Toyota Driver Captures First Career NASCAR Title
HOMESTEAD, Fla. (November 19, 2016) – Camry driver Daniel Suarez earned his first career NASCAR championship when he was victorious in the season-finale at Homestead Miami Speedway to capture the 2016 NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) driver’s title in the inaugural NXS Chase.
Suarez won the XFINITY Series title by two points over second-place driver Elliott Sadler in his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 19 Toyota Camry with three wins, 19 top-five finishes, 27 top-10 results and three pole positions in his second season in the series. The 24-year-old Monterrey, Mexico native became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR national series championship.
“It’s very hard to put into words,” said Suarez after making his title run. “I’m speechless right now. I’m just very proud of everyone and thankful to have the family that I have – my mom, my dad. They gave me all the tools to be here right now. They put me in a car even when we didn’t have the support or the racing background. They supported me and right now we are just living a dream.”
Suarez registered three wins this season, including his first career NXS victory at Michigan International Speedway (June 11), followed by first-place trophy at Dover International Speedway (October 2) and the season-finale at Homestead Miami Speedway.
Suarez’s title marks the second driver’s championship for Toyota in the XFINITY Series with fellow Toyota driver Kyle Busch earning the title in 2009.
“Congratulations to Daniel Suarez and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing on winning the XFINITY Series championship,” said Ed Laukes, Vice President of Integrated Marketing Operations for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A. “Daniel has had an incredibly consistent and successful season and we are so proud he was able to notch his first series victory and title behind the wheel of a Camry. Daniel has also brought a new fan base to NASCAR by becoming the first Mexican-born driver to claim a national series title and we look forward to continuing to watch his career grow for many years to come.”
Toyota won its fourth NXS manufacturer’s championship (2008, 2009 and 2010) after Camry drivers won 19 events, a record 23 pole positions and led 3,390 laps in 33 races this season. Camrys have earned a total of 128 victories since joining the NXS in 2007.
The NXS will open the 2017 season on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017 at Daytona International Speedway.
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About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), the world’s top automaker and creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell vehicle, is committed to building vehicles for the way people live through our Toyota and Lexus brands. Over the past 50 years, we’ve built more than 30 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (1,500 in the U.S.) sold more than 2.8 million cars and trucks (nearly 2.5 million in the U.S.) in 2015 – and about 80 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 20 years are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company’s extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development)
TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Salisbury, N.C. A subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., TRD serves as the North American racing arm for design, development and assembly of Toyota’s factory racing engines and chassis. TRD powers Toyota’s racing activities in NASCAR, NHRA and USAC, among other series.
