NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series driver Elliott Sadler celebrates his win in the Samsung /RadioShack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.
Photo – Sherryl Creekmore for NASCAR
Elliott Sadler was looking to visit victory lane again in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. 2004 was his second year working with his No. 38 Robert Yates Racing team.
Sadler grabbed his lone Cup victory with the Wood Brothers at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2001.
He and the No. 38 team were looking for more in 2004.
2000 Cup champ Bobby Labonte won the pole for the race with a surprising driver coming in second. It was Bill Elliott, who scaled down to a part-time ride for Evernham Motorsports.
Elliott wrestled the lead from Labonte and led the first 19 laps.
The dominant driver on the day was rookie Kasey Kahne, driving Elliott’s old car, the No. 9, full-time. During a series of green-flag pit stops, Kahne came in as Jeff Gordon led the race looking for his first win at Texas.
Ward Burton’s tire went down on lap 267 and brought out the caution. It was a huge break for Gordon, Sadler, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and others who did not stop yet.
Kahne caught a break by receiving the lucky dog, but he had to motor his way back to the lead. Gordon continued to show the way on lap 307. The battery in the No. 24 car started to go and Sadler got around Gordon.
Kahne was starting to reel in the leaders. He already had two runner-up finishes to that point. He got around Earnhardt for second with 20 laps to go. Only 1.5 seconds separated Sadler and Kahne. Kahne got to the back bumper of Sadler with five to go. On the final lap, Kahne did all he could to get around the No. 38 car. Both drivers came up on a lapped car coming to the checkered. Kahne pulled alongside the No. 38, but Sadler edged him at the line by 0.028 seconds.
The No. 9 car proved to be dominant on the 1.5 mile tracks, but Kahne finished runner-up five times in 2004. He would win at Texas in April 2006.
Sadler grabbed another victory that season at California in September and made the inaugural Chase for the Nextel Cup field.
2004 Samsung/RadioShack 500 Top Ten