TOYOTA NASCAR NOTES & QUOTES
August 13 – 19, 2012
TOYOTA TIDBITS THREE TOP-10S AT THE GLEN: Three Camry drivers claimed top-10 results in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) road course race at New York’s Watkins Glen International. Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) teammates Clint Bowyer and Martin Truex Jr. finished fourth and 10th, respectively , and Kyle Busch claimed a seventh-place result. Busch led a race-high 43 laps (of 90) and was pacing the field on the final lap entering turn one when he hit oil on the track, allowing competitors to catch him and ultimately caused him to spin.
ROAD COURSE RESULTS: Camry driver Busch finished sixth in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race on the Watkins Glen road course and Brian Scott claimed a 10th-place result. Scott’s finish marked his sixth top-10 finish of the season and his second top-10 result on a road course.
TOYOTA MOMENTS AT MIS: Toyota earned its first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) victory in 2004 — in only the manufacturer’s 13th race in the series — during the inaugural season for the Tundra when Travis Kvapil took the checkered flag at Michigan International Speedway. Brian Vickers also earned a special win at Michigan in the August 2009 NSCS race that helped propel him to the Chase.
JGR DUO DO IT: Camry driver Busch returns to Michigan as the defending August NSCS race-winner after Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) drivers swept both Cup races at the two-mile speedway in 2011. In addition to Busch’s August race win, Denny Hamlin earned the victory in the June event where Busch finished third. Toyota has won four of the last six NSCS races at Michigan, including victories by Vickers (August 2009) and another win by Hamlin (June 2010).
MARK’S THE MAN AT MICHIGAN: NSCS veteran Mark Martin has five wins at Michigan the most among active drivers. Martin, who joined MWR prior to the 2012 season, claimed his first Michigan victory in 1990 and captured his most recent win at the track in 2009. The veteran driver also has the most top-10 results (31) at the track and the most lead lap finishes (36) in 53 starts in Michigan.
STARTING PARKER: Tundra driver Parker Kligerman will make his debut with the Red Horse Racing (RHR) team in the NCWTS. Kligerman, who is currently sixth in the NCWTS point standings, will join series points leader Timothy Peters and two-time NCWTS champion Todd Bodine at RHR. The 22-year-old driver from Connecticut has recorded six top-five results, 16 top-10 finishes and has led 38 laps in 37 career starts in the NCWTS over the past three seasons.
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NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): After 22 races, Martin Truex Jr. is sixth in the series point standings, trailing leader Jimmie Johnson by 49 points … Clint Bowyer (seventh) and Denny Hamlin (10th) also rank in the top-10 … Busch sits third while Joey Logano ranks sixth among ‘wild card’ candidates for the Chase … Bobby Clark, a mechanic for the JGR No. 18 team is from Wyandotte, Mich., and JGR mechanic Bill Byrne currently resides in Marne, Mich. … Kirk Butterfield, an engine specialist on the No. 18 JGR team, is from Carrollton, Ohio, and Jake Seminara, the rear tire changer on the No. 18 team, is from Steubenville, Ohio … TRD engine tuner Jarod Egert, who works with the JGR No. 20 entry of Logano, is from Elmore, Ohio.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Office Camry Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing What makes drivers more confident as they return to Michigan International Speedway? “I was there (at the test) and the tire that we’re going to have is a lot better than what we had there to race with, but not as good as what we had to practice with. But, you figured that they were going to cut it right down the middle for what they wanted. The reason that I say that we’re not going to have issues is that looking at tire temperatures I know from the test what they were and they were 30 or 40 degrees cooler and the temperature was hotter.. Plus, the left side wear is virtually nothing where there was some wear before.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Do you feel like you’ve contributed to the turnaround at Michael Waltrip Racing? “I feel like I’ve always focused on my job and put in 110 percent. This year has just felt different. The communication has been so great inside the team, not only with my team and with Chad (Johnston, crew chief) and all of the guys in the NAPA car, but all three of our teams. I feel like all of us have been really engaged in the program and that’s a big reason for why we have two cars in the Chase and could possibly have three if Mark (Martin) would’ve drove full-time. It’s been a lot of fun to do it and it’s been a pleasure to work with everybody. I’m just fortunate to be in this position.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS): After 21 races, Mike Bliss ranks eighth in the series point standings … Brian Scott (ninth) and Joe Nemechek (10th) are also among the top-10 in the standings … The Circuit Gilles Villenueve road course in Montreal is one of five active tracks in the NNS where Camry drivers are yet to claim a victory … JGR driver Michael McDowell finished third in last year’s NNS race in Montreal … JGR driver Brian Scott has recorded top-10 finishes in both of the 2012 NNS road course races … Kyle Busch will compete in the NNS race in Montreal and a victory would give Busch wins in all three North American countries … Busch previously won at Mexico’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in 2008 … Quebec-native Patrick Carpentier will drive a Camry for RAB Racing in this weekend’s event … Carpentier has two top-five finishes and a pole position in five starts at the Montreal road course.
KYLE BUSCH, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Kyle Busch Motorsports What are you goals at Montreal? “One of the reasons I wanted to run this race is to win in all three countries. I am not sure, but I don’t think any other NASCAR driver has done that before so it would be really cool.”
BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing How do you feel going to Montreal? “I’ve had a lot of confidence in my road racing lately. I feel like it’s gotten a lot better. I feel like I’m definitely top-10 no matter who shows up and on a great day we could be top-five and just on a solid day we’ll still be top-10. I love Montreal. We had a great run there last year, so I’m looking forward to getting north of the border and doing lefts and rights with our Dollar General Toyota again.”
MICHAEL McDOWELL, No. 18 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing What makes road racing so much fun for drivers? “It’s good racing and I think a lot of that is just the nature like short track racing. The speeds are down a little bit more, so you can get away with a little bit more beating and banging where at a place like Michigan the cars are on the very, very limit of the tire and speed. At road races, you can be more aggressive and you can make more side-to-side contact.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): After 11 races, Timothy Peters continues to lead the series point standings by eight points over Ty Dillon … Matt Crafton (fifth) and Parker Kligerman (sixth) are also in the top-10 in the standings … Kurt Busch will make his first start in a Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports at Michigan … Busch last competed in the NCWTS during the 2001 season … The Michigan race is a ‘home’ event for ThorSport Racing who is based in nearby Sandusky, Ohio … Tundra driver Ross Chastain will visit patients at the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital on Thursday, Aug. 16 … Through Oct. 1, the Kyle Busch Foundation will be raffling a custom motorcycle in conjunction with Deadwood Choppers at www.KBFChopperRaffle.com.
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing What are you expecting when the Truck Series races on the new Michigan pavement? “I just remember Michigan was pretty fast and during the race the trucks lost some grip and the groove widened out really close to the wall. I think after watching the Sprint Cup Series race all that has changed now. There’s going to be a lot more grip. I think you’ll see a lot more side-by-side racing because the groove doesn’t widen out.”
PARKER KLIGERMAN, No. 7 Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing What are your expectations moving to Red Horse Racing? “It’s tough going to a new team to judge yourself and what you’ve done with a prior team. I look at the ability to have kept myself in the top-five in points this season so far and finishing races on the lead lap — those things for me are what has kept us up front and consistent. As a driver, consistency is a large part of winning races. Hopefully at Red Horse we can find the speed and combine it with the consistency I’ve had in the past and go out and win races. In my opinion, they are the best truck series team out there right now and the professionalism and work they’ve done is just fantastic. I know they’ll provide me with that opportunity to win and as a driver that’s all I can ask for.”
How different do you expect Michigan to feel? “Michigan used to have a lot of tire wear and was multi-grooved — one of the fastest tracks we went to all year because of the long straightaways. Going back now it’s been repaved and from what we’ve heard about the repave and seeing the Sprint Cup Series race and the grip level, I feel like this is going to be one of the most exciting races of the season simply because I think you’re going to see a great mix of pack drafting like we’ve seen at Daytona and Talladega, but with a little more handling than we’ve been accustomed to at those two tracks. Those things combined are going to make it really good.”
TOYOTA 2012 NASCAR STATISTICS
Series Races Starts Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Times Led Laps Led (Drivers) NSCS 22 267 (23) 5 31 61 8 114 1,710 NNS 21 237 (33) 6 26 50 5 96 1,046 NCWTS 11 111 (19) 4 23 39 2 27 275
TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER – Michigan International Speedway & Circuit Gilles Villenueve NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Office Camry Mark Martin, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry Clint Bowyer, No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Camry Kyle Busch, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry Landon Cassill, No. 83 Burger King Camry Joey Logano, No. 20 Home Depot Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 87 AM/FM Energy Stoves Camry David Stremme, No. 30 Inception Motorsports Camry Reed Sorenson, No. 91 Toyota Camry Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Clorox Camry Travis Kvapil, No. 93 Burger King Camry
NASCAR Nationwide Series Jeff Green, No. 10 Toyota Camry Kyle Busch, No. 54 Monster Energy Camry Brian Scott, No. 11 Dollar General Camry Kenny Habul, No. 57 SunEnergy 1 Racing Camry Eric McClure, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Camry Jason Bowles, No. 81 American Majority Camry Michael McDowell, No. 18 FedEx Camry Alex Kennedy, No. 87 Global Barter/Dream Fact. Camry Tayler Malsam, No. 19 G-Oil/Noah’s Light Fund Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 97 Toyota Camry Derek White, No. 24 Boutique fashion broker Camry Patrick Carpentier, No. 99 NAPA Auto Parts Camry Mike Bliss, No. 44 Toyota Camry
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Johnny Chapman, No. 07 Wear Your Gear Tundra Johnny Sauter, No. 13 Hot Honeys/Curb Records Tundra Parker Kligerman, No. 7 Toyota Tundra Timothy Peters, No. 17 Toyota Tundra Ross Chastain, No. 08 Melon 1/Engine Parts Plus Tundra Kurt Busch, No. 18 Shore Lodge Tundra John Wes Townley, No. 09 Toyota Care Tundra Matt Crafton, No. 88 Menard’s Tundra Todd Bodine, No. 11 Toyota Care Tundra Dakoda Armstrong, No. 98 EverFi.com Tundra
WEEKEND RACE SCHEDULE Sat., August 18 — NCWTS @ Michigan International Speedway — 12:30 PM (ET), SPEED — Race 12 of 22 Sat., August 18 — NNS @ Circuit Gilles Villenueve — 2:30 PM (ET), ESPN — Race 22 of 33 Sun., August 19 — NSCS @ Michigan International Speedway — 1:00 PM (ET), ESPN — Race 23 of 36
