Racing Champions: Kyle Busch '04 Lowes' Monte Carlo

Even though many race fans recognize Kyle Busch's greatness in the Xfinity series, most probably don't know that he only raced the full season twice. Once was in 2009. That year he claimed the then named, NASCAR Busch Series,  championship. The other was in 2004. That year Kyle Busch competed as a rookie in the series. He started each of the 34 races, and finished the season ranked second. This accomplishment showcased Busch's true potential. Today's feature piece is Kyle Busch's Xfinity rookie car from 2004, for a closer look, read on. 

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The real thing: Kyle Busch endures a pit stop at Chicagoland speedway during the Tropicana Twister 300 on July 10th, 2004. Busch would finish the day in 12th. (Photograph courtesy of Hendrick Motorsports). 

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During the 2004 season, Busch Series race cars were apparently much more similar to cup cars compared to the many visible and invisible differences between the two types today. 

Busch Series cars were only slightly shorter than their Cup series counterparts, and had similar, but less powerful engines. That meant that diecast manufacturers who were interested in creating 1/64 scale replicas like the one shown here, produced by Racing Champions Ertl, could do so on the same tooling. 

This 'Ultra Series' Busch Series race car was made specifically for a line of Racing Chamapions cars that were sold by Family Dollar, as is indicated by the customized price point printed on the packaging. The package contains a collector card, the car, and a stand.

Interestingly, this car was not marketed any differently than 1/64 Cup cars were at the time. The packaging does not designate a specific league other than the generic 'Nascar' brand. 

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Notes: 
While under contract with Hendrick Motorsports in the Busch series for the 2004 season, Kyle would enjoy a full season of support from Lowe's. The car pictured above would only appear as-is during there first four races of the season. Several other Lowe's affiliated associate brands, such as Pella doors, and Shop-Vac, would ride on the rear quarter panel for the remainder of the season. Example One, and Example Two.

The replica show above was recovered from a second-hand store for just a few dollars. The model, at 21 years of age, is in relatively good condition. The paint on the car is pristine, and only the decal door numbers are showing their age with some noticeable bubbling. The rubber wheels are also a bit stiff, but show no signs of decomposition. The typical detailing capabilities from 2004 are on display. While there are several really nice components, some of the graphic design features are limited in their quality. The car gladly carries the rookie bumper stripes, and the logos or many associate sponsors. Finally, being an 'Ultimate Series' line product, that car comes with a painted, all-metal chassis. 

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Sources:
ecyclopedia.com
Hendrickmotorsports.com
Nascar.com
Racing-referance.info