REDDICK WINS REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP IN DRAMATIC FASHION
Five Camry Drivers Set to Compete for 2024 Cup Series Championship
DARLINGTON, S.C. (September 1, 2024) – Tyler Reddick won the NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) Regular Season Championship with a 10th place result on Sunday night at Darlington Raceway. Reddick overcame fighting an illness during the 500-mile race, persevering by one point in the championship standings to earn the regular season driver’s title. Reddick is joined in the Cup Series Playoffs by four other Camry drivers, including Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs and Martin Truex Jr.
Bell led all Camrys at Darlington with a third-place result. Gibbs and Bubba Wallace, who started on the pole, were involved in a multi-car incident late in the race, and both were able to continue and cross the finish line in the top 20. Wallace fell just outside the Playoff cutoff, while Truex had an incident early in the race but was able to secure the final spot in the Playoff field.
Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Darlington Raceway
Race 26 of 36 – 367 Laps, 501.322 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Chase Briscoe*
2nd, Kyle Busch*
3rd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
4th, Kyle Larson*
5th, Ross Chastain*
7th, DENNY HAMLIN
10th, TYLER REDDICK
16th, BUBBA WALLACE
20th, TY GIBBS
24th, ERIK JONES
25th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
36th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 3rd
How was your race tonight?
“I don’t know. It was definitely a lot to digest. It was pretty self-explanatory there. The first two stages it went green and then the third stage we kind of had differing strategies. Some guys selected to pit early, we were on the long pit side. And then the yellow flags came, and people stayed out, people pitted, and we had differing tire strategies, and it made it really exciting. Chase (Briscoe) was awesome all night long obviously. Through stage one and stage two he was right there in the mix with them. He pounced whenever it mattered the most. I had the best seat in the house for the great shootout between the 14 (Chase Briscoe) and the 8 (Kyle Busch). And, yeah, it wasn’t meant to be for us today. Now, the real job starts.”
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Sport Clips Haircuts Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 7th
Can you talk through the end of the race and what more you needed tonight?
“Just need to be a little bit faster in the short run. We chipped away at it all day and put ourselves in a good spot. Just once we had that restart upfront it looked like we were going to kind of settle in there and run second and then with all the cautions at the end we ended up where we ended up. Overall, a decent day.”
TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Upper Deck Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 10th
How were you able to maintain your focus battling illness during the race?
“I don’t really know if I did honestly. Just things fell our way there at the end. Yeah, I started the day off feeling really, really good just kind of trying to take my time to get around Bubba (Wallace). Him and the 5 (Kyle Larson) kind of jumped us on the first cycle. I thought we had a long race and plenty of time and just man, by the end of stage one I couldn’t even really focus on what to tell the guys to do on the Upper Deck Toyota Camry. It was frustrating, man. We had that buffer over the 5 and just watched it disappear all day long. I tried everything I can to drive this car as fast as I can, it was just a real struggle honestly. I don’t have anything left.”
What does it mean for this team to win the regular season championship and score those extra 15 points going into the Playoffs?
“It’s huge for us. It’s a bummer, man. This has been one of my best tracks and we just had an all off night. I hate that. Like I said, I hated to use that buffer up that we had coming in here, but this is what this team is kind of all about. I feel like this is the worst night we’ve had in months and months speed wise, and I still finished 10th, and it was an all-out struggle for us. Just really proud of everybody on this team standing behind me. I couldn’t give great feedback, and it was just really, really hard to focus and keep it out of the wall there all night. It’s a shame we gave some points up. I felt like this is a race we could win, but it’s really nice in year two for me here at this team and year four of this team to get the regular season championship like we did.”
BUBBA WALLACE, No. 23 U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing
Finishing Position: 16th
What happened during the second half of the race for you?
“We just were back and forth on our U.S. Air Force Toyota Camry. We were a little too loose, a little too tight. And the caution a couple laps on tires where we stayed out, I don’t know if that was the deciding factor or not. I was so tight there and got back there in traffic in a spot we hadn’t been all day and got caught up someone else’s mess. It’s unfortunate. I hate it for our guys. Hats off to the 14 (Chase Briscoe). I thought I did something yesterday, they one-upped us and showed up when it was game time so that’s pretty bad ass so congrats to them. Man, just wasn’t good enough for 16th this year. I hate that. It stinks saying that, but it wasn’t for a lack of effort for all of us on the 23 car. Best of luck to the 45 (Tyler Reddick) and hopefully a Toyota wins.”
TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 20th
Can you believe you were able to make the Playoffs after being involved in an incident late in the race?
“Not really. That was really unfortunate. I was really confused at it. Tried to get wrecked in (turns) three and four and then went and got finished off. I don’t know what was going on. That was unfortunate. I wish we could’ve ran better. I really love this track and have so much fun racing here. My car was so good. I wish we could’ve finished better but most importantly we made the Playoffs and that’s what we came here to do. We accomplished that so I’m very happy to be able to make it.”
Are you relieved that you made it into the Playoffs?
“Honestly, it’s good to get in. I really just wanted to win this thing. It’s great that we made it in. We tried to get wrecked that whole entire lap and then they pretty much finished us off down there which is unfortunate. I would expect different, but I don’t know what was happening with 30 something to go. It was unfortunate. It’s frustrating because I really love this place.”
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Finishing Position: 36th
What happened to take you out of the race?
“Clearly me. Yeah, it was all my fault, all my doing. I got a run on the 24 (William Byron), and went to the inside and thought everything was going fine and the car just took off and I ran into him. Obviously, that was on me. I hate it for my guys, Bass Pro Shops, Toyota, everybody. We had a phenomenal race car, and I know this is like the longest race of the year – just a dumb mistake on my part.”
Did it surprise you that the car slid as much as it did?
“I was definitely surprised. I didn’t expect – obviously that I’d drive into one that deep. I thought I was going to be fine side-by-side. It just took off on me and I hit the 24 (William Byron) so that’s obviously on me. I hate it for my team. You hate to make a mistake that early in the race. All my fault. I hate it for my team, I hate it for (Ryan) Blaney. I apologize to his guys. Just caught me by surprise and just a stupid mistake. Inexcusable.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 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 more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th 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 29 electrified options.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
