July 31 is just another day in the middle of the summer for many people, but for Toyota, this day holds a special place in history.
July 31 is the annual reminder of Toyota's first win in a national NASCAR series.
The year was 2004, the location was Michigan International Speedway. The Craftsman Truck Series drivers lined up to compete at the two-mile track with Chevrolet driver Dennis Setzer on the pole.
Buried at the rear of the field was reigning Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, who was in his first season with Toyota-affiliated Bang! Racing. Kvapil had originally qualified eighth, but he lost this starting position due to an engine change.
This was not an insurmountable hurdle for Kvapil, who worked his way through the field. He was able to take the lead on Lap 84, and he held on for the final 17 laps of the race while other drivers tried to chase him down.
David Reutimann spun and crashed in Turn 4 after Kvapil took the white flag. NASCAR did not immediately throw the caution, which would have ended the race. Instead, race control waited before displaying the yellow and checkered flags at the same time.
20 years ago today, Travis Kvapil won the 2004 Line-X Spray-On Truck Bedliners 200 @ Michigan. pic.twitter.com/xdy2dbGGXJ
— Andrew (@Basso488) July 31, 2024
Ted Musgrave crossed the line second in his Dodge while Toyota drivers Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson Jr. finished third and fourth. Bobby Hamilton rounded out the top five in a Dodge.
"These guys on the Line-X team, Toyota, they did a great job," Kvapil said in victory lane after the race. "I can't believe. We broke a motor yesterday in practice and really, to be honest with you, my teammate Mike Skinner, we looked at his notes probably the most."
This win was Kvapil's first of the season. He added another at New Hampshire Motor Speedway before ending the season eighth in points. However, he was not the only Toyota driver to score a NASCAR win in 2004. Todd Bodine won back-to-back races at California Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway later in the season.
While this win at Michigan did not have a significant impact on the Truck Series championship battle, it opened the proverbial floodgates for Toyota.
The manufacturer has since gone on to achieve success across all three national series. Toyota has 13 manufacturer championships in the Truck Series. It has four manufacturer championships in the Xfinity Series and three manufacturer championships in the Cup Series.
The success is more noticeable in terms of driver wins. Toyota drivers have combined to win 187 wins in the Cup Series since 2007.
Kyle Busch, who has since departed Toyota, has led the way. He has 56 of these Cup wins, including the manufacturer's first back in 2008, and 91 of Toyota's wins in Xfinity. Busch has delivered another 56 wins to Toyota in the Truck Series.
Denny Hamlin has delivered similar success with 51 of his 54 Cup wins in a Toyota. He has added 15 Xfinity wins and two Truck wins in a Toyota.