Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – June 17 – 23, 2019
Toyota Racing On-Track this Week
· MENCS/NKNPSW: Sonoma Raceway (Sonoma, California) – June 22-23
· NGOTS/ARCA: World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway (Madison, Illinois) – June 21-22
· NHRA: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park (Norwalk, Ohio) – June 21-23
NASCAR National Series – MENCS/NGOTS
Toyota and Sonoma… For the 13th consecutive season, Toyota has supported the Cup Series event at Sonoma Raceway: the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Toyota began the entitlement sponsorship of the race in its debut Cup season of 2007, and the partnership has continued to flourish.
Last Season in Sonoma… At last year’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, Martin Truex Jr. scored his second Sonoma win. Truex started from the second position and took the lead for the first time on lap three. Despite some varying pit strategy, Truex was able to retake the top spot with 20 laps to go and drove to victory. He also won at Sonoma in 2013.
Busch Strong on the Road Courses… Kyle Busch has continued to showcase his road course talents. Busch scored Toyota’s first road course win at Sonoma in 2008 and scored another Toyota/Save Mart 350 victory in 2015. Busch has two additional Cup Series road course victories at Watkins Glen in 2008 and 2013.
California Dreamin’…. California native Matt DiBenedetto is back at Sonoma Raceway for his fifth-career race at the picturesque track. DiBenedetto, a Grass Valley, California native, scored his track-best result of 17th one season ago at the Northern California road course.
Career-Best Finish… Todd Gilliland is back at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway one year after his career-best second-place finish. Gilliland started eighth, led a lap and finished second, less than one second behind the race winner.
First Race at Gateway… After solid finishes in Iowa, Harrison Burton and Chandler Smith make their first NGOTS starts at Gateway. Burton has scored top-five finishes at the last two NGOTS events. Smith made his debut NGOTS debut in Iowa where he led 55 laps and finished eighth.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Winning in Norwalk… Toyota Top Fuel drivers have won six of the 10 races contested at the Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio. Former Toyota drivers Larry Dixon (2009 and 2010), Del Worsham (2011) and Khalid alBalooshi (2013) claimed the early victories. Current Toyota drivers have also been successful with Antron Brown (2014) and Shawn Langdon (2016) claiming Top Fuel wins in Norwalk.
Counting Down… With just seven races remaining in the Mello Yello Drag Racing Series regular season, all five Toyota drivers continue to be on pace to make the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Doug Kalitta continues to sit second in the Top Fuel standings, with Brown in fourth and Richie Crampton in eighth. In Funny Car, reigning champion J.R. Todd holds down sixth and Langdon is 10th in the point standings.
Regional Stock Car Racing – ARCA/NKNPSW
Continued Strong Performance… Halfway through the 20-race ARCA Menards Series season, Toyota has claimed eight wins. Smith scored his second ARCA win of the year last week in Madison. Michael Self leads the series with three victories, while Burton, Gilliland and Christian Eckes have one win each.
Looking Back on Gateway… Toyota claimed its first ARCA Menards Series win at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in 2018 in dominating fashion as Camry race teams led every lap and swept the top five finishing positions. Former Toyota driver and eventual ARCA champion Sheldon Creed scored the win.
Strong Start to the Season … Hailie Deegan is coming off her second win NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (NKNPSW) of the season at Colorado National Speedway. Deegan leads the NKNPSW with four top-five finishes in five events and has closed to within 12 points of the championship lead.
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