This Week in Motorsports: May 16-22, 2022
· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Texas Motor Speedway – May 20-22
PLANO, Texas (May 18, 2022) – It is time for the annual All-Star race at Texas Motor Speedway for the NASCAR Cup Series, while the Xfinity Series and Truck Series also take to the track in Fort Worth this weekend.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS| NCWTS
Toyota six-for-six… All six of Toyota’s drivers have already qualified for the main event – the All-Star Race – and will not need to come through the All-Star Open to earn a spot in the field. Kurt Busch, Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are automatically in the field by being former Cup Series champions, along with Denny Hamlin as a former All-Star Race winner. Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace earned their spots by driving to victory lane last season.
Busch adds another victory… Kurt Busch added another milestone to his incredible career as he drove a Toyota Camry TRD to victory lane for the first time at Kansas Speedway on Sunday. It was the second win for second-year team, 23XI Racing. He is the third different Toyota driver to win this season (Hamlin, Kyle Busch).
Six Toyotas in the top-10… All six Toyota drivers drove to top-10 finishes at Kansas Speedway, marking the first time six Camrys have finished inside the top-10 since August 2017 at Watkins Glen International. Toyota also placed four Camry TRD’s in the top-five, which is the ninth time in Toyota’s NASCAR history that has occurred. The last time was at Sonoma Raceway in June 2019.
54 team looking for third straight win at Texas… Ty Gibbs is looking for his first Texas Motor Speedway victory, but his team is looking for their third straight Xfinity Series win. The No. 54 team won both races at Texas Motor Speedway last season with Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek behind the wheel. Overall, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) has won the last three Xfinity Series races, and five of the last six, at Texas Motor Speedway.
Earnhardt and Sam Hunt Racing coming off big moments… Jeffrey Earnhardt and Sam Hunt Racing are reunited for three of the next four events on the Xfinity Series schedule – with both coming off memorable races. Earnhardt finished a career-best second at Talladega, while Nemechek drove the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra to a fourth-place finish at Darlington.
Toyota continues to hold majority of Truck Playoff berths… Toyota drivers continue to show strength in the Camping World Truck Series with the manufacturer holding down seven of the 10 available Playoff berths as the Truck Series hits the halfway point in the regular season. Toyota drivers currently in Playoff positions are Ben Rhodes, Nemechek, Chandler Smith, Ty Majeski, Stewart Friesen, Christian Eckes and Matt Crafton.
Nemechek strong at Texas… John Hunter Nemechek is excited to head to Texas Motor Speedway as he is riding a streak of five consecutive top-six finishes in the Truck Series. Nemechek won in both the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series at Texas one season ago, beating former Cup Series champion Chase Elliott by three seconds to score the Truck Series victory.
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