every field they have had reign over... domestic passenger sales, now domestic truck sales are gaining, and their earning their "hardcore" reputation on the track through F1, Nascar, and other circuit races..

Great longterm strategy... I think eventually we will see Toyota give us a performance car..it's inevitable..prolly higher end tho

[ieatglue]

Wow, Mark's still around. Cool. Tell me you're making the 5 hour drive for the bbq ;)

[gtsturbo]

Wow, Mark's still around. Cool. Tell me you're making the 5 hour drive for the bbq ;)

Yeah, I'm still around....barely. I've been busy on the weekends since like May. M-Fri working long, lots of family things going on in Montreal, and lots of stuff happening w/my condo also. BBQ?? havn't heard about it...(it's been a while)

[ieatglue]

I pm'd you the info. Don't forget the link: www.c7performance.com/wwk.html