TOYOTA NASCAR NOTES & QUOTES
February 11 – 24, 2013
TOYOTA TIDBITS
INTRODUCING THE 2013 CAMRY: The new 2013 Toyota Camry race car will debut on the track this week at Daytona International Speedway. The 2013 Camry features a new front grill-area that matches the production model, distinct character lines down the side of the vehicle, and an updated rear bumper that makes the redesigned 2013 Camry stock car more relevant than ever before to its showroom sibling.
MEETING MILESTONES: Heading into the season-opener at Daytona, Toyota drivers can reach a few significant milestones for the manufacturer in each of the three NASCAR series. The next NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) win for a Camry driver will mark the 50th for Toyota since joining the series in 2007. Camry NSCS drivers currently have 49 total victories — with the first victory coming in 2008 with Kyle Busch at Atlanta Motor Speedway. In the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), Camry drivers have crossed the finish line first 74 times and the next Toyota win will be the 75th victory since the start of the 2007 season. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS), Tundra drivers have compiled 99 triumphs since 2004 and Toyota drivers will look to earn the 100th victory at Daytona.
KENSETH IN A CAMRY: Matt Kenseth, the two-time Daytona 500 champion (2009 and 2012), is set to make his debut for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) at Daytona International Speedway. Kenseth, the defending Daytona 500 winner, will pilot the No. 20 Camry in 2013 with sponsorship from Dollar General and Husky Tools. The 2003 NSCS champion has compiled 24 wins, 126 top-five finishes and 228 top-10 results in 472 Sprint Cup Series starts. Last season, Kenseth recorded three wins, 13 top-five results and 19 top-10 finishes en route to finishing the year seventh in the NSCS point standings.
DELIVERING DAYTONA: Although Toyota drivers have been victorious at Daytona multiple times in NSCS competition, they have yet to cross the finish line first in the coveted Daytona 500 from behind the wheel of a Camry. Camry NSCS wins at Daytona came when Busch won in July 2008 as well as the ‘Sprint Unlimited’ last February (non- points event), and Denny Hamlin visited victory lane in the second Duel 150 race in Feb. 2008 — also a non-points event. Kenseth (2009 and 2012) and Michael Waltrip (2001 and 2003) have each hoisted the Daytona 500 trophy twice prior to joining Toyota.
RECORD RACER: After hiring Parker Kligerman to take the wheel of his Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) No. 77 Camry, Busch returns to Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) for the 2013 NNS season. Busch, who won the 2009 NNS championship with JGR, will run a part-time schedule of 25 races in the No. 54 Monster Energy Camry and will look to add to his series-record 51 victories this season. Busch is also the only driver in NNS history with more than 10,000 laps led, currently having paced a series-record 10,971 laps in 10 seasons of NNS competition.
SUPERSPEEDWAY SUCCESS: Tundra drivers have won six straight NCWTS races at Daytona. Jack Sprague started the streak with his win in 2007, followed by back-to-back victories by Todd Bodine in 2008 and 2009. Timothy Peters crossed the finish line first at ‘The World Center of Racing’ in 2010 and Michael Waltrip won the season-opener at Daytona in 2011. John King earned his first career NCWTS race win last year at the season-opener. Overall, Tundra drivers have won 11 of the last 12 superspeedway races on the NCWTS schedule, including five of the last six races at Talladega Superspeedway.
SOCIAL MEDIA & WEBSITE: The ToyotaRacing.com website will be relaunched Feb. 14. Background and images about the Toyota NASCAR program are available at www.toyotaracingmedia.com, @
NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): During the 2012 season, Toyota drivers combined for 10 victories, 53 top-five results, 110 top-10 finishes and 12 pole positions … Clint Bowyer finished a career-best second in the NSCS point standings last season … Camry drivers Denny Hamlin (sixth) and Martin Truex Jr. (11th) also finished in the top-12 … Kyle Busch finished last season with four consecutive top-five results … Busch compiled seven top-five finishes, eight top-10 results and led 864 laps in the final 10 races of the season … Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 in the Swan Racing No. 30 Camry.
DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What are your impressions of the new 2013 Camry?
“It’s unique. Obviously the body characteristics of the Camry are very similar to what we’re going to be racing. We’re excited to get all of the Toyota owners excited about our Camry that is going to be on the track. It’s changing the whole game. We’re taking big steps and moving our sport in a direction that I think is a positive. I know that Toyota has really worked hard on making this Camry something their owners can identify with. We’re changing everything. It’s not just the shell. There’s a lot more that’s going to be changing with our 2013 car than just what the fans see from the outside.”
CLINT BOWYER, No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing
What is the key to continuing your success from last season?
“We’ve just got to continue to improve and that was the one thing that I felt like Brian Pattie (crew chief) and everybody on the 5-hour ENERGY Toyota did all season long was continue to improve right up to the point where we were out of time. I felt like those Chase races we picked our program up in a big way and elevated our game — me in the race car, us working together, our chemistry and Brian calling races. I see that same thing starting out the year. Obviously, you’ve got to start out on the right foot. You’ve got to start out with getting that confidence and momentum going early in the season, all the while you’re down here trying to win the biggest race of the year. This one is always tricky for me. You’re full of emotions. You don’t know what goals to chase down at Daytona. This is the one opportunity a year you have at the Daytona 500, but also you’ve got to get the year started out right and take care of business. If you get yourself in a hole and crash out 20 laps into this race, it will take you a month to overcome that.”
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How important is the Sprint Unlimited race to learn the draft in the new car?
“I think anytime we ever go down to Daytona, whether it’s with the new car or whether it’s with a different rules package, we always look at that Sprint Unlimited race as a race to watch to see exactly what’s going to happen and what characteristics you have in your race car. It’s a learning experience for everybody whether you’re in the race or whether you’re not in it. We’re curious to see how the car is going to race and how it’s going to handle and what it’s going to react like. I think the thing that we’re going to be most confused about is going to be all the changes happening throughout the race with the fan votes and everything. I think that’s exciting for the fans. Excited to see how all that plays out.”
MATT KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Do you feel like you can win back-to-back Daytona 500’s?
“Man, if I could predict that I’d be making a bunch of money in Vegas, that’s for sure. These are always really unpredictable races. We’re going to do everything we can just like you do every year. Show up down here and try to win the race. It’s the biggest race of the year and there’s a lot of effort that goes into these races and certainly plate racing is anything but predictable. Hopefully, we’ll have cars like we did last year. Last year we had really, really fast cars and Greg (Biffle) and I were able to team up pretty much all four races and stay toward the front for all of those races. So, hopefully I’ll have a car that runs like that again and can hang out up front somewhere and have a shot.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS): Camry drivers earned 10 wins, 44 top-five finishes, 81 top-10 results and 12 pole positions last season … Mike Bliss (eighth) and Brian Scott (ninth) finished top-10 in the NNS point standings … Camry drivers have won three times at Daytona with Tony Stewart (Feb. 2008), Denny Hamlin (July 2008) and Joey Logano (July 2011) … 2003 NNS champion Brian Vickers will run a full-time NNS schedule in the JGR No. 20 Camry … Elliott Sadler will join the Toyota camp in the JGR No. 11 Camry after finishing second in the NNS points each of the last two seasons.
KYLE BUSCH, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What made you decide to return to the JGR Nationwide Series program?
“The decision became a little more clear when Joe (Gibbs, owner) made it a very clear point that he wanted me to be back in his Nationwide cars, he wanted me to drive his stuff and I felt like that was a positive thing for me to do — a positive thing for me to work with Adam Stevens (crew chief) and everything. When the unknowns were happening over at KBM (Kyle Busch Motorsports), Parker Kligerman came into the picture with what all he’s got to make a full Nationwide deal, so it just made sense and all flowed together. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with Adam Stevens in the Nationwide Series and put Monster Energy in Victory Lane where they belong.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): During the 2012 season, Tundra drivers earned nine wins, 47 top-five finishes, 85 top-10 results and five pole positions … Timothy Peters finished the season a career best second in the NCWTS point standings … Parker Kligerman (fifth), Matt Crafton (sixth) and Johnny Sauter (ninth) also finished in the top-10 … Joey Coulter, who finished third in the 2012 point standings, joins Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) in the No. 18 Tundra this season … Darrell Wallace Jr. will also compete full-time for KBM in the No. 54 Tundra … Two-time series champion and Daytona NCWTS race-winner (2008 and 2009) Todd Bodine will race at Daytona in the ThorSport Racing No. 13 Tundra.
TIMOTHY PETERS, No. 17 Toyota Tundra, Red Horse Racing
Are you looking forward to the 2013 season after the success you had last year?
“It’s always cool to go to Daytona and kick off the new year, especially after the season we had last year. I feel like that’s a ton of motivation for our team to improve one spot in the championship standings. Over the last three years, we have finished second twice and won at Daytona. I know we have a good speedway program and it gives you confidence heading into the first race of the season.”
TOYOTA 2012 NASCAR STATISTICS
Starts
Series Races (Drivers) Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Times Led Laps Led
NSCS 36 433 (24) 10 53 110 12 213 4,070
NNS 33 379 (43) 10 44 81 12 141 1,936
NCWTS 22 221 (27) 9 47 85 5 82 1,106
TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER – Daytona International Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Denny Hamlin, No. 11 FedEx Express Camry Mark Martin, No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine Camry
Clint Bowyer, No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Camry Martin Truex Jr., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Camry
Kyle Busch, No. 18 M&M’s Camry David Reutimann, No. 83 Burger King Camry
Matt Kenseth, No. 20 Dollar General Camry Joe Nemechek, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry
Michael Waltrip, No. 30 Swan Racing Camry Travis Kvapil, No. 93 Burger King Camry
Bobby Labonte, No. 47 Clorox Camry
NASCAR Nationwide Series
Elliott Sadler, No. 11 OneMain Financial Camry Blake Koch, No. 24 SR2 Motorsports Camry
Eric McClure, No. 14 Hefty/Reynolds Wrap Camry Hal Martin, No. 44 TriStar Motorsports Camry
Matt Kenseth, No. 18 GameStop Camry Kyle Busch, No. 54 Monster Energy Camry
Mike Bliss, No. 19 G-Oil Camry Parker Kligerman, No. 77 Bandit Chippers Camry
Brian Vickers, No. 20 Dollar General Camry Alex Bowman, No. 99 St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Camry
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
John Wes Townley, No. 7 Zaxby’s Tundra Kyle Busch, No. 51 Toyota Care Tundra
Todd Bodine, No. 13 Mattei Air Compressor Tundra Darrell Wallace Jr., No. 54 Toyota Care Tundra
Timothy Peters, No. 17 Red Horse Racing Tundra Matt Crafton, No. 88 Menards Tundra
Joey Coulter, No. 18 Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra Johnny Sauter, No. 98 Carolina Nut Tundra
WEEKEND RACE SCHEDULE
Sat., Feb. 16 — NSCS @ Daytona International Speedway, Sprint Unlimited — 8:10 PM (ET), FOX
Thurs., Feb. 21 — NSCS @ Daytona International Speedway, 150-Mile Duels — 2:00 PM (ET), SPEED
Fri., Feb. 22 — NCWTS @ Daytona International Speedway — 7:30 PM (ET), SPEED — Race 1 of 22
Sat., Feb. 23 — NNS @ Daytona International Speedway — 1:15 PM (ET), ESPN — Race 1 of 33
Sun., Feb. 24 — NSCS @ Daytona International Speedway, Daytona 500 — 1 PM (ET), FOX — Race 1 of 36
