THREE TOYOTA TOP-10s AT THE CLASH AT BOWMAN GRAY
Hamlin Leads Toyota in Exhibition Race to Kick Off 2025 Season
WINSTON-SALEM, NC (February 2, 2025) – Three Toyota Camry XSE drivers finished in the top 10 in Sunday night’s Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium. Denny Hamlin was the top-finishing Toyota with a third-place result after leading 28 laps (of 200) in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 11 Camry. 23XI Racing drivers Bubba Wallace (fifth) and Tyler Reddick (eighth) also had strong runs in the annual season-opening exhibition race.
TheNASCAR Cup Series competes in the Daytona 500 on Sunday, February 16.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Bowman Gray Stadium
The Clash – 200 laps
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chase Elliott*
2nd, Ryan Blaney*
3rd, DENNY HAMLIN
4th, Joey Logano*
5th, BUBBA WALLACE
8th, TYLER REDDICK
12th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
23rd, CHASE BRISCOE
FAILED TO ADVANCE TO THE MAIN EVENT
TY GIBBS
RILEY HERBST
ERIK JONES
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
What was the difference in the second half with your race car?
“I just didn’t do very well on that restart there, and kind of lost the bottom and Chase (Elliott) took advantage of it. Once you get the lead, it is a lot easier to hang on to it. I thought that they were just a little better that second half than we were, along with the 12 (Ryan Blaney) was as well. We just have to get a little bit better, but overall, a good day for our Sport Clips Toyota.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 Leidos Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 5th
With a top-five finish, you had to work for that one. How does this one feel?
“I hate that I got into the 6 (Brad Keselowski). I didn’t want to get a top-five finish that way. He was doing everything he could to get down – and I got greedy and wanted to fill the hole. I really didn’t think I hit him that hard, but obviously I did, so apologize for that. A good day – I wish I had the hard charger award. This – the 12 (Ryan Blaney) beat me for that. I looked in the mirror, before the break, and he is two back and I’m like, he’s fast. But all-in-all, a good day for our Leidos Toyota Camry. We start off the season with a top-five. Does that count? We will count it. All-in-all, a good day – we were still missing it on something. This tire was also from Martinsville in the fall. I didn’t like the car then. I don’t like the car now, but you have to fight for it. I need to look back on what I need to do better with this tire. I think it is more me than the car – just getting the potential, but all-in-all, it was a fun night. Crowd was loud and proud, and it was a good time.”
JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: Failed to Make Main Event
Can you tell us about your experience this weekend?
“After getting wrecked last night, all of the men and women at LEGACY MOTOR CLUB rallied and brought a bunch of parts from the shop. All of the team guys, all of the guys on the 42 and the 43, and the shop guys were able to fix everything. Huge thank you to them for getting this Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE looking the way that it did. It drove good in the LCQ race. We still had a little bit to do but had to go to the back because we had to change body parts and everything else. I think we started like second to the last row, and we were able to drive up to fourth there, so solid effort, sucks to come up a little bit short and not transferring, but this group has shown me a lot over the offseason. We brought over a really fast race car for practice off the truck yesterday, and it just didn’t work out as far as being in the race, but looking forward to getting the real points season started and see what we can continue to do as far as the 42 team.”
ERIK JONES, No. 43 Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB
Finishing Position: Failed to Make Main Event
Can you tell us what happened on that restart from your perspective?
“I haven’t seen it, but it looked like the 21 (Josh Berry) kind of cleaned us out, and then we ended up three-wide and then we got wrecked after that. It’s too bad. I thought that our Family Dollar Camry was pretty good. We were obviously racing for the lead – disappointing way to end. It’s tough being in the last chance – knowing that it is going to be rough. I got into a few guys, a few guys got into me and ended up on the wrong side. Unfortunate, I wish that we were going to race later tonight, but we will go on to Daytona.”
Can you tell us about the on-track incident?
“We were leading the race, and it looked like the 21 (Josh Berry) got in there and was going to shove us out of the way. That is frustrating. I’m not innocent either. There were a couple of guys that I knocked out of the way – it is part of the game, but it is definitely frustrating. Unfortunately, we kind of got cleaned out there once we got three wide. It is tough. You want to start out the year good. You want to make the main, and I thought the Family Dollar Camry was pretty good racing for the lead. It is frustrating, but part of the game here.”
Was there anything you felt like you could have done differently?
“Yeah, I mean it is tough. We got a good restart there, and I wish that I would have managed my gap a little bit better to not let the 21 (Josh Berry) get that position behind me and knock me out of the way. I guess you don’t really expect to get knocked out of the way in the first corner, so I wasn’t really thinking about that. So, yeah, I wish I could have kept him a little better guarded, but it didn’t work out.”
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