This Week in Motorsports: May 12 – 18, 2025
- NCS/NCTS: North Wilkesboro Speedway – May 16-18
- ARCA EAST: Flat Rock Speedway – May 16-17
- NHRA: Route 66 Raceway – May 16-18
- GR CUP: Sebring International Raceway – May 16-18
PLANO, Texas (May 14, 2025) – NASCAR returns to historic North Wilkesboro Speedway for the annual All-Star race weekend for the Cup Series, along with race number 10 of the 2025 season for the Truck Series. The ARCA Menards Series East is off to Flat Rock Speedway in Michigan for its fourth race of the season. NHRA is back in action at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois as the summer stretch of races begins. And finally, the GR Cup Series enters its third race weekend of the season at Sebring International Raceway.
NASCAR National Series – NCS/NCTS
Toyota bouts for inaugural Manufacturers Showdown … The 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race has some new elements included to amplify the excitement of the annual event, including the new “Manufacturer Showdown.” All three manufacturers in the Cup Series will compete against each other with the best combined overall finish among the three determining the winner. The number of cars per manufacturer will be determined once the All-Star main event field is set, with whichever manufacturer that has the least number of cars in the main event determining the amount the other two have in the challenge as well. The lowest cumulative score among the three OEMs determines the victor.
Crews makes Trucks debut … Toyota Development Driver Brent Crews arrives to North Wilkesboro Speedway this weekend to make his debut in the NASCAR Truck Series where he will pilot the No. 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage. The 17-year-old has thoroughly impressed in his young racing career so far, including the 2024 World Series of Asphalt Late Model championship; the 2023 SCCA TransAm TA2 Pro-Am championship; multiple wins in ARCA Menards Series competition – most recently at Rockingham Speedway in the East series – among other notable successes.
Heim seeks North Wilkesboro repeat … After another Truck Series top-five finish last weekend in Kansas and a solid season debut in the Cup Series, Corey Heim is back at North Wilkesboro Speedway looking for a repeat victory. The 22-year-old Toyota Development Driver led 62 laps on the way to victory the event last year at the 0.625-mile short oval for his eighth career Truck Series win at the time. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for TRICON Garage has serious momentum entering the weekend, with six consecutive top-10 finishes and still standing as the Truck Series points leader.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series East
Reaves goes for third straight win … Max Reaves has had a dazzling beginning to his career in the ARCA Menards Series East, with two victories in his first two career starts at Five Flags Speedway and Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Reaves and his No. 18 Toyota Camry head to Flat Rock Speedway this weekend in search of his third straight victory during the 2025 campaign.
NHRA – Top Fuel/Funny Car
Langdon continues as points leader heading to Chicago … With his win three weeks ago in Charlotte, Shawn Langdon enters race number six at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Illinois, with a 59-point lead in the NHRA Top Fuel standings. The 2013 Top Fuel world champion has two event victories and 12 round wins already on the season to put him firmly in the top spot. Closely following him in the standings are Antron Brown in third, Doug Kalitta in fourth, and Justin Ashley in sixth entering the weekend.
Brown seeks Chicago repeat … Last year in Joliet, Brown captured the first of what would be six race victories in 2024 to propel him to his fourth NHRA Top Fuel world championship. Brown is back at the Illinois dragstrip in hopes of a repeat triumph and his fifth overall Top Fuel victory at Route 66 Raceway.
GR Cup
Championship battle heats up in Sebring … As the Toyota GR Cup Series enters its fourth race weekend of the 2025 season, the series championship battle is beginning to take shape. The top three in the series points – Jaxon Bell (first), Westin Workman (second) and Lucas Weisenberg (third) – are all within a seven-point gap entering Sebring this weekend. Bell and Weisenberg have both captured victories so far this season, while Workman has three podiums in four races so far this season.
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.
