This Week in Motorsports: March 11 – March 17, 2024
· NCS/NCTS: Bristol Motor Speedway – March 16-17
PLANO, Texas (March 13, 2024) – NASCAR makes its first of two trips to Bristol Motor Speedway in 2024 where the Cup Series runs its fifth race of the season and it will mark the fourth event for the Truck Series.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NCTS
Coming off win, Bell looks for Bristol Spring repeat … Christopher Bell captured Toyota’s first points-paying Cup Series win of the season last weekend at Phoenix, locking himself into the Playoffs and catapulting himself to ninth in the points standings. The Oklahoma native is also the reigning Bristol Spring race winner, the victor of the final Bristol dirt race. Should he win again at the half-mile circuit, Bell would be the first Cup Series driver to reach two wins in 2024.
NASCAR history made … On Sunday at Phoenix Raceway, Toyota made NASCAR history as five drivers led 50 or more laps in the race. No other manufacturer has ever had five drivers lead 50 or more laps in a single race in NASCAR history. The history makers were – Denny Hamlin (68), Tyler Reddick (68), Ty Gibbs (57), Martin Truex Jr. (55) and Bell (50).
Spring Bristol returns to concrete … After a three-year stint with dirt, the first Bristol race of the season is back on the famed half-mile concrete surface, which bodes well for some of the Toyota stable. Joe Gibbs Racing’s (JGR) Hamlin is a three-time winner on the Bristol concrete and is coming off a win in the Saturday night fall race last season. Erik Jones of LEGACY MOTOR CLUB returns to Bristol Motor Speedway in a Toyota Camry, where he’s finished in the top-five in half of his previous Bristol starts with Toyota back when he was with JGR from 2017-2020.
Gibbs continues strong start in sophomore season … Living up to predictions of a strong second season in the Cup Series, Gibbs comes to Bristol off his best career finish of third at Phoenix last weekend. The 21-year-old started on the front row and led 57 laps on the way to his podium finish. The great run also makes it three consecutive top-10s for Gibbs in the first four races, as he now sits sixth in the series points standings, along with fellow Toyota drivers, Truex (third) and Reddick (fifth).
Heim, Gray in strong points positions … After a week off, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to action at Bristol Motor Speedway. Toyota Development Drivers, Corey Heim and Taylor Gray, come into the weekend both in the top-ten of the Truck Series points with Heim in third and Gray in sixth. Heim has finished in the top three in each race so far this season and Gray is coming off consecutive fourth-place finishes.
Sawalich makes 2024 Trucks debut … Fresh off his dominating ARCA Menards Series victory last weekend, William Sawalich will race the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage this weekend. The 17-year-old made six starts in the Truck Series a year ago, with an impressive finish of sixth at Indianapolis Raceway Park last August.
Heim seeks back-to-back at Bristol … Heim aims to continue his strong start to 2024 by repeating as the Truck Series winner at Bristol Motor Speedway, to which he won the fall Bristol race last season, his final victory of 2023. This will be Heim’s third start at the half-mile oval where he has a top-10 finish to go along with that victory a season ago.
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.
