Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – July 30 – Aug. 5, 2018
Toyota Racing On-Track this Week
· MENCS/NXS/NKNPSE: Watkins Glen International (Watkins Glen, New York) – Aug. 3-5
· NHRA: Pacific Raceways (Kent, Washington) – Aug. 3-5
· POWRi: Federated Auto Parts I-55 Raceway (Pevely, Missouri) – Aug. 3-4
· USAC: Path Valley Speedway Park (Spring Run, Pennsylvania) – Aug. 2
Linda’s Speedway (Jonestown, Pennsylvania) – Aug. 3
Lanco’s Clyde Martin Memorial Speedway (Newmanstown, Pennsylvania) – Aug. 4
Baps Motor Speedway (York Haven, Pennsylvania) – Aug. 5
NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS
Truex the Road Course Ace… 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) champion Martin Truex Jr. has become quite the road course ace over the last two seasons. Truex captured his first win at Watkins Glen International in 2017 and followed it with another victory at Sonoma Raceway earlier this year after also winning in a Toyota at the track in 2013. Now two for two on road courses in one year’s time, the defending Cup Series champion returns to Watkins Glen where it all started. In 12 career-series starts at The Glen, Truex has one win and four top-five finishes, finishing outside the top-25 only twice. With a win this weekend, Truex would be the first driver since Toyota teammate Kyle Busch (2008) to claim victory at both Sonoma and Watkins Glen in the same season.
Toyota Tames The Glen… Toyota drivers aim for their third-consecutive Cup Series win at Watkins Glen as Truex (2017) and Denny Hamlin (2016) have won back-to-back races at the 2.45-mile road course. Camry drivers swept the top-four spots in last year’s event – the first time in a MENCS race since joining series competition in 2007 – with Truex (first), former Toyota driver Matt Kenseth (second), Daniel Suárez (third) and Hamlin (fourth). Busch is also the leader among active drivers in several categories at the track including victories (two – 2008 and 2013), top-fives (five), top-10s (11), poles (two) and laps led (216).
Repeat Watch In Xfinity… In addition to defending the MENCS race at Watkins Glen, Toyota looks to win back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) races at the track after Busch drove to victory last season. This year, it’s up to Camry drivers Christopher Bell, Brandon Jones and Ryan Preece to keep the streak alive. After winning three-consecutive NXS races last weekend at Iowa Speedway – the first NXS regular to accomplish the feat since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 1999 – Bell looks to continue to make history at The Glen as he could tie the series record for consecutive wins with four set by Sam Ard in 1983.
NASCAR Numbers for Watkins Glen… After logging a career-best second-place finish last weekend at Pocono Raceway, Camry driver Suárez returns to The Glen where he earned his previous series-best result of third last year in his first MENCS appearance at the track… Toyota drivers have won seven of the last nine MENCS events as Busch continues to lead the point standings… Bell will make his track debut at Watkins Glen as he heads to the road course with the NXS points lead after collecting four wins this season.
NHRA
Brown Looks To Make It Three in A Row In Seattle… Antron Brown eyes his third-consecutive Seattle NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series win this weekend after out-racing Steve Torrence and defeating Terry McMillen on a hole-shot in 2016 and 2017, respectively. The three-time world champion has three wins at the track, including a victory in 2009 when he became the last Top Fuel driver to sweep the Western Swing.
Kalitta Peaking As Countdown Looms… Doug Kalitta has been on the rise recently as teams begin to fine-tune for the playoffs, which are set to begin in a little over a month. Kalitta has registered a 5-2 record in the last two Western Swing races, advancing to the finals in Denver and the semi-finals at the Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals. While he remains in fifth place in the point standings, the Toyota driver is in position to continue his climb as just 80 points separate him from second.
Playoff Update… With three races remaining before the playoffs, five full-time Toyota drivers are on pace to qualify. In Top Fuel, Kalitta (fifth)Brown (sixth) and Richie Crampton (10th) are all in playoff reach. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd continues to hold sixth with Shawn Langdon (ninth) and Cruz Pedregon (12th) in a hunt for the final playoff berth.
Regional Stock Car Racing – NKNPSE
Ankrum Ascending in 2018… Camry driver Tyler Ankrum has three-consecutive NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNSPE) wins, including his most-recent victory at Iowa Speedway. In his first year competing in the NKNPSE, Ankrum has excelled – winning four races and scoring top-10 finishes in every race this season. The 17-year-old looks to win his fourth-straight race this Friday at Watkins Glen as Toyota drivers have won nine of 10 NKNPSE races in 2018.
Midget Racing – USAC | POWRi
Four Races In Six Days For Toyota Midget Program… Both the USAC P1 Insurance National Midget and POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League are in action this week as they combine for six races in four days. The action kicks off Thursday with the first of four-consecutive nights of USAC action during Pennsylvania Midget Week. Both series will race on Friday and Saturday as POWRi takes to the track for a double-header in Missouri, while USAC closes the weekend on Sunday.
Keith Kunz Motorsports To Divide And Conquer… Keith Kunz Motorsports (KKM) will split into two groups to tackle both national Midget racing action this week. Logan Seavey, Spencer Bayston and Tanner Carrick will compete in all four Pennsylvania Midget Week events, while Tucker Klaasmeyer, Ryan Robinson, Holly Shelton and Sam Johnson will race in two POWRi contests. Seavey and Bayston are 1-2 in the USAC driver standings while Klaasmeyer and Robinson occupy the top-two positions in POWRi.
Get to Know the Driver
Seavey Not Afraid of a Little Dirt… Toyota development driver Seavey knows dirt. After growing up on the Northern California dirt racing circuit and following in his older brother’s footsteps by competing in outlaw karts, Seavey has quietly made a name for himself in the dirt racing world.
At 21 years old, Seavey has had a breakout season, making his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in July at the only dirt track on the NASCAR circuit – Eldora Speedway – while he currently leads the USAC P1 Insurance National Midget point standings.
All of this seemed impossible two years ago, when Seavey was diagnosed with Scimitar Syndrome, a congenital heart defect. After undergoing open-heart surgery in late 2016, Seavey returned to racing almost three months later, competing in his first Chili Bowl Nationals.
Now, in his first season with Toyota and KKM, Seavey has had an impressive start to the season, winning POWRi’s Illinois Midget Week championship. Add making his Truck Series debut and collecting three additional wins in POWRi and USAC and Seavey’s dirt resume only continues to grow.
What’s next for the California native? Pennsylvania Midget Week where he hopes to visit victory lane and extend his championship points lead. Read more about Seavey’s breakout season at www.ToyotaRacing.com.
