This Week in Motorsports: May 5 – 11, 2025
· NCS/NCTS/ARCA: Kansas Speedway – May 9-11
· FORMULA DRIFT: Road Atlanta – May 9-11
PLANO, Texas (May 7, 2025) – NASCAR heads to the heartland of America and Kansas Speedway for the first of two visits this season in a packed weekend involving the Cup and Truck Series, as well as the ARCA Menards Series. Formula DRIFT is back on track this weekend, taking on Road Atlanta for the second race of their 2025 campaign.
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NXS
Heim makes first Cup start of 2025 … Toyota Development Driver Corey Heim will make his 2025 season debut in the NASCAR Cup Series this weekend at Kansas Speedway in the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE for 23XI Racing. As part of his development driver deal with 23XI Racing, Heim will make select Cup Series starts this season in the No. 67, beginning this weekend. While it will only be his fourth career Cup Series start, Heim does return to a known race track for him in a Cup car, as he filled in for Erik Jones last season at Kansas in the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB.
LEGACY MOTOR CLUB coming off double top-10 … Last weekend in Texas provided a boost for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB as both of its Toyota Camry XSEs finished inside the top-10 with Jones in fifth and John Hunter Nemechek in eighth. The result was Jones’ first top-five and top-10 of the year, while for Nemechek, it was his third top-10 in a strong start to the season, while also climbing three spots in the series points standings.
Favorable Kansas for Bell, Hamlin … Kansas Speedway has become a favorite track for many drivers across the NASCAR Cup Series, including for Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin. Bell comes into the weekend looking for his fourth consecutive pole position at Kansas and fifth overall, which would tie him for the most all-time at the mile-and-a-half track. He also has top-10s in six of the last seven Kansas races. For Hamlin, he goes for his eighth consecutive top-10 finish at Kansas, and 10th in the last 12 races, which includes his victories in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Another victory at Kansas would be Hamlin’s fifth, adding to his track-best mark.
Heim seeks third straight Kansas triumph … In addition to his Cup Series duties this weekend, Heim has his sights set on continuing his dominance in the 2025 Truck Series season along with strong past results at Kansas Speedway. Last weekend’s victory at Texas was the third for Heim this season in just eight races, as he extended his series points lead. He now comes back to Kansas where his TRICON Garage No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro has been the truck to beat of late. Heim won both races at Kansas last season, leading 143 of 268 laps across both events. Another win on Saturday would also move Heim solely into third all-time in Truck Series wins with Toyota at 15.
Breidinger back at favorable Kansas … For the second time in her young Truck Series career, Toni Breidinger takes on Kansas Speedway this weekend for TRICON Garage in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Breidinger made her Truck Series debut at Kansas in 2023, finishing 15th, which made history as the best result for a female in her Truck Series debut. Breidinger has also found success at Kansas in the ARCA Menards Series, capturing top-10s in four of her eight career starts.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series
Toyota goes for fourth straight win … After Lawless Alan’s victory at Talladega two weeks ago, Toyota comes to this weekend’s ARCA Menards Series race looking for its fourth straight victory to begin the season. The Toyota Camry lineup will be strong at Kansas, with William Sawalich returning to the No. 18 for Joe Gibbs Racing and Isabella Robusto back in her usual No. 55 for Venturini Motorsports, among others. Robusto also returns to Kansas Speedway off claiming her first career pole position last September. Another Toyota triumph this weekend would be the manufacturer’s 12th ARCA win at Kansas Speedway and fifth in the last six races.
Formula DRIFT
Aasbø goes for two straight wins to begin 2025 … With the return of Formula DRIFT this weekend at Road Atlanta, Fredric Aasbø looks for two straight victories to begin the 2025 season, and his second straight at Road Atlanta as well. Another triumph or podium this weekend for Aasbø will be paramount as he aims to continue his strong start to a championship chase.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 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 nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In spring 2025, Toyota’s 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 32 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
