This Week in Motorsports: June 20-26, 2022
· NCS/NXS/NCWTS: Nashville Superspeedway – June 24-26
· ARCA: Elko Speedway (Minnesota) – June 25
· NHRA: Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park (Ohio) – June 26
PLANO, Texas (June 22, 2022) – It is a busy weekend for Toyota’s racing efforts across the country as NASCAR’s top three series return to Nashville Superspeedway for the second consecutive season, while NHRA is back in action in Ohio and the ARCA Menards Series takes on Elko Speedway in Minnesota.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS | NCWTS
10 to go… With 10 races to go in the regular season, five of Toyota’s six drivers currently hold Playoff berths. Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Kurt Busch are three of the 12 Cup Series winners this season with 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. and Christopher Bell holding down spots with their consistent performance.
Bell looks to begin another top-10 streak… Bell’s career-best streak of five straight top-10 finishes ended in Sonoma, but the Oklahoma-native looks to start another run this weekend. He led Toyota with an eighth-place finish one season ago in his Nashville track debut.
Jones lone Toyota driver with Nashville experience… Martinsville winner Brandon Jones is the lone Toyota driver in the Xfinity race this Saturday with track experience at Nashville Superspeedway. Jones drove to a sixth-place finish at Nashville last season.
Bayne, Earnhardt return… Trevor Bayne and Jeffrey Earnhardt are both back behind the wheel of Toyota GR Supras this weekend. Bayne returns in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Supra for his fifth start of the season. Bayne, who returns in Loudon, has three top-10 finishes in his four starts this season. Earnhardt is making his sixth start for Sam Hunt Racing. He has top-20 finishes in three of his five starts with the team this season.
Toyota continues to lead the Trucks… Three Toyota drivers continue to be a part of the four-car battle for the regular season championship in the Truck Series. The 2021 regular season champion John Hunter Nemechek took back the points lead with a runner-up finish at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday. Reigning champion Ben Rhodes and 2021 Rookie of the Year Chandler Smith are amongst the drivers that are in close pursuit in the final three races of the Truck Series regular season.
Majeski continues to add to top-five total… Ty Majeski continues to impress in his first full-time campaign in the NASCAR Truck Series. The Wisconsin-native has extended his Playoff points advantage to over 100 points over the cutoff with five top-five finishes in the last seven events. Nashville was on Majeski’s limited schedule last season. He finished in eighth.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA
Smith continues to add accolades… Toyota development driver Sammy Smith continues to impress as he added his first national ARCA win to the tally last weekend in Berlin. Smith, who averages a second-place finish in his three national ARCA starts this season, is making his track debut at Minnesota’s Elko Speedway this weekend.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Capps delivers first for GR Supra… Ron Capps delivered the first victory for the Toyota GR Supra in Bristol in just his fourth start for Team Toyota. Capps is coming off an incredible performance on-track as his team recorded the low elapsed time in every session in Bristol eliminations.
Ashley part of a Bristol Toyota sweep… Justin Ashley didn’t let a final round loss in Epping get him down as he scored his second victory of the season in Bristol. He was part of a Toyota Racing sweep of the nitro classes with Capps in Bristol. It was the first time since Las Vegas in 2016 that Toyota drivers swept the nitro classes (Antron Brown, Alexis DeJoria).
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