TOYOTA NASCAR NOTES & QUOTES
June 15-21, 2015
TOYOTA TIDBITS
MICHIGAN MOISTURE: Camry drivers Matt Kenseth (fourth) and Clint Bowyer (10th) earned top-10 finishes for Toyota in Sunday’s rain-shortened NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Michigan International Speedway. The event was delayed by rain a total of four times with the final red flag on lap 138 (of the scheduled 200 circuits). Camry driver Carl Edwards led the field three times for a total of 41 laps, while Kenseth led three circuits at the two-mile oval.
BUSCH BACK IN VL: Camry driver Kyle Busch took the checkered flag in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Michigan International Speedway to earn Toyota’s third NXS win of the season. Busch’s win came in his first NXS start since an accident sidelined him in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway in February. It was his 71st career NXS win – a series record – and 60th in a Camry in NXS competition.
CHICAGOLAND SUCCESS: With the NASCAR XFINITY Series pulling into Chicagoland Speedway for a standalone race, Toyota drivers hope to capture their fifth checkered flag on the 1.5-mile track. Camry driver Busch has three wins on the Illinois track (2008, 2010, 2013), while former Toyota driver Joey Logano was victorious in a Joe Gibbs Racing Camry at the track in 2009. From 2008 through 2010, Busch and Logano combined to win three-straight Chicago NXS events.
IOWA DEFENSE: Tundra driver Erik Jones returns to Iowa Speedway as the defending race winner after winning on the 0.875-mile track last July. Jones led 131 laps (of 200) in a dominant victory that was Toyota’s fourth at Iowa Speedway – Timothy Peters won at the track in 2012 and 2013, and Mike Skinner piloted his Tundra to Iowa’s victory lane in 2009. The Iowa race will mark just the second time Jones has defended a Truck Series victory – the 19-year-old driver successfully defended a Truck Series win at Phoenix International Raceway last November to tally his second-straight win at the track.
CHAMP CONTINUES CHARGING: Tundra driver Matt Crafton continues to hold the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) points lead as he works towards a third straight title. Crafton, who currently holds a 12 point lead in the series standings after eight of 23 races, has recorded one win and top-10 finishes in all eight starts at Iowa Speedway. He was victorious in Iowa in 2011 and has finished third at the track on three occasions.
NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): Camry drivers Matt Kenseth (eighth), Denny Hamlin (13th), Carl Edwards (14th) and Clint Bowyer (17th) currently rank in the top-20 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) point standings … The NSCS will take one week off before returning to action at Sonoma Raceway in California on Sunday, June 28.
NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS): Camry drivers Daniel Suarez (10th), David Starr (12th) and JJ Yeley (14th) currently rank in the top-15 in the NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) point standings … In addition to competing in the NXS race at Chicagoland Speedway, Suarez will also compete in the ARCA series event the same day … In addition to competing in Friday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Iowa Speedway, Erik Jones will pilot the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Camry at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday … Ross Kenseth, son of Matt Kenseth, will make his NXS debut driving a Joe Gibbs Racing Camry at Chicagoland.
DANIEL SUAREZ, No. 18 ARRIS Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What will it be like running two races in one day at Chicagoland Speedway?
“I was able to make one start at the track last year and I felt comfortable even though it was only my second career event in the (XFINITY) Series. We’ve got a very interesting challenge this weekend – not only will we be competing in two races, but they’ll practically be one after the other. We work hard on and off the track physically and mentally in order to be as prepared as possible for challenges like this. We’ve got ARRIS on both cars and, even though it’s going to be a lot of racing, I’m confident that all the hard work will pay off and we’ll have two good finishes by the end of the day.”
MATT KENSETH, father of Ross Kenseth, No. 20 Dollar General Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
Are you excited to see Ross make his first NASCAR start?
“I’m looking forward to going there. Ross has been working hard trying to get this opportunity for a long time. It was great to get that ARCA win in last week – to be able to pick up that win was really good. I’m sure it was a confidence booster for Ross. Everybody at Dollar General has been a huge supporter of mine – I can’t say enough about them picking up this race for Ross to be able to get his first‑ever NASCAR start, first XFINITY start, and to be driving the Dollar General Camry, it’s pretty cool. It’s going to be neat to see him in that car. It will be weird to see somebody in there because I feel it’s my car. I know Ross can do a good job and can’t wait to be part of that.”
ROSS KENSETH, No. 20 Dollar General Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
What have you learned from you dad?
“I feel like he’s (Matt Kenseth) one of the more than underrated drivers. You can go to the races and they won’t say a whole lot about him, but at the end of the day he’ll end up in the top five after running in the middle of the pack some days. One of the main things is being patient, especially with these longer races. If you get behind early, you have plenty of time. Make sure you keep your nose clean. It’s hard to get a good finish when you get something thrown up.”
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): In addition to Tundra driver Matt Crafton leading the NCWTS point standings, Johnny Sauter (third), Erik Jones (fourth), Cameron Hayley (sixth), Timothy Peters (ninth) and Ben Kennedy (10th) also currently rank in the top-10 for Toyota … Jones has the highest average finish (4.0) and starting position (3.7) among active drivers at Iowa Speedway after three starts at the track … Crafton (4.8) and Sauter (6.5) rank second and third, respectively, in average finish position at Iowa … ThorSport Racing’s Hayley has six NASCAR K&N Series starts at Iowa where he’s earned one pole, three top-five, and four top-10 finishes … Christopher Bell, the 2013 USAC National Midget champion, is scheduled to make his NCWTS debut at Iowa in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra.
ERIK JONES, No. 4 Special Olympics World Games Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports
Are you confident you can defend your Truck Series win at Iowa?
“Iowa has been a pretty fun place for me. I ran well in the XFINITY Series race there earlier this year, so I’m pretty excited to get back there this weekend and I think the whole team is as well. It’s a place that has been pretty good to me since I went there for the first time in 2013 when we ran second in the spring and then we were able to get the win there last year. I’m looking forward to having another short-track race this weekend – we showed some good speed in our Special Olympics World Games Tundra last week at Gateway and we have a really good short-track program overall. I think we have a good shot at defending our title this weekend.”
MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Rip It Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing
How have you been successful at Iowa Speedway?
“Iowa is a short track, but it races like a mile-and-a-half to be honest. I did the Goodyear tire test there back in April and I remember thinking that the track reminds me of racing at the old Kansas (Speedway) from the way you enter the corner to just how everything was there. It’s a fast 7/8-mile race track. It’s getting a lot of character to it because it’s getting rough. That’s what I love about a race track – when it ages. Iowa has always been a fun place to race, but Goodyear is putting a lot of work into getting the tire to fall off a little more there, so I’m really looking forward to racing there this weekend.”
TOYOTA 2015 NASCAR STATISTICS
Series Races Starts (Drivers) Wins Top-5s Top-10s Poles Times Led Laps Led
NSCS 14 129 (16) 3 10 24 3 63 697
NXS 13 141 (25) 3 14 22 5 36 647
NCWTS 8 71 (13) 3 21 42 3 61 858
TOYOTA DRIVER ROSTER – Chicagoland Speedway (NXS)& Iowa Speedway (NCWTS)
NASCAR XFINITY Series
Blake Koch, No. 8 Camry
Derek White, No. 13 Camry
Cale Conley, No. 14 Camry
Daniel Suarez, No. 18 Camry
Jeff Green, No. 19 Camry
Ross Kenseth, No. 20 Camry
Eric McClure, No. 24 Camry
CJ Faison, No. 26 Camry
JJ Yeley, No. 28 Camry
David Starr, No. 44 Camry
Erik Jones, No. 54 Camry
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Erik Jones, No. 4 Tundra
Ben Kennedy, No. 11 Tundra
Cameron Hayley, No. 13 Tundra
Timothy Peters, No. 17 Tundra
Christopher Bell, No. 51 Tundra
Justin Boston, No. 54 Tundra
Matt Crafton, No. 88 Tundra
Johnny Sauter, No. 98 Tundra
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