This Week in Motorsports: February 19 – 25, 2024
· NCS/NXS/NCTS: Atlanta Motor Speedway – February 23-25
PLANO, Texas (February 21, 2024) – NASCAR’s three national series head to Atlanta Motor Speedway for the second race of the 2024 season. Toyota scored top-three finishes in all three national series races at Daytona last weekend, looking for more this weekend in the Peach State.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS| NCTS
New Camry XSE Next Gen strong out of the gate … Toyota’s new Camry XSE Cup race car has had a strong beginning to its NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Toyotas swept the Duels at Daytona last week with victories by Christopher Bell and Tyler Reddick, followed up by four top-ten finishers in the Daytona 500 with Bell, Bubba Wallace and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB’s John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones. The Camry XSE has another chance to show off its superspeedway performance this weekend in Atlanta.
Optimal start in the Toyota family … With the seventh and eighth place finishes by Nemechek and Jones at Daytona, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB claimed their first double-top-10 as an organization since the team’s debut last season. Both drivers have had past success at Atlanta Motor Speedway, to which the same feat and more could be accomplished this weekend.
Hamlin returns to favorable Atlanta … Coming off a solid run at the Daytona 500, Denny Hamlin heads back to Atlanta Motor Speedway, which has provided success for the 43-year-old. Hamlin has a 2012 victory to go along with six top-fives and 10 top-10s at the Georgia track. A second win at Atlanta Motor Speedway would give Hamlin the 52nd of his career and his 49th with Toyota.
Creed brings superspeedway success to Atlanta … In his debut with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) and in a Toyota GR Supra last weekend, Sheldon Creed nearly snatched victory, coming home second in the Xfinity Series season opener at Daytona. Creed’s runner up finish helped JGR claim two of the top five positions with teammate, Chandler Smith, finishing fifth in a strong start to 2024 for the team. Creed also enters Atlanta with consecutive second-place superspeedway finishes, providing confidence his first career win could be this weekend at the similar-styled Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Nemechek looking for repeat win at Atlanta … Nemechek will once again do double duty and pilot the No. 20 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing. He looks to go back-to-back at Atlanta Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series as the North Carolina native made his way to victory lane last summer, which was one of his seven victories in 2023.
Truex keen to continue Atlanta success … Joe Gibbs Racing’s Ryan Truex has had a great deal of success in his Xfinity Series career at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 31-year-old has finished in the top 11 in each of his starts, including consecutive third place finishes. After a strong showing at Daytona Monday night, Truex has his eyes set on career win number two this weekend.
Howard piloting No. 1 Tundra TRD Pro … Twenty-two-year-old, Colby Howard, will be behind the wheel of the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro this weekend for TRICON Garage. The South Carolina native is making his debut with Toyota in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series after two starts in a Toyota Camry in ARCA at Sonoma Raceway and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in 2022. Howard has 51 career Truck Series starts with one career top-five and four career top-10s.
Heim returns to home track … Marietta, Georgia’s, Corey Heim, will make his third career Truck Series start at his home track this weekend, which is also the site of his first career victory (2022). Coming off a second-place finish last weekend at Daytona, the 21-year-old is eager for his first win of 2024.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 26 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
