Week of February 19 – 25, 2018
Atlanta Special Place for Toyota… Atlanta Motor Speedway will always be remembered as an important piece of Toyota Racing’s history, the location of its first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) victory during the 2008 season – won by Kyle Busch. Toyota would go on to win nine more races that season, including eight total by Busch, one by Denny Hamlin and former Toyota driver Tony Stewart winning one as well.
Busch Set to Make 350th MENCS Start in Toyota Camry… When Busch hits the track this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, he will make his 350th Cup start in a Toyota Camry. Busch’s career with Toyota began in 2008 when he joined Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 18 Camry. He captured Toyota’s first championships in both the Cup (2015) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) (2009). He has the most victories in a Toyota with 162 total Toyota NASCAR wins (39 MENCS, 80 NXS and 43 NCWTS). Busch will look to make something special of his 350th Camry start at Atlanta – a place he has won multiple races in all three NASCAR national series. He has two wins in both the MENCS and NXS at Atlanta, as well as four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) victories on the 1.54-mile track. He is slated to make his first NCWTS start of 2018 this weekend at Atlanta.
Truex, Tamer of the 1.5-Mile Tracks… Camry driver Martin Truex Jr. set two NASCAR records by capturing wins on intermediate tracks in 2017. He had seven 1.5-mile track wins in a single season with victories at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Last year, Truex also set a record during the summer and fall months with four consecutive 1.5-mile track wins – Kentucky, Chicagoland, Charlotte and Kansas. In 19 MENCS starts at Atlanta, Truex is still looking for his first win, but his performances at the Georgia track have been strong with two top fives and seven top 10s with 281 laps led.
Toyota Aiming for Third-Consecutive NXS Win at Atlanta… Camry drivers are aiming for their third-straight NASCAR Xfinity Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend. Busch won the NXS race in both 2016 and 2017. While Busch isn’t entered in the NXS lineup this weekend, Camry drivers Christopher Bell, Brandon Jones and Kyle Benjamin will look to keep the streak alive for Toyota. Bell was a force at Atlanta a year ago in the Truck Series race – edging out for the win from the pole position.
Back-to-Back in the Trucks… Tundra drivers will have the opportunity to win back-to-back NCWTS races at Atlanta this weekend. With Bell winning the NCWTS race last year – Busch, Noah Gragson, Spencer Davis and Brett Moffit will have a chance to park their Tundra’s in victory lane for the second time in two years. Toyota has won six NCWTS races at Atlanta since 2004. Moffitt (11th) and Gragson (14th) both scored top 15s in last season’s NCWTS race at Atlanta. Davis is coming off a top-10 finish at Daytona a week ago in his first-career NCWTS start.
Staying Connected… You can follow Toyota Racing on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and online at www.toyotaracing.com. For media images, please visit www.toyotaracingmedia.com.
Toyota Notes & Numbers at Atlanta… Camry drivers have won three MENCS races at Atlanta, two NXS events and six NCWTS contests … Toyota’s last MENCS win at Atlanta came in 2013 when Busch captured a victory, while Hamlin won the season prior… Toyota’s newest addition in the NXS, B. Jones, will enjoy a homecoming this weekend as his hometown is Atlanta, GA.
Toyota 2018 Statistics:
| Series | Races | Starts (Drivers) | Wins | Tops-5s | Tops-10s | Poles | Times Led | Laps Led |
| Cup | 1 | 7 (7) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 37 |
| Xfinity | 1 | 8 (8) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Truck | 1 | 7 (7) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 34 |
