This Week in Motorsports: October 28 – November 3, 2019
· MENCS/NXS: Texas Motor Speedway (Fort Worth, Texas) – November 2-3
· NHRA: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – November 3
PLANO, Texas (October 30, 2019) – Toyota NASCAR drivers look to extend a record-breaking season at the home track for Toyota Motor North America – Texas Motor Speedway, while Doug Kalitta hopes to close the gap in the charge for his first NHRA title in Las Vegas.
NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS
Truex Clinched… With his win on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. heads into Texas Motor Speedway with a secured spot to run for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship at Homestead-Miami Speedway in three weeks. This is the third consecutive season – and fourth time in the last five seasons – that Truex has been a part of the Championship 4. He won the 2017 title and was the runner-up one year ago. After coming into this season with no short track wins, Truex has also now won three of the last four NASCAR Cup Series races run on short tracks.
Back in the Spring … In March, Denny Hamlin scored his third career win at Texas Motor Speedway. Hamlin first took the lead shortly after halfway and survived a late race round of pit stops to earn his second win of the season. Since then, Hamlin has added three more wins to his season total of five and is currently second in the point standings with a 24-point buffer on the cutline.
Record Breaking Season for Toyota… With Truex’ series-leading seventh win of the season on Sunday, Toyota has won 17 of the 33 points-paying MENCS races this season, which is the most ever for the manufacturer in one season. In addition to Truex’s seven wins, Hamlin has scored five triumphs, followed by Kyle Busch with four victories. Erik Jones completes Toyota’s winning efforts so far this season with a victory at the historic Darlington Speedway.
A Victor at Last… At the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ (NXS) last event at Kansas Speedway, Brandon Jones earned the win after leading the last 10 laps. It was the first NASCAR national series event win for Jones after five second-place efforts in his combined NXS and NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series starts. In the spring at Texas Motor Speedway, Jones started on the front row and ran in the top 10 all day before being taken out in a late-race crash.
Bell Looking for His First… Christopher Bell is looking for his first Xfinity Series win at the Fort Worth-area track, but has had many strong runs in prior events at Texas Motor Speedway. Bell scored a Truck Series win at the track in 2017 and has three top-six finishes in four Xfinity Series starts. Bell currently leads the point standings with three races remaining in the 2019 season. He holds a 49-point advantage over the cutoff line in the NASCAR Playoffs.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Todd Looks to Make History in Las Vegas… Camry Funny Car pilot J.R. Todd can become just the third Funny Car driver in history to win four consecutive races at one track with a victory at The Strip At Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Todd swept both events last year and was the victor in April at Las Vegas. The reigning Funny Car world champion would join Don Prudhomme and John Force as the only drivers to accomplish the feat. In addition, Todd would become the first nitro driver in NHRA history to win four consecutive races at the Las Vegas track.
Kalitta in Thick of Title Race… Doug Kalitta enters this weekend’s NHRA Nationals in second place in the Countdown to the Championship, just 33 points out of the top spot with 321 points still available over the season’s final two races. Kalitta, a four-time series runner-up, is attempting to become the fifth different Toyota Top Fuel driver to win a world championship since 2010 – joining current Toyota drivers Antron Brown (2012, 2015 and 2016) and Shawn Langdon (2013), along with former Toyota drivers Larry Dixon (2010) and Del Worsham (2011).
Hitting the Jackpot in Vegas… Toyota drivers have combined to win 15 races at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway since 2008. During that span, Camry drivers have won eight times in Funny Car, while Toyota Top Fuel drivers have seven victories with Brown leading the way with four.
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