Toyota Racing
This Week in Motorsports – February 25 – March 3, 2019
Toyota Racing On-Track this Week
MENCS/NXS/NGOTS: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – March 1-3
NKNPSW: Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (Las Vegas, Nevada) – Feb. 28
NASCAR National Series – MENCS | NXS | NGOTS
Kyle Busch Heads Home to Las Vegas… Fresh off his 500th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Toyota driver Kyle Busch will make his 501st start at his hometown track, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, this weekend. Through two MENCS races this season, Busch has finishes of second (Daytona) and sixth (Atlanta), and sits third in the points standings. In 15 Cup Series starts at his hometown track, Busch has one win (2009), six top-fives and 241 laps led.
Picking Up Where He Left Off… Camry driver Erik Jones finished the 2018 MENCS season strong – placing inside the top-eight in four of his last eight races. Jones is picking up where he left off and has found speed early in 2019. The Toyota driver has back-to-back top-seven or better finishes, including placing third at Daytona and seventh at Atlanta. He has a career-high finish at Las Vegas of eighth last spring and won the pole there in the fall race. Through two MENCS races this season, Jones and Busch are the only two drivers to finish inside top-10 in each race.
Bell Makes History in Atlanta… Christopher Bell made history at Atlanta Motor Speedway and became the first Toyota driver to win in the Supra, just two races into its 2019 debut. Bell dominated on his way to victory, winning both stages and leading 142 (of 163) laps. The win was also Toyota’s 150th NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) victory since entering the series in 2007. After falling short of the NXS title in 2018, Bell is already off to a strong start after winning at Atlanta and scoring a top-10 finish at Daytona. In 43 career NXS races, Bell has nine wins, 22 top-five finishes and has led over 1,000 laps. He leads the NXS points standings after two races with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Brandon Jones just behind him in second. The pair head to Las Vegas this weekend looking for similar results along with teammate Busch making a start in the No. 18 Supra.
Earnhardt Capitalizing with Toyota… In just two races behind the wheel of a Toyota Supra, Jeffrey Earnhardt is making his mark. In his debut with Toyota and JGR in the NXS at Daytona, Earnhardt started on the front row and led a career-high 29 laps and went on to finish 15th. The following week at Atlanta, Earnhardt placed sixth – earning his career-best NASCAR national series finish. Earnhardt’s next opportunity in the No. 18 Supra comes at Talladega Superspeedway on April 27.
Kyle Busch Earns Historic Truck Series Victory… With his triumph at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Busch is now the all-time wins leader in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series (NGOTS) with 52 victories. The win was Busch’s 45th Truck Series victory behind the wheel of a Tundra. Since entering the NASCAR national series ranks in 2001, Busch has become the all-time wins leader in both the Truck Series and the Xfinity Series (92 wins), and has earned 51 NASCAR Cup Series victories – totaling 195 NASCAR national series triumphs.
Toyota Two-For-Two in Trucks… Tundra drivers have opened the 2019 NASCAR Truck Series season in the same way they completed the 2018 season… with wins. Dating back to 2018, Tundra drivers have won the last four Truck Series races, including victories at ISM Raceway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway. Austin Hill started the season by winning at Daytona for his first career NASCAR Truck Series win, while Busch earned his historic 52nd victory at Atlanta. Tundra drivers have won six Truck Series races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, including two of the last three.
Regional Stock Car Racing – NASCAR K&N Pro Series West
Toyota Drivers Making 2019 Debut at Las Vegas… The NASCAR K&N Pro Series West (NKNPSW) hosts its 2019 season opener at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Dirt Track on Thursday, Feb. 28. Toyota and Bill McAnally Racing drivers Derek Kraus, Hailie Deegan and Brittney Zamora will all be making their NKNPSW debuts after also competing at New Smyrna Speedway in the East season opener earlier this month where Kraus took home the win. Kraus earned four NKNPSW victories in 2018, while Deegan made history and became the first female racer to ever win a race in the NKNPSW when she won at Meridian Speedway. Zamora is entering her rookie season in the NKNPSW and comes from a super late model background. Deegan and Zamora are the only two female racers running a full-time NKNPSW schedule in 2019. At last year’s Las Vegas West race, Deegan earned her first K&N Pro Series pole position and she led 13 laps (of 102) before finishing runner-up. Her dirt background and last year’s performance make her a favorite this weekend.
