Toyota Racing – NCS Homestead-Miami Post-Race Report – 10.23.22

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October 23, 2022

THREE TOYOTA TOP-10’S IN MIAMI
Martin Truex Jr. battles back from a pit-road spin to lead Toyota

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 23, 2022) – Martin Truex Jr. (sixth) led Toyota with a top-10 finish at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday evening. Truex was leading on the final caution period when he spun off the nose of a competitor’s car entering his pit stall on pit road. Denny Hamlin (seventh) continued his strong Playoff performance with a top-10 finish. Hamlin has scored seven top-10 finishes in eight Playoff races and heads into Martinsville just five points below the Playoff cut line. Christopher Bell (11th) just missed the top-10 and faces a likely must-win in Martinsville as he is 33 points below the final Championship 4 berth.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 34 of 36 – 400.5 miles, 267 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Kyle Larson*
2nd, Ross Chastain*
3rd, AJ Allmendinger*
4th, Austin Dillon*
5th, Brad Keselowski*
6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
7th, DENNY HAMLIN
9th, KYLE BUSCH
11th, CHRISTOPHER BELL
22nd, TY GIBBS
27th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

Did you feel you got spun by Kyle Larson or were you close to missing your pit box?

“It was definitely a little bit of both of that. It was really hard to see through these windshields right now with the sun like that and all the stuff covering it. I did see my box late for sure. So I slowed down before I turned out of the way of the 5 (Kyle Larson) there. Obviously, partly on me. I didn’t expect to get turned around. Glad nobody got hurt there. Overall, just disappointing. To have a good day going like that and have a shot at winning and couldn’t close the deal. Hate it for my team. It’s been one of those years. Thanks to Bass Bro, Tracker, Cabela’s, Toyota, everybody that supports us and all our fans. We’re going to keep digging and win a bunch of races once we get through this rough patch.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Ground Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 7th

What was your day like in the car?

“It was just slow on the short run. We got the position – the track position – we were able to get the lead there, and then get second, and we just couldn’t hold it. I just didn’t have a car that would go on the short run.”

What are your thoughts going into Martinsville?

“My thoughts are we have to get a little better on the short run. It’s going to be super important how important track position is at Martinsville. We have to qualify well. Yeah, just go and try to be better.”

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem-WATTS Toyota Camry TRD, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 11th

Where is your head right now?

“I’m fine. I’m disappointed with our performance today, but at least that is in our hands. Last week, I was emotional about it because it was out of our hands, and we were performing well. Today, it was in our hands, and we just didn’t step up to the bat and do what we needed to do. That was disappointing but we will move to Martinsville – we ran well in the spring. I definitely feel better about winning there than I did at the Charlotte road course.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Gragson clinches Championship 4 spot with dominant Xfinity victory at Homestead

By

Andrew Kim

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October 22, 2022

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 22: Noah Gragson, driver of the #9 Bass Pro Shops/TrueTimber/BRCC Chevrolet, vl the NASCAR Xfinity Series Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

Noah Gragson’s dream 2022 season has been elevated to another high note after the driver of the No. 9 JR Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro clinched a Championship 4 berth with a late dominant victory in the Contender Boats 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 22.

The 24-year-old Gragson from Las Vegas, Nevada, led six times for a race-high 127 of 200-scheduled laps and was initially on his way to claim a dominant victory with a large advantage when a caution with 13 laps remaining due to an on-track incident briefly stalled his run. Despite the caution, Gragson’s pit crew capitalized late by giving him the final fresh of sticker tires needed for a short run with the lead. During a five-lap dash to the finish, he executed at the start to fend off his fellow Playoff rivals to score his unprecedented eighth victory of the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series season.

Above all, Gragson became the second Playoff competitor to punch his ticket into the Championship 4 round at Phoenix Raceway in November alongside teammate Josh Berry, where he will contend for his first Xfinity Series championship.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Trevor Bayne secured his second pole position of the 2022 season after posting a pole-winning lap at 166.667 mph in 32.400 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Playoff competitor Noah Gragson, who posted the second-best qualifying lap at 165.731 mph in 32.583 seconds.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Bayne and Gragson dueled for the lead in Turn 1 and again in Turn 3 until Bayne managed to pull ahead and lead the first lap while the field behind jostled early for positions. As Bayne retained the top spot, Gragson was being challenged early for the runner-up spot by Ty Gibbs and Daniel Hemric while Sam Mayer was in fifth.

On the third lap, the first caution of the event flew when Jeb Burton made contact with JJ Yeley and sent Yeley up the track as he squeezed Riley Herbst into the outside wall in the backstretch.

During the following restart on the seventh lap, Bayne and Gragson dueled for the lead again until Bayne pulled ahead to retain the lead. Behind, Gragson was left to battle Gibbs for second place while Mayer, who was trying to overtake Hemric for fourth place, got loose entering Turn 3. Mayer’s minor slip-up, which nearly collected Hemric, allowed Hemric to retain fourth followed by Brandon Jones, Kyle Weatherman and AJ Allmendinger while Mayer fell back to eighth in front of Austin Hill.

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Bayne was leading ahead of teammate Gibbs, Gragson, Brandon Jones and a hard-charging Weatherman while Hemric, Allmendinger, Mayer, Hill and Chandler Smith occupied the top 10. By then, Josh Berry, a Championship 4 finalist after winning last weekend’s event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was in 12th while teammate Justin Allgaier was back in 14th.

Thirteen laps later, Gragson battled and overtook Bayne to become the second different leader of the day. By then, Gibbs, Hill and Allmendinger were scored in the top five followed by Landon Cassill, Hemric, Weatherman, Allgaier and Berry while Mayer and Brandon Jones fell back to 11th and 12th. In addition, Sheldon Creed made an unscheduled pit stop under green after cutting a right-rear tire.

At the Lap 35 mark, Gragson retained the lead by more than four seconds over Gibbs while Cassill muscled his No. 10 Voyager Chevrolet Camaro into third place. Bayne, meanwhile, fell back to fourth in front of Hill and Allmendinger while Hemric, Mayer, Allgaier and Weatherman were running in the top 10.

Six laps later, the second caution of the event flew when Mason Massey had fallen off the pace in Turn 2 after getting into the wall. At the same time, CJ McLaughlin spun from the top to the bottom and below the apron through the backstretch as his car came to a stop. The incident was enough for the first stage scheduled on Lap 45 to conclude under caution as Gragson captured his 15th stage victory of the 2022 season. Cassill settled in second followed by Gibbs, Bayne, Allmendinger, Hill, Hemric, Mayer, Weatherman and Allgaier. By then, six of eight Playoff competitors were running in the top 10 while the remaining two which included Berry and Brandon Jones were scored in 11th and 12th, respectively.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Gragson pitted for four fresh tires and fuel. Following the pit stops, Cassill emerged with the lead followed by Gibbs, Gragson and Hill. During the pit stops, Nick Sanchez, the 2022 ARCA Menards Series champion, missed his pit stall and had to cycle around the circuit for a second time for service.

The second stage started on Lap 50 as Cassill and Gragson occupied the front row. At the start and amid a brief stack-up towards the front, Gibbs muscled his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota Supra into the lead until Gragson rocketed his No. 9 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Camaro back into the lead through the backstretch and back to the frontstretch. Shortly after, a three-car battle for the lead intensified between Gragson, Gibbs and Hill while Allmendinger was in fourth ahead of Cassill, Mayer and a bevy of competitors vying for positions.

By Lap 55, Hill led a lap for himself and he retained the top spot ahead of Gragson and Gibbs while Allmendinger, Mayer, Cassill, Berry, Bayne, Allgaier and Hemric were running in the top 10. By then, all but one of eight Playoff competitors were running in the top 10 as Brandon Jones was mired in 14th.

Fifteen laps later, Hill retained the lead by a tenth of a second over Gragson followed by Allmendinger, Bayne and Gibbs while Allgaier, Mayer, Cassill, Hemric and Chandler Smith were running in the top 10. By then, Berry made an unscheduled pit stop under green after making contact with the outside wall.

Another lap later, Gragson reassumed the lead over Hill as Allmendinger started to close in on the two leaders. While Bayne and Gibbs stabilized themselves in the top five, a three-car battle for sixth place occurred between Cassill, Allgaier and Mayer. Not long after, Creed made another pit stop under green after getting into the wall and cutting a right-rear tire.

By Lap 80, Gragson was leading by more than a second over Allmendinger, who overtook Hill for the runner-up spot, while Bayne and Gibbs remained in the top five. A few laps later, Weatherman, who was having a strong run toward the front, pitted under green after making contact with the wall. Soon after, Ryan Sieg was off the pace while running in the access road with flat tires while Allgaier made a pit stop under green with a flat right-front tire.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 90, Gragson captured his 16th stage victory of the 2022 season and the second of the day. Allmendinger settled in second followed by Hill, Bayne, Mayer, Gibbs, Cassill, Hemric, Chandler Smith and Stefan Parsons. By then, five of eight Playoff competitors were scored in the top 10 while the remaining Playoff competitors that included Brandon Jones, Berry and Allgaier were scored in 11th, 19th and 24th, respectively.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Gragson pitted and Gragson retained the lead after exiting pit road first and by a hair over Hill, Allmendinger, Bayne and Mayer.

With 104 laps remaining, the final stage started under green. At the start, Gragson and Hill dueled for the lead until Gragson cleared the field and pulled away through the backstretch followed by Bayne. During the following lap and as the field behind jostled for positions, Hill overtook Gragson through Turns 3 and 4 to take the lead while Bayne was running third place in front of a side-by-side battle between Mayer and Allmendinger. Brandon Jones soon joined the battle toward the front along with Gibbs, Hemric and Cassill.

At the halfway mark on Lap 100, Hill and Bayne battled dead even for the lead, with the latter returning to the lead, while Gragson, Allmendinger and Brandon Jones were running in the top five. Behind, Hemric, Gibbs, Mayer, Cassill and Berry scrambled within the top 10 while Chandler Smith, Herbst, Parsons, Sanchez and Parker Retzlaff were running in the top 15 ahead of Bayley Currey, Anthony Alfredo, Jeb Burton, Brennan Poole, Myatt Snider and Allgaier.

Ten laps later, Bayne was out in front by more than a second over Hill while Allmendinger, Gragson, Berry, Cassill, Gibbs, Brandon Jones, Hemric and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10. By then, six of eight Playoff competitors were running in the top 10 while the remaining two that included Mayer and Allgaier were in 11th and 16th.

Another 15 laps later and with a series of spots being swapped towards the front, Gragson, who overtook Hill three laps earlier and was starting to reel in on Bayne for the lead, executed a bold move beneath Bayne entering the first turn to reassume the lead. Not long after taking the lead, Gragson extended his advantage to more than a second while Bayne was starting to be challenged by Allmendinger and Hill for the runner-up spot.

With less than 70 laps remaining, Allmendinger moved his way into the runner-up spot over Hill following a heated between Hill while Gragson continued to extend his advantage to more than four seconds. Behind, Berry was in fourth ahead of Bayne while Gibbs, Cassill, Hemric, Smith and Mayer were in the top 10.

Then with less than 65 laps remaining, Allgaier, who was running in 17th, pitted under green but endured a slow stop from his crew due to a jack issue.

With 60 laps remaining, pit stops under green commenced as Hill pitted followed by the leader Gragson, Bayne, Brandon Jones, Gibbs, Mayer and others. Following the pit stops, Bayne was penalized for speeding while entering pit road. Under the final 55 scheduled laps and with the cycle of green flag pit stops complete, Gragson cycled his way back into the lead followed by a hard-charging Hill while Allmendinger, Gibbs and Cassill were scored in the top five.

Five laps later, Gragson’s advantage decreased to a tenth of a second over Hill, who continued to close in on Gragson despite radioing concerns about a vibration to his No. 21 United Rentals Chevrolet Camaro. Another three laps later, Hill surrendered the runner-up spot to pit under green to have the vibration issue addressed as he dropped out of the lead lap category.

Back on the track and with 45 laps remaining, Gragson was leading by more than five seconds over runner-up Allmendinger and by more than nine seconds over third-place Berry while Cassill and Gibbs were in the top five.

Two laps later, Cassill, who was running towards the top five, pitted under green for four fresh tires and fuel while Gragson retained the lead by more than six seconds over Allmendinger.

With 30 laps remaining, Gragson stabilized his advantage to more than six seconds over Allmendinger while Berry, Hemric and Gibbs were scored in the top five. By then, seven of eight Playoff competitors were scored in the top 10 while the remaining Playoff competitor, Allgaier, was in 12th. In addition, 13 competitors were scored on the lead lap.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event and with a handful of competitors making contact against one another and towards the wall, Gragson extended his advantage to nearly eight seconds over Allmendinger while third-place Berry trailed by more than eight seconds. While Hemric and Gibbs remained in the top five, Chandler Smith was up in sixth while Mayer, Hill, Allgaier and Herbst were in the top 10.

Then with 13 laps remaining, the caution flew when Stefan Parsons spun in Turn 1 with damage to his entry. By then, Nick Sanchez had fallen off the pace below the apron with flat right-side tires after making contact with the wall earlier as his strong night towards the front was spoiled. Parsons’ incident erased Gragson’s advantage of more than eight seconds over teammate Berry.

Under caution, the leaders led by Gragson pitted and Gragson exited with the lead still in his possession followed by Allmendinger, Hemric, Gibbs and Hill.

Down to the final five laps of the event, the race restarted under green. At the start, Gragson launched away with the lead following a strong start while Allmendinger was left to fend off Gibbs for second place. Through the backstretch, however, Allmendinger and Gibbs gained ground on Gragson, who continued to lead as he returned to the frontstretch. As the laps dwindled, Gragson slightly extended his advantage to nearly half a second over Allmendinger while Gibbs kept Allmendinger close in front of him.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Gragson remained as the leader by half a second over Gibbs while Allmendinger was back in third. Having no late challenges mounting behind him, Gragson muscled his way back to the frontstretch under full power and streaked across the finish line for his unprecedented eighth victory of the 2022 season and to claim a second spot in the championship finale.

In addition, Gragson recorded his 13th career victory in the Xfinity Series and his first at Homestead after dominating the previous three Xfinity events in Miami before falling short of the victory. Gragson’s victory was also the 15th of the season for JR Motorsports, which marked the 73rd overall Xfinity victory for JRM, and the 23rd of the season for Chevrolet, which clinched the manufacturer’s title a week ago.

“I wanted this one so bad the last three years,” Gragson said on USA Network. “Words can’t describe how thankful I am for everybody at JR Motorsports. Unbelievable. Thank you, Bass Pro Shops. Man, I’m worn out. It takes a lot of focus to run the fence like that. Pit crew did a great job. Really grateful.”

Ty Gibbs posted his fourth runner-up result of the season and left Homestead with a 30-point advantage above the top-four cutline to transfer to the Championship 4 round while Allmendinger, who came into the event 16 points below the cutline, moved back into the cutline with a five-point advantage with his sixth third-place finish of this season.

“We were just battling our race car, I feel like, all day,” Gibbs said. “We made great adjustments and my guys never gave up. Thank you to my whole Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra No. 54 group. We’ll move on to Martinsville. I feel like that’s a place we were really fast earlier this year and probably had a shot to win at, so I’m excited to go back there. To come out with a P2 finish is, I feel like, pretty good. We’re plus 30 [in the Playoff standings], so I think that’s really strong.”

“[I’m] Really proud of everybody at Kaulig Racing,” Allmendinger said. “Our Action Industries Chevy was pretty damn good. It was probably still better than the driver. Overall, we made up a lot of points there and we at least have a shot down at Martinsville.”

Hemric and Mayer finished fourth and fifth while Bayne, Chandler Smith, Herbst, Hill and Allgaier, who rallied from an eventful run from the rear towards the front, completed the top 10 on the track.

“I’m glad [today’s] over,” Allgaier, who is five points below the cutline, said. “Our team, definitely, had some adversity tonight. The only saving grace, I think, was about a 70-lap run there. We were able to drive away from [Gragson] and keep on the lead lap or tail end of the lead lap. I felt like we definitely made good strides over the course of the day to get our BRANDT Foundation Camaro up where we needed to be. The jack [issue] hurt us the most. That green flag stop, just losing all that track position, and I just tried to push it as hard as I could to get back up there. Ultimately, it worked out. We got back on the lead lap and were able to score some points there. We’re below the cut. We’ll go [to Martinsville] and we can lay it all on the line. Five points [deficit] is nothing. We can go there and have a good weekend. We’ll lock our way into Phoenix.”

There were 13 lead changes for seven different leaders. The race featured four cautions for 24 laps.

Results.

1. Noah Gragson, 127 laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

2. Ty Gibbs, one lap led

3. AJ Allmendinger, one lap led

4. Daniel Hemric

5. Sam Mayer

6. Trevor Bayne, 46 laps led

7. Chandler Smith

8. Riley Herbst

9. Austin Hill, 19 laps led

10. Justin Allgaier

11. Josh Berry, three laps led

12. Landon Cassill, three laps led

13. Bayley Currey

14. Brennan Poole

15. Brandon Jones, one lap down

16. Parker Retzlaff, one lap down

17. Sheldon Creed, one lap down

18. Anthony Alfredo, one lap down

19. Jeb Burton, one lap down

20. Kyle Weatherman, two laps down

21. David Starr, two laps down

22. Myatt Snider, two laps down

23. Patrick Emerling, two laps down

24. Joe Graf Jr., two laps down

25. Nicholas Sanchez, two laps down

26. Jeremy Clements, three laps down

27. Kris Wright, four laps down

28. Julia Landauer, four laps down

29. Timmy Hill, five laps down

30. Josh Williams, five laps down

31. CJ McLaughlin, five laps down

32. Matt Mills, five laps down

33. Ryan Sieg, 10 laps down

34. Stefan Parsons – OUT, Accident

35. Kyle Sieg – OUT, Accident

36. BJ McLeod – OUT, Electrical

37. Mason Massey – OUT, Engine

38. JJ Yeley – OUT, Accident

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings

1. Noah Gragson – Advanced

2. Josh Berry – Advanced

3. Ty Gibbs +30

4. AJ Allmendinger +5

5. Justin Allgaier -5

6. Austin Hill -7

7. Sam Mayer -28

8. Brandon Jones -38

Next on the 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the series’ return to Martinsville Speedway, where the Championship 4 field will be determined. The event is scheduled to occur on Saturday, October 29, at 3 p.m. ET on NBC.

Toyota Racing NXS Post-Race Recap — Homestead 10.22.22

By

Official Release

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October 22, 2022

GIBBS CLAIMS RUNNER-UP FINISH AT HOMESTEAD
Chandler Smith Earns Top-10 Finish in Xfinity Series Debut

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 22, 2022) – Ty Gibbs claimed a second-place result in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. For Gibbs it was his first experience at the unique South Florida speedway. With the runner-up result, Gibbs is now 30 points above the cut line heading to the penultimate race of the season at Martinsville Speedway next weekend. Toyota drivers Trevor Bayne (sixth) and Chandler Smith (seventh) also scored top-10 finishes. For Smith, it was his debut in the series racing for Sam Hunt Racing. Playoff contender and Toyota driver Brandon Jones (15th) will be in a must-win scenario at Martinsville to advance to the Championship 4 battle.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Xfinity Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 31 of 33 – 300 miles, 200 laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, Noah Gragson*
2nd, TY GIBBS
3rd, AJ Allmendinger*
4th, Daniel Hemric*
5th, Sam Mayer*
6th, TREVOR BAYNE
7th, CHANDLER SMITH
15th, BRANDON JONES
29th, TIMMY HILL
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY GIBBS, No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How close were you to being able to battle Noah Gragson for the win?

“We were just battling our race car all day. We were just a little out of the track. We made great adjustments and my guys never gave up. Thank you to my whole Monster Energy Toyota GR Supra group. We’ll move on to Martinsville. I feel like that was a place we were really fast last year and probably had a shot to win at. I’m excited to go back. Thank you to Interstate Batteries and everyone at Monster – thank you for all you do and for allowing me to be there.”

How challenging was this race track with it being your first time at Homestead?

“I feel like we were just battling all day. I gave it my all here. This place is pretty tough. I feel like we were battling the car a little bit, which makes it harder. Come out with a P2 finish and we’re plus 30 so I think that’s pretty strong.”

Being 30 points to the good, how do you feel going into Martinsville?

“I feel good and I’m excited about it. We’ll go hammer down.”

BRANDON JONES, No. 19 Menards/Jeld-Wen Toyota GR Supra, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 15th

Are you in a must-win scenario for Martinsville next weekend to make the Championship 4 in Phoenix?

“Probably. There were no stage points today really for us and not a great finish there. I’m assuming the majority of the guys we’re fighting finished ahead of us. This wasn’t the day we were expecting to have. Yesterday after practice, we were going to have plenty of speed and thought we could contend for the win today. I think 13th was the best we had today and that’s frustrating. There’s some things that once we got in that long green flag session there that I kind of started to hone in on, it wasn’t things that we had the tools to fix in the race. It needed to be kind of a rehaul in the setup. Surprised by the result for sure and next week is a totally different place and I feel confident there.”

After winning Martinsville in the spring, how do you feel going back there in a must-win situation?

“I think it’s going to be really good. I think we still have some momentum after today and after qualifying so good and having a good starting spot, that’s going to help with our pit selection there. Winning there gives us so much confidence coming back and being a short track, it’s not so much aero dependent and some of these things that affect the mile-and-a-halves. I see us having a really, really good day next week.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ty Majeski wins Homestead for second Truck Series victory

By

Andrew Kim

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October 22, 2022

HOMESTEAD, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 22: Ty Majeski, driver of the #66 Road Ranger Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Baptist Health 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on October 22, 2022 in Homestead, Florida. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images).

A month after locking himself into the Championship 4 round with his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career victory at Bristol Motor Speedway, Ty Majeski doubled down with additional momentum after claiming a late dominant victory in the Baptist Health Cancer Care 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Saturday, October 22.

The 28-year-old Majeski from Seymour, Wisconsin, led two times for a race-high 67 of 134-scheduled laps, including the final 33, and beat runner-up Zane Smith by more than four seconds to claim the second Truck Series victory of his career at Miami. By winning two of three Round of 8 events during the Playoffs and automatically transferring to the Championship 4 round, Majeski will square off against Zane Smith, Chandler Smith and reigning series champion Ben Rhodes for this year’s Truck Series championship that will be determined at Phoenix Raceway in early November.

With on-track qualifying that was scheduled for Friday being canceled due to rain, the starting lineup was determined through a metric system from NASCAR’s rulebook. As a result, Ryan Preece was initially awarded the pole position for the main event. Preece, however, dropped to the rear of the field along with Lawless Alan and Nick Leitz due to unapproved adjustments. With that, Playoff competitor Ben Rhodes led the field to the start alongside Matt DiBenedetto.

When the green flag waved and the race started, Rhodes launched ahead of DiBenedetto, who spun the tires at the start, before Chandler Smith drew himself alongside Rhodes in his early bid for the lead through the first two turns. Following an early side-by-side battle with Chandler Smith, Rhodes pulled ahead through Turns 3 and 4 as he led the first lap while the field behind fanned out and jostled early for positions.

Through the first five laps of the event, Rhodes was leading ahead of Chandler Smith, Christian Eckes, Zane Smith and Stewart Friesen while Tyler Ankrum, Matt DiBenedetto, John Hunter Nemechek, Parker Kligerman and Matt Crafton were running in the top 10. By then, Ty Majeski was in 12th, Corey Heim was back in 16th and Grant Enfinger was vying for 17th.

At the Lap 10 mark, Rhodes’ No. 99 Kubota Toyota Tundra TRD Pro continued to lead by three-tenths of a second over Chandler Smith’s No. 18 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro followed by Zane Smith, Friesen and Eckes. By then, all 36 starters were on the lead lap. In addition, the remaining eight Playoff contenders were running in the top 11.

A few laps later, Nemechek, who made contact with the outside wall in Turn 3 on the third lap, got into the wall again in the third turn before hitting the wall hard in Turn 1 after losing a tire. The incident prompted Nemechek, who came into the event five laps behind the top-four cutline to make the championship finale, to make an unscheduled pit stop under green and fall out of the lead lap category. Nemechek would eventually make multiple trips to pit road for repairs to his No. 4 Gearwrench Toyota Tundra TRD Pro as his title hopes took an early serious hit.

By Lap 20, Rhodes remained as the leader by more than a second over Chandler Smith followed by Zane Smith, Friesen and Majeski while Eckes was back in sixth.

When the first stage concluded on Lap 30, Rhodes, who came into Miami three points above the top-four cutline, captured his ninth stage victory of the 2022 season. Zane Smith settled in second followed by Friesen, Majeski, Enfinger, Eckes, Chandler Smith, Crafton, Parker Kligerman and Preece.

Under the stage break, the leaders led by Rhodes pitted and Zane Smith emerged with the lead over the field. Following the pit stops, Parker Kligerman was penalized for speeding on pit road along with Matt Crafton, whose pit crew jumped over the pit stall too soon. In addition, Blaine Perkins was penalized due to crew member interference.

The second stage started on Lap 36 as Zane Smith and Enfinger occupied the front row. At the start, Rhodes used the outside lane to his advantage as he rocketed past Zane Smith and Enfinger with a three-wide move to reassume the lead through the backstretch. Enfinger, however, fought back during the following lap as he drew his No. 23 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST alongside Rhodes while Zane Smith tried to close back in on the two leaders. Behind, Preece and Majeski battled for fourth while Heim occupied sixth place.

By the Lap 40 mark, a side-by-side battle for the lead commenced between Rhodes and Zane Smith, with Rhodes using the outside lane to his advantage while Smith tried to use the inside lane to pull ahead of Rhodes. During the following lap, Smith managed to pull his No. 38 Speed Ford F-150 in front of Rhodes entering Turn 4 and fend off a crossover move by Rhodes to claim the outside lane and the lead. Not long after, Preece battled and overtook Rhodes for second followed by Majeski while Enfinger remained in fifth.

Ten laps later on Lap 50, Zane Smith was leading by more than a second over Majeski followed by Preece, Rhodes and Eckes while Enfinger, Friesen, Heim, Chandler Smith and Colby Howard occupied the top 10. With seven of eight Playoff competitors running in the top 10 on the track, Nemechek was the lone Playoff competitor running in the back of the pack as he was mired in 36th, dead last, while scored two laps down.

When the second stage concluded on Lap 60, Zane Smith, who came into Miami 18 points above the top-four cutline, captured his eighth stage victory of the 2022 season. Majeski trailed in second place by more than a second while Preece, Friesen, Rhodes, Eckes, Enfinger, Howard, Heim and Chandler Smith were scored in the top 10. By then, Nemechek was pinned three laps behind in 36th place.

Under the stage break, the leader led by Zane Smith pitted and Preece exited with the lead followed by Majeski, Eckes, Zane Smith and Heim. During the pit stops, Rhodes suffered a slow pit stop as he exited pit road in 15th place. Following the pit stops, Kaden Honeycutt was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.

With 68 laps remaining, the final stage started as Preece and Majeski occupied the front row. At the start and with the field fanning out engines the first turn, Majeski muscled ahead with the lead on the inside lane followed by Preece and Zane Smith while Eckes and Enfinger battled for fourth in front of Heim and the field.

Eight laps later and with 60 laps remaining, Majeski was leading by a tenth of a second over Zane Smith followed by a heated four-truck battle for third place between Eckes, Heim, Enfinger and Preece. Friesen, meanwhile, was in seventh while Derek Kraus, Chandler Smith and Rhodes were scored in the top 10. By then, Nemechek was still pinned multiple laps down in 36th place, dead last.

Then with 55 laps remaining, Enfinger’s championship hopes took a serious hit after he made an unscheduled pit stop under green to address a flat right-front tire due to making contact with the outside wall. After pitting for four fresh tires, Enfinger, who came into Miami in a “must-win” situation, lost a lap to the leaders.

Back on the track with 50 laps remaining, Majeski retained the lead by eight-tenths of a second over Zane Smith followed by Heim, Eckes and Friesen while Preece, Chandler Smith, Crafton, Rhodes and Kraus occupied the top 10. With Enfinger mired in 31st, Nemechek was back in 36th, dead last, as both Playoff competitors were in jeopardy of not transferring to the finale.

With 40 laps remaining, pit stops under green commenced as Preece pitted followed by Bret Holmes. Rhodes also pitted along with Kligerman, Chase Purdy, Hailie Deegan, Friesen and a wave of competitors.

With 32 laps remaining and with the cycle of green flag pit stops complete, Majeski reassumed the lead followed by a hard-charging Zane Smith while Preece was in third. By then, Friesen was back in fourth as he was contending for a transfer spot to the finale against Rhodes, who was in eighth and held sole possession of the fourth and final transfer spot to the finale by a single point.

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Majeski continued to lead by more than a second over Zane Smith and more than 10 seconds over third-place Preece. Meanwhile, Friesen was in fourth in front of Heim and Eckes while Rhodes was trying to fend off Chandler Smith for seventh place and for a spot in the finale. By then, Enfinger rallied to 11th while Nemechek was mired in 32nd palace, four laps down.

Six laps later, Friesen overtook Preece for third place and drew himself into a tie for the fourth and final transfer spot to the finale over Rhodes, who remained in seventh but owned the tie-breaker for recording the best finish during the Round of 8 at Talladega Superspeedway with a second-place result.

With 10 laps remaining, Majeski retained the lead by nearly three seconds over Zane Smith. Behind, Friesen remained in third place, trailing the leaders by more than 14 seconds, while Rhodes was locked in a battle with teammate Crafton for seventh place, a spot Rhodes needs to retain to transfer to the finale. Eckes, meanwhile, was running in sixth, but eight points below the top-four cutline.

Down to the final five laps of the event, Majeski stabilized his advantage to more than four seconds over Zane Smith while Rhodes, who briefly lost seventh place to Crafton, retained his spot on the track in front of his ThorSport Racing teammate and with a spot to the finale on the line. A few laps later, Rhodes managed to track and overtake teammate Eckes for sixth place, which placed Rhodes in a one-point advantage over Friesen, who remained in third place, in the standings.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Majeski remained as the leader by more than four seconds over Zane Smith. With no challenges lurking behind or in front of him, Majeski was able to navigate his way around Homestead for a final time as he cycled back to the finish line and claimed his second checkered flag in the series.

The victory, which was enough for Toyota to secure the manufacturer’s title for the 13th time overall, gave Majeski and his No. 66 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro team additional momentum approaching the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway in November, where the Wisconsin native will contend for his first Truck Series title.

“Man, this is awesome,” Majeski said on FS1. “This place is so hard to read and practice. Nobody has any grip, right? I didn’t know really what we had, but man, this No. 66 Road Ranger Toyota Tundra TRD Pro was bad to the bone today. Man, just thank you to Joe Shear, my crew chief. We’ve been working great this year together. Just so thankful that we’re able to make the most of this thing. We’re gonna go chase a championship [in] two weeks. [There’s gonna be] A lot of sim time, a lot of simulator just like the rest of the year. We’ve been working really hard on Phoenix ever since we won Bristol. We’re bringing that truck back. I feel really good about what we have so far. Keep fine-tuning [the truck]. If it’s anywhere near this [Homestead truck] today, we’ll be pretty good.”

Zane Smith settled in second place for the fifth time this season, which was more than for him to transfer to the Championship 4 finale for a third consecutive season as he will contend for his first Truck Series championship.

“Another really good [Front Row Motorsports] Ford,” Zane Smith said. “Man, I really wanted to get that [win]. Just hats off to my whole team. They’ve put in a lot of hours the past couple of weeks. [I] Just really wanted this one for them, but we get to go fight for another championship, which is really cool. One more left. That’s all that matters. I pretty much figured out every way to lose one, so third time’s a charm, hopefully. We’ve been fast all year. Regardless of what happens at Phoenix, it’s just an outstanding year.”

Friesen came home in third place, trailing the leaders by more than 13 seconds, but missed the top-four cutline by a single point over Rhodes, who finished sixth in front of teammates Eckes and Crafton. As a result, Rhodes will join teammate Majeski, Zane Smith and 10th-place finisher Chandler Smith as the four competitors to transfer to the Championship 4 finale and contend for the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.

“Every spot matters,” Rhodes said. “We got in by one point from what I understand. I’m just really, really happy [that] we had a good showing for this Kubota Toyota Tundra. Man, I wished [the race] was easier. It seemed harder than it should have. Just glad that we can defend the title. It’s been an up-and-down season. We aren’t the best on mile-and-a-halfs, but we made leaps and bounds here. We were able to get the first stage win, be fifth in the second [stage] and when we had that bad pit stop and went back to 15th, I was sweating bullets. I knew I had a lot of work to do. I just didn’t know it was gonna be that tough. We just got to be consistent. We’re working on that. So far, so good. I’m thrilled with the last two races, Now, we’ve turned everything around and made it back in.”

“We, overall, just missed it today,” Chandler Smith said. “With that being said, we are all focused on going to run for a championship. I’m really happy with that. Being here with my Satellite [Kyle Busch Motorsports] group. This is awesome to be able to have the opportunity to go and run for a championship. I may never be able to do this in my career again, so really, really, thankful for the opportunity. Just super blessed right now. I’m feeling humbled.”

Friesen, meanwhile, joins seventh-place finisher Eckes, 14th-place finisher Enfinger and 35th-place finisher Nemechek as the four competitors who have been eliminated from Playoff contention.

“I didn’t have a teammate to lay over and give me an extra point like they were doing in the back,” Friesen said. “I’m so proud of our race team. That’s the best truck we’ve ever had here. Just a beautiful race car today. It was so fun to drive. We nailed it. We just lost a couple of spots in the pits and the front two could fire off a little bit better and get gone. That was it. I was praying for a caution. It didn’t happen, but I’m proud of our race team. I’m excited to move forward and keep building our race team. That’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna keep building over the winter.”

“[I] Just made a mistake on my end,” Nemechek said. “I got dirtied up behind [Friesen] early on in stage in and hit the fence and just trying to make up time and was pushing the issue probably a little too hard. Ultimately pushed it a little too hard, hit the fence again and had the right front go flat. Came in, pitted and ended up not clearing tires good enough and had another tire go down and had to pit again. Then had to play pit strategy and after that, it was just damage control. It’s on me. It’s just frustrating for myself for sure to not advance to the final four, but still have a couple races left to go out and try to win.”

In addition to the driver’s championship battle, the final four title contenders (Majeski, Chandler Smith, Zane Smith and Rhodes) will contend for this year’s owners’ championship.

There were eight lead changes for five different leaders. The race featured two cautions for 10 laps. All 36 starters finished the race while 10 finished on the lead lap.

Results.

1. Ty Majeski, 67 laps led

2. Zane Smith, 26 laps led, Stage 2 winner

3. Stewart Friesen

4. Ryan Preece, two laps led

5. Corey Heim

6. Ben Rhodes, 37 laps led, Stage 1 winner

7. Christian Eckes

8. Matt Crafton

9. Parker Kligerman

10. Chandler Smith

11. Tyler Ankrum, one lap down

12. Carson Hocevar, one lap down

13. Colby Howard, one lap down

14. Grant Enfinger, one lap down

15. Derek Kraus, one lap down

16. Chase Purdy, one lap down

17. Hailie Deegan, one lap down

18. Kaz Grala, one lap down

19. Matt DiBenedetto, one lap down

20. Timmy Hill, one lap down, two laps led

21. Max Gutierrez, one lap down

22. Blaine Perkins, two laps down

23. Dean Thompson, two laps down

24. Brennan Poole, two laps down

25. Tanner Gray, two laps down

26. Stefan Parsons, two laps down

27. Kaden Honeycutt, two laps down

28. Nick Leitz, three laps down

29. Tyler Hill, three laps down

30. Chad Chastain, three laps down

31. Jack Wood, four laps down

32. Mason Maggio, five laps down

33. Bret Holmes, five laps down

34. Lawless Alan, five laps down

35. John Hunter Nemechek, six laps down

36. Spencer Boyd, 10 laps down

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders

Playoff standings.

1. Ty Majeski – Advanced

2. Zane Smith – Advanced

3. Chandler Smith – Advanced

4. Ben Rhodes – Advanced

5. Stewart Friesen – Eliminated

6. Christian Eckes – Eliminated

7. Grant Enfinger – Eliminated

8. John Hunter Nemechek – Eliminated

The 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season is set to conclude at Phoenix Raceway on November 4, where a champion will be crowned. The finale is scheduled to occur at 10 p.m. ET on FS1.

Toyota claims 13th Truck Series Manufacturer Championship

By

Official Release

-

October 22, 2022

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 22, 2022) – For the eighth time in the last 10 seasons, Toyota has won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturer’s title. It is Toyota’s 13th title overall in 19 seasons competing with the Tundra in the Truck Series.

“It has been another exceptional season for our Truck Series organizations,” said Paul Doleshal, Group Manager, Motorsports, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “The efforts by all of our drivers, teams and TRD has allowed us to have another consistent season with record-breaking success for the Tundra. We are excited to celebrate this accomplishment and remain focused on earning a driver’s title in Phoenix.”

Toyota teams – Halmar Friesen Racing (HFR), Hattori Racing Enterprises (HRE), Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) and ThorSport Racing (TSR) – have all had strong performances this season as Toyota set a series record with seven of the 10 Truck Series Playoff drivers. Four KBM drivers – Chandler Smith, John Hunter Nemechek, Kyle Busch and rookie Corey Heim – have all driven to the winner’s circle. Heim, despite only starting 15 of the 22 events this season, has also locked up the Rookie of the Year title. Stewart Friesen scored his first victory since joining Toyota at its home race in Texas, while Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski earned victories for TSR, which was the only multi-car team to place all of their drivers in the Playoffs.

Since joining the series in 2004, Toyota has won 225 Truck Series races and captured 169 poles in 448 races. In addition to this year’s title, Toyota also claimed manufacturer championships in 2006 (12 wins); 2007 (13 wins); 2008 (13 wins); 2009 (14 wins); 2010 (15 wins); 2013 (13 wins); 2014 (18 wins), 2015 (14 wins), 2016 (14 wins), 2017 (12 wins), 2019 (12 wins) and 2021 (15 wins).

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Toyota Racing – NCWTS Homestead-Miami Post-Race Report

By

Official Release

-

October 22, 2022

MAJESKI SCORES DOMINATING WIN AT HOMESTEAD
Toyota drivers claim three of the four Truck Series Championship 4 spots

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (October 22, 2022) – Ty Majeski earned a dominating win as the Wisconsin-native led 67 of 134 laps and drove to his second victory in the last three events to hold momentum going into the Championship 4 in Phoenix. He will be joined by fellow Toyota drivers Ben Rhodes, who finished sixth, and Chandler Smith, who was scored in tenth. Rhodes, who is the reigning champion, is going into his second consecutive Championship 4, while Smith and Majeski are in their first championship battle.

Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Race 22 of 23 – 134 Laps, 201 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITION
1st, TY MAJESKI
2nd, Zane Smith*
3rd, STEWART FRIESEN
4th, Ryan Preece*
5th, COREY HEIM
6th, BEN RHODES
7th, CHRISTIAN ECKES
8th, MATT CRAFTON
9th, PARKER KLIGERMAN
10th, CHANDLER SMITH
11th, TYLER ANKRUM
16th, CHASE PURDY
20th, TIMMY HILL
24th, BRENNAN POOLE
27th, KADEN HONEYCUTT
29th, TYLER HILL
32nd, MASON MAGGIO
35th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

TY MAJESKI, No. 66 Road Ranger Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 1st

How about that race today?

“We were just letting it all hang out there. This place is so much fun. This race track is just badass, so much fun to race on. Obviously, it makes it more fun when you have a truck like that. I’m so proud of Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief), everybody at ThorSport – Duke, Rhonda, Allison (Thorson, team owners) to let us go and live our dreams. We all make a living racing and that is pretty dang cool. I love doing this. I’m so happy to be here and so proud to making the most of this opportunity.”

Did you have to do much on this truck?
“No, we didn’t make many changes on our Road Ranger Tundra at all. Just a little air pressure. This Tundra was really, really good off of the truck. We made minimal changes. Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) did a great job. This is cool. I can’t for much more momentum going into Phoenix chasing a championship. That is our goal. We are plenty capable of doing it. We proved it two of the last three races, and we are going to go give it our best shot.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Kubota Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 6th

What were the closing laps like for you as you battled for the final position to contend for the championship?

“Fighting with my teammate there for the last few laps and every spot matters. We got in by one point from what I understand. I’m just really, really happy that we had a good showing for this Kubota Toyota Tundra. The folks came out for this race, and they were able to stand on the pit box and see all of it. Really happy that they can have an intense race for them, give them some excitement, but man, I wish it was easier. Seemed harder than it should have. And just really glad I can defend the title. It’s been an up and down season and we aren’t the best at mile-and-a-halves, but we’ve made leaps and bounds here. We were able to get the first stage win and finish fifth in the second. Then when we had that bad pit stop and went back to 15th, I was sweating bullets like I knew I had a lot of work to do. I just didn’t know it was going to be that tough.”

What will it take for you to defend your championship?

“I think it’s going to be tough. I think Ty Majeski is going to be the guy to beat. Him and Joe Shear (crew chief) have it figured out on these smooth tracks. Phoenix I would categorize as a place that’s in their wheelhouse. So, we’re going to take some notes from them maybe and we’re going to work on our own program. We just have to be consistent, and we have to work on that. So far, so good. I’m thrilled with the last two races, and we’ve really turned everything around and made it back in.”

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 10th

What does it mean to know that you’ll get to compete for the championship in Phoenix?

“That’s what we’ve been working on since we had a cushion after Talladega. Just starting to work on Phoenix stuff. We did work on things for this race. We knew we had to have a solid truck and not just completely bank on pointing our way in and we wanted to come here and try to win. But we just missed it here today. But that being said, we are all focused on going to run for a championship and I’m happy for that. Just being here with my Safelite KBM group, this is awesome to have the opportunity to go and run for a championship. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do this again in my career. So really, really thankful for the opportunity. Just super blessed right now and feeling humbled.”

Are you one of the favorites along with Ty Majeski for the championship?

“I’ll let that be up to you guys. I think we should be okay at Phoenix. We were good there last year, good the year before and the year before that. So, I feel that’s a track that I do like. I feel like we have a really good package there obviously with how we did last year. At the end of the day, we’re racing for a championship. We made it this far and there’s a lot for us to be proud of this season no matter how you look at it.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 GEARWRENCH Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 35th

What happened that took you out of contention to be able to make the final four to contend for the championship in Phoenix?

“Just made a mistake on my end. I got dirtied up behind the 52 (Stewart Friesen) early on in stage on and hit the fence and just trying to make up time and was pushing the issue probably a little too hard. Ultimately pushed it a little too hard, hit the fence again and had the right front go flat. Came in, pitted and ended up not clearing tires good enough and had another tire go down and had to pit again. Then had to play pit strategy and after that it was just damage control. It’s on me. It’s just frustrating for myself for sure to not advance to the final four, but still have a couple races left to go out and try to win.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 60 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 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 43 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With the more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, more than a quarter of the company’s 2021 North American sales were electrified.

Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET NCS: William Byron Records First Pole Win of 2022 at Homestead-Miami Speedway

By

Official Release

-

October 22, 2022

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY POLE WIN PRESS CONF.
OCTOBER 22, 2022

WILLIAM BYRON RECORDS FIRST POLE WIN OF 2022 AT HOMESTEAD
Five Camaro ZL1’s to Start in Top-10

· Defending Homestead-Miami Speedway NASCAR Cup Series winner, William Byron, laid down a lap of 32.454 seconds, at 166.389 mph, in his No. 24 Liberty University Camaro ZL1 to capture the pole position for tomorrow’s Dixie Vodka 400.

· This marks Byron’s first NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and his eighth career pole in 178 NASCAR Cup Series starts.

· Byron’s pole gives Chevrolet its 10th NASCAR Cup Series pole win of 2022; and 733rd all-time in NASCAR Cup Series history.

TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-20 STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1
3rd CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1
5th KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 VALVOLINE CAMARO ZL1
7th TYLER REDDICK, NO. 8 3CHI CAMARO ZL1
10th AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 16 ED MORSE AUTOMOTIVE GROUP CAMARO ZL1
15th JUSTIN HALEY, NO. 31 LEAFFILTER GUTTER PROTECTION CAMARO ZL1
20th ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1

TOP-FIVE UNOFFICIAL STARTING LINEUP:
POS. DRIVER
1st William Byron (Chevrolet)
2nd Christopher Bell (Toyota)
3rd Chase Elliott (Chevrolet)
4th John Hunter Nemechek (Toyota)
5th Kyle Larson (Chevrolet)

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY CAMARO ZL1 – Pole Winner Press Conference Transcript

HOW DO YOU GO FROM BOTTOMING OUT EVERY LAP ONE WEEK, TO BEING ON THE POLE THE NEXT?

“No doubt. I’m glad we’re not hitting the ground this week, for sure. Last week was tough. Didn’t feel like we ever got it figured out throughout the weekend. We tried a lot of different things.

This week has been good. I felt like in practice, I was pretty happy with the car. I felt like I could move around. I got into some traffic and felt like I could do some things there and pass somewhat. It’s going to be a tough race, but our team loves this track. It’s a place that’s of high importance obviously with the Round of 8, so we’ll try to bring our best here.”

WITH THE PENALTIES FOR COLE (CUSTER) AFTER CHARLOTTE, TO BUBBA (WALLACE) LAST WEEK; HAS NASCAR SENT A MESSAGE AT ALL TO DRIVERS AND HAVE THOSE PENALTIES CHANGED WHAT YOUR OWN PERSONAL LINE OF WHAT YOU WOULD DO?

“Yeah, I think everyone kind of has their own idea of how they race and react to things. I try to keep my emotions in check and just try to stay focused on the task. Tomorrow the task is to run 40 or so laps on tires and that’s going to be difficult. You’re going to be up against the fence and with a chance to hit it and things like that. So, I’m just focused on that and try to block out all of the other stuff. Certainly, I think we know where NASCAR stands and know what they’re willing to do. Just try to race the way that I want to race and try not to get too emotional.”

HOW BIG OF A DEAL IS IT TO START FROM THE POLE POSITION HERE AT HOMESTEAD?

“I don’t think it means a lot, honestly. Anywhere in that top-10 would be a good place to start. I think we could start first and not get stage points if we’re not careful; if we don’t have the balance right and I don’t do the right thing as a driver. So it’s not like a guaranteed point gain or anything like that. I would say the pit stall is good; I’m happy with that part of it. And just the momentum for the team. We’ve tried to get poles this year. We’ve come close; third, second, kind of all around that area. But it’s nice to kind of just knock that off the list. That’s one of the things you want to do going into a season, is to win a pole. It shows where our team is and hopefully that’s a good sign.”

AS A RECIPIENT OF ONE OF NASCAR’S RETALIATION PENALTIES, WE’VE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT A LOT OF PENALTIES SIMILAR TO THAT IN THE PAST AND IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE ANYBODY HAS TECHNICALLY BEEN SUSPENDED. THE SUSPENSION, DO YOU THINK THAT’S A LINE IN THE SAND? DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR LINE IS NOW?

“Yeah, every situation is different I think. That’s the biggest thing. But yeah, like I said, we know where they stand. We know what penalties are what and we’ll go forward.”

FOR YOU, GETTING OUT OF HERE THIS WEEK AND GOING INTO MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEKEND, WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT RACE WILL BE LIKE.. CALM? CHAOTIC?

“Chaotic, I think, because you can’t really pass. We had a good car there in the spring and there were probably better cars than me on the long run that couldn’t pass me. So yeah, I think it’s going to be chaotic because you can’t pass. Anywhere that you have a hard time passing, it’s going to create chaotic restarts and people are going to do things that they know they have to do because you can’t get the track position later in the run.”

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE IN THE POINTS FOR YOU? ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BECAUSE YOU’RE STILL WITHIN REASONABLE REACH OF GETTING IN THERE? ARE YOU WORRIED OR CALM?

“I’m just trying to be the same. I think it’s good to be where we are and the position we’re in. I just try not to stress out. Just try to approach it the same. I’m going to drive it as hard as I can regardless of the situation. I’m just going to rely on my team to make me situationally aware of who I’m racing and for what position. The easiest way to do it is to win and that’s what we try to do all of the time, but definitely this time of year, it’s really critical.”

SAY YOU MAKE THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4.. IS THIS LIVING YOUR DREAM? WHAT PRESSURE IS IT FOR YOU TO GO OUT THERE AND TRY TO BRING HOME A CHAMPIONSHIP BECAUSE HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS HAS HAD THE PAST TWO?

“I don’t think it’s any pressure. I think that the pressure would be if I was running 20th and my teammate was winning or something. I think just trying to compete within our team and try to be the best that I can be is my ultimate goal. If it happens, it happens. If not, it doesn’t. But if we’re in the mix and we’re where we are, that’s all you can really ask for. You just try to execute the best that you can in those situations. It really just goes back to the studying that you do and the preparation, and hopefully all of those things equate to success. You never know, but you just try to put yourself in those positions is the first goal. I don’t think there’s any pressure once you’re in those positions.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Ford Performance NASCAR: Homstead Dixie Vodka 400 Qualifying

By

Official Release

-

October 22, 2022

Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
Dixie Vodka 400 Qualifying | Saturday, October 22, 2022

FORD QUALIFYING RESULTS
8th – Chris Buescher
9th – Brad Keselowski
13th – Ryan Blaney
16th – Kevin Harvick
17th – Joey Logano
18th – Michael McDowell
19th – Chase Briscoe
21st – Harrison Burton
25th – Cole Custer
26th – Austin Cindric
29th – Todd Gilliland
34th – JJ Yeley
35th – BJ McLeod
36th – Cody Ware

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Pennzoil Ford Mustang — Media Availability

DID YOU TALK TO BUBBA WALLACE AT ALL THIS WEEK AND WHAT IS YOUR REACTION TO HIS SUSPENSION FROM NASCAR? “Yeah, I spoke to him. I didn’t speak about that, but it is NASCAR’s decision. Whatever they thought was the right thing to do in that case. I don’t really speak on too many instances I am not involved in. That is a NASCAR judgment call and they did what they thought was fit for it.”

WITH THE COLE CUSTER PENALTY A WEEK BEFORE AND NOW THIS PENALTY FOR BUBBA, HAS THAT SENT A MESSAGE TO YOU DRIVERS? HAS IT CHANGED YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IN THOSE SITUATIONS? “No really. I personally think it is good that NASCAR is putting the law down, the hammer down on things that they think are wrong and that they want to act. That is the only way you can kind of police it. You have to do those things. At the end of the day, it is their call. If they see something that they don’t like, I expect them to act on it and they have the last couple of weeks. It doesn’t change the approach of the way I do anything. In my mind, you never think about if I do something malicious with intent or something like that that you can get away with it. You always think there will be law and order. I personally like that they are enforcing things and that is the way it should be. That is why they are the sanctioning body.”

WHAT HAS THE WEEK BEEN LIKE FOR YOU MOVING ON PAST LAS VEGAS? “It was good. I went grocery shopping and watched dad test at the dirt track at Charlotte. That was fun. Then I got ready for here. You talk to everybody when you go in the race shop on Monday and Tuesday when you see your guys and we get over things pretty quick. That was a single incident that was my bad last week. I just tried too hard and ended up wrecking. You apologize for that. We are one big group so they understand when I mess up and I understand when they mess up and we move forward. We had that deal and then we quickly turned to Homestead and what we need to do to run well and win the race and try to put ourselves in a good spot going to Martinsville next week.”

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE IN A MUST-WIN SCENARIO? “I don’t think we are in a must-win. After I wrecked last week I thought I was going to be way more points out than I actually am. The stages we ran really good, so luckily we had those. You never know what can happen. I think you can make up those points in the next two races but I would sure like to win this weekend but I don’t think we are in a must-win situation.”

WHAT HAS STOOD OUT TO YOU ABOUT JOEY LOGANO AND THE 22 TEAM THIS YEAR AND WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO? “I think they have just been really consistent. Winning as much as they have and showing up with good speed, I think it is something that he and Paul Wolfe do a really good job at is working through the race. Especially from practice to the race. I sit in all the meetings, obviously, and sometimes they are way off in practice and not happy with their stuff but they do a really good job of talking through it and getting better in the race and predicting what the track will do. You try to learn from that, obviously, as much as you can. They just do a great job of getting to where they need to be, even if they aren’t in the best spot the day before or even at the start of the race they do a great job of getting better. I commend them for that. They have really shown strength this year and a lot of strength last week to earn a spot at Phoenix. It would be really nice to join them.”

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO IMPROVE ON? WHAT ARE YOUR STRONG POINTS AND WEAK POINTS IN THE CAR? “Joey and Paul are very well-seasoned veterans of the sport. They have been around a long time and do a great job looking at the bigger picture of things. That is something that I try to do better, that exact same thing, look ahead to the bigger picture more than right in front of me in the moment. They do a really good job of that. That is something that myself and Jonathan, who has been on vacation the last few weeks, but Miles has done a great job stepping in. I think when Jonathan comes back that is something we can improve on. It is his first full year crew chiefing and that is something we can really work on, planning ahead better. I think we do a good job at it now but I can definitely do a better job at that, for sure. You try to learn from people who are really good and surround yourself with good people. We have that, we just have to apply all those things.”

FOR NEXT WEEK WITH MARTINSVILLE, DO YOU SEE THAT RACE AS CALM OR CHAOTIC NEXT WEEK? “I feel like that race always gets pretty wild. I hope the racing there is better than in the spring. I don’t know how it is going to be any better or different than the spring with no changes really. I think it will be wild. You are going to have, let’s say a playoff guy wins tomorrow, you are going to have six guys trying for two spots. So it can definitely be chaotic. I think you have to prepare yourself for anything. That race is a long one. You have to be there at the end of that thing and be aggressive to position yourself towards the front. Qualifying there was really important. Joey and I qualified really bad there in the spring. Our race runs were great but we got to third and fourth and you were a lot better than first or second but you can’t pass them. You can’t even get to them to lay the bumper to them. We will see but I think it will be pretty aggressive next week per usual.”

DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE AGGRESSION HAS BEEN MORE THIS SEASON THAN IN THE PAST? “A little bit. I feel like that has been kind of the story all year. I feel like we have talked about it all year of the racing being more aggressive than it has in the past. I just think there is an emphasis on winning. It is weird because winning means the same now as it did in years prior where if you win you are in. It is the same deal but I just think it is so hard to win and these cars are so sturdy that you can be more aggressive with these cars as far as laying the bumper to somebody or dooring somebody. You aren’t going to get tire rubs or things like that. I think that plays into it a little bit. I feel like restarts have been super aggressive because track position is so important. I feel like track position now is probably the most important than it has ever been because it is so hard to make it back through the field. A, because the cars are so close and it is hard to get around guys. B, because the cars can be put into situations where in traffic they are kind of a nightmare. It has definitely put a bigger emphasis on being aggressive. In the playoffs, I don’t think the playoffs have been any more aggressive than the regular season, any different than the regular season to post-season jump that we see any other year and that spike in aggression levels. I don’t think it has been any more aggressive than I expected. It has been fine in my book.”

CHEVROLET NCS AT HOMESTEAD: Ross Chastain Press Conference Transcript

By

Official Release

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October 22, 2022

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2022

ROSS CHASTAIN, NO. 1 KUBOTA CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

YOU MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THAT IS OWED ONE. HOW DO YOU APPROACH IT HERE AND AT MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEK?

“Go race. I think that is what is so great about this sport, is that every seven days we pack up and move the circus to another town and we do it all again. I feel like I am in a good spot in the garage. The summer was definitely tough, and I learned a lot from a lot of that and we will continue to learn and evolve throughout this sport and this series. It’s incredible to race against your heroes, but it’s kind of odd and humbling when your heroes get mad at you. So, it’s been a learning experience for sure.”

WITH THIS BEING A LEARNING EXPERIENCE, WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

“Just that there are so many races and so many opportunities to pass, and it’s not always about the here and now. I had to stop living in the moment of each lap and definitely race with a mindset of a broader look across the whole season and see that the entire body of work will get me a lot farther than one pass and not caring about what happens. Just putting a lot at risk for like seventh and why did that really matter, and just looking at the whole body of the season. Especially with the speed that we have had and letting the car do a lot of the work for me, then when we get in those positions to win or to go for that spot late, it becomes a whole lot easier when you have just done it a better way two months before. These guys have incredible memories and as I have evolved and learned, it’s been easier to race and that has been nice.”

REGARDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FANS GIVEN YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHERE YOU CAME FROM.

“Yes, it is, it’s incredible. We are known in South Florida for farming and agriculture. We are not known for racing. The Chastain family is not a namesake in the sport, so I didn’t come in with a predisposed reputation of my dad. My dad raced locally down here in South Florida, but it wasn’t on this stage. So, we have built up our fanbase kind of at a grassroots level through the Melon Man Brand and through my racing in the last decade in this sport. I probably haven’t done myself a lot of favors with my social media and my online presence to push myself. That’s just not me and I am not one that is just going to willingly and naturally go and just post selfie videos and do YouTube Channels. My group has to push me. But I have surrounded myself with people and we are evolving and learning how to present ourselves on social media. I think that and the speed of the Trackhouse cars has created a lot more cheers at driver intros. And some boos, right? Along the way, I didn’t do myself any favors in those moments in the summer when the spotlight was on us, and I got out and my post-race interviews were not appealing. I look back and I wouldn’t root for that guy. That guy drives one way and he talks another, and he doesn’t know what he wants and he apologizes. So yeah, I get it and that is part of the evolution I think.”

DO THE BOOS BOTHER YOU AT ALL OR IT IS WHAT IT IS AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT?

“You know, it’s funny because when I hear them, I almost smile because it’s wild. It’s wild that people care enough about me and my racing career – I think that’s why they’re booing me at least – that they want to boo me.

A smile has just kind of been my natural reaction. It’s different, right? It’s not something that as a kid, no kid wants to get booed. You don’t want to get booed on the playground at recess and you don’t want to be booed at a NASCAR race. But I’m a big boy now and I’ve learned that it’s going to happen. We get a lot more cheers than boos, I can say that.”

DENNY (HAMLIN) WAS ON DANICA (PATRICK’S) PODCAST THE OTHER DAY AND HE SAID THAT WHEN YOU GUYS WENT TO BREAKFAST, YOU SAID WHEN YOU GREW UP RACING, YOU HAD TO KNOCK SOMEBODY OUT OF THE WAY TO PASS PRETTY MUCH. IF THAT’S ACCURATE, WHEN DID IT OCCUR TO YOU THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY GREW UP RACING AND THAT’S NOT THE WAY EVERYBODY RACES?

“I think people remember things in a better light than they might have actually been. Like we remember the good old days a little better than the old days might have actually been. I grew up with guys at a Saturday night short track over on the west coast of Florida. And yeah, that was Randy Fox; he crashed and fought for seventh in a late model race. He had beverages after and hung out all night in the pits after the race. I don’t think it was this perfect little race track in Virginia that everybody raced so eloquently. I just think the good old days might be being remembered a little better than they actually were.

Some of the things that I did throughout the summer, looking back, I would do them different. Some of it would just be my stance after the race that I would do different. But a lot of on-track stuff, I could definitely clean up. In the Cup Series, I’ve never driven cars this fast and I wanted to just take full advantage of it because I thought it might go away. Now, as I’ve seen throughout the playoffs, what’s really opened my eyes – Trackhouse’s arrival here is to stay. We’re not just a flash in pan early in the season when the car was fresh and nobody really knew how the springs and shocks were.

The guys that I raced against growing up – I watched them when I was running the pro trucks and they were in late models. When I got into late models, and the pro trucks as well, it’s just slammed or be slammed. So I think the good old days are being remembered better than they were.”

YOU MENTIONED YOUR FAMILY AND OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE FROM ALVA, OVER BY FORT MYERS. HURRICAN IAN DID A LOT OF DAMAGE OVER THERE. HAVE YOU BEEN BACK? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT WHERE THINGS ARE?

“I have not been back. I was there about a week or so before it hit and everybody was kind of getting ready. But it’s a hurricane.. they come every so often. When it hit, it was a big deal. The coast took the brunt of it. We’re inland a little bit. Our houses are fine and everybody is living in their homes now. A little roof damage here and there; a little screen porch damage. But the main thing was just the amount of water that came on shore. We have neighbors and friends that their houses flooded. A lot of my family is here for my race and Chad’s (Chastain, brother) race this weekend. They’re just like ‘we’re ready to take a break’. The cleanup and the rebuilding is going to be for years. They just wanted to come enjoy the race and it’ll all be there on Monday when we drive back. But they just keep telling me that I won’t believe it when I do see it, even when I come back after Phoenix at some point. They are like you will not be able to comprehend what it looks like. It just looks like another country; something you would see on the news, on TV or online.

For the farm, we pretty much survived. There’s some damage and some pull barns are down, but our main facility stayed up and offices are in working orders. We’ll be shipping watermelons just like we always have.”

THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE HIGH WATER MARK OF YOUR CAREER, IN TERMS OF COMPETING FOR A MAJOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. HOW IMPORTANT IS IT – HOW DIFFICULT IS IT – TO REMAIN FOCUSED ON WHAT WE HAVE TO DO HERE TODAY INSTEAD OF LETTING YOURSELF WANDER OFF DOWN THE PATH TO ‘IN TWO WEEKS, WE COULD BE RACING FOR THE CUP SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP’?

“High mark, so far. Luckily, for me, I can compartmentalize. I had a conversation this week and what we were describing, me and this person, we were talking about their life. They felt like their life is one big box and everything was always intermingled and all the wires were connected. I was like I think mine is box, by box, by box. I open one box and all the other boxes automatically shut. That’s just how I’m wired. I think that’s what makes part of my racing ability, for better or worse, what it is. I’m not saying I’m full-blown gold fish, but about every lap, it feels like a new lap. When I come back around, I have a new expectation of what I can do and it doesn’t have a lot of bearing. Yeah, I take each lap and build my notebook throughout the weekend, my race, my career and my life. But I can go lap-by-lap a lot easier than if you ask me to think about something two weeks from now. I’m in Homestead.. I haven’t even put any thought into Martinsville, let alone Phoenix. Those that know me, know it’s not just a sweet answer up here. It’s the truth, for better or worse sometimes. Sometimes it’s not a good thing.”

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU’VE COME TO YOUR HOME TRACK BEING A CUP WINNER AND YOU’RE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS. WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE FOR YOU TO BE HERE AND TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT?

“The nerves side is an easy one to talk about. I have less nerves than I did a couple years ago when I came here for a Truck championship with Niece Motorsports in 2019. That was the first time that had ever happened. That was the first time I had ever been in the playoffs; made a run and we were here fighting for a championship. That definitely had a lot more nerves.

This weekend, my brother is running the truck race. Honestly, I get more nervous for that, as odd as that sounds. I’m way more fine with the Cup race and doing everything I need to do with my group. But when I don’t have control when he’s out racing.. I just wish I could have control and I don’t. It’s their deal, it’s his team. I’m just up in the grandstands by myself fidgeting. Those two things take my mind off of how serious what we’re doing with the No. 1 Chevy right now. But it feels good.. it feels really good to see the smiles of my family and friends. Guys that let me drive race cars when I was 14 years old. There were only a few that weren’t my dad and a couple of those guys are here. Just enjoying the weekend living out all of our dreams of racing in the Cup Series. It was their dreams too and they’re living it through me.”

YOU SAID EARLIER IN THE YEAR, PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT TRACKHOUSE RACING WAS A FLASH IN THE PAN AND WOULDN’T MAKE IT TO THIS LEVEL. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT TRACKHOUSE THIS YEAR, BEHIND THE SCENES, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ORGANIZATION TO GET YOU AND DANIEL (SUAREZ) TO WHERE YOUR AT?

“It starts with this car. This is an unprecedented move by NASCAR and the France family to roll out this car. Everything that it stands for is why Trackhouse Racing is here in the first place. Justin (Marks) would not have gone on this endeavor of Cup racing.. he’s smart enough to know he was never going to catchup with the old car. So that’s why we got here.

As we got here, I don’t know enough about race cars to truly know why our cars go as fast as they do. I know the things we do; I know the procedures we have in place. We think we know that we’re doing the right thing, but it’s racing. Somebody can always build a better box.

For me, throughout the year, just continuing to have that speed is why we’re not just a quick blimp on the Cup Series radar. This is our arrival. I’m not going to sit up here and tell you I know why our cars go fast.. that’s for somebody way smarter than me. I just drive them.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

CHEVROLET NCS AT HOMESTEAD: Daniel Suarez Press Conference Transcript

By

Official Release

-

October 22, 2022

NASCAR CUP SERIES
HOMESTEAD-MIAMI SPEEDWAY
DIXIE VODKA 400
TEAM CHEVY PRESS CONF. TRANSCRIPT
OCTOBER 22, 2022

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 PRINCESS CRUISES CAMARO ZL1, met with the media in advance of the NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying session at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Press Conference Transcript:

HOW WOULD YOU RANK THE SUCCESS THIS YEAR AND DID YOU SEE THIS COMING LAST YEAR?

Yeah, I think that the season has been good. Its tough, because as a race car driver, I am very greedy. If I don’t win the championship, I wouldn’t say that it is a perfect season. With that being said, I feel that it was a huge step from first year of Trackhouse to second year of Trackhouse. Right now, I feel like we are working hard to build up our house, and we have done that. I feel like the 99 team has a lot of things still to prove. And for me, with how we are running, I know that there is potential for more, and that is very exciting. I am very happy with where I am, I am very happy with Trackhouse, and the 99 team. I have an amazing team and we are going to continue to fight. I wish I was still in the playoffs and fighting for a championship, but it just wasn’t in the cards for us. But we have the speed and honestly everything to give these guys a fight. We are going to continue to do that and close this season as strong as possible so we can start building momentum for next year.”

YOU TALKED ABOUT THE TEST HERE, AND HOW MUCH THE TIRES DROP OFF. HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT DRIVERS PUSHING OUT TO THE OUTSIDE WALL AND HOW QUICKLY WILL THAT HAPPEN?

“Very, very quickly. Honestly probably the fastest I ever remember. The last time we were here, before the Next Gen car, we were in a high downforce package. So the last time we were here with a lower downforce package was a long time ago and honestly, in the long run, it feels that way. It feels like you don’t have any grip. But it is fun. I think that is going to make the racing very, very fun and I think you guys are going to enjoy that. I think that when we start, and in the first 10 laps, you guys are going to see cars like bees – everywhere. Then slowly we are going to be migrating to the top like we have always done. We will see what happens, but I think in the long run, it is going to be tough to pass. That is reality, but it has always been that way here. So, once everyone migrates to the top, its going to be tough to pass because everyone is going to be running very, very close to the wall. But we will see how it works. It is pretty free and if you are too free, maybe you can’t run the wall. There are going to be a few options and there are a few things I have in my mind, and we will see how things play out.”

WITH THE PENALITIES TO COLE (CUSTER) AND BUBBA (WALLACE), DID A: NASCAR SEND A MESSAGE AND B: DID IT CHANGE ANY OF YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT YOU MIGHT DO TO HELP ROSS (CHASTAIN) AND WHAT YOU MIGHT DO IN THINKING ABOUT RETALIATION?

“Honestly, it hasn’t changed anything in the way that I think or the way that I do things. Because in my opinion, all those moves were extremely, extremely dumb. Both of them. And with both of them, I was going to be extremely surprised if they were not penalties. Like before even those situations happened, I would never do something like that. Not that clear, you have to be smarter. I don’t know what those guys were thinking. I am glad NASCAR is reacting to this, because when is too much? When is too much of helping a teammate? People know I want to race, and I race everyone very hard. But in the next few weeks, I am going to race Ross, not super hard. Just because he is my teammate, and I know what is ahead of him. I am going to keep racing him hard, and I will never give up a win to help him. But definitely, my level of aggression toward my teammate right now, is going to be a little bit lower. But I will never brake to give up a position and I know the consequences of that. That is not professional. The same thing in wrecking somebody in the way it happened last week, its not smart, especially with everything that is happening right now. Honestly I am glad NASCAR stepped in and they were able to put everyone in their places because it was too much.”

IS IT ONLY NATURAL THAT WHEN YOU COME TO SOUTH FLORIDA, YOU JUST FEEL A LITTLE MORE COMFORTABLE? YOU ARE GOING TO HEAR PEOPLE SAYING VAMOS IN THE STANDS AND ALL THOSE GOOD THINGS. DO YOU FEEL SOME COMFORTS OF KIND OF LIKE HOME?

“Yeah, definitely, I definitely do. There are a lot of people that are talking to me in Spanish and everything starts I would say driving to the racetrack. If you turn on the radio and you start flipping stations, everything is in Spanish. Then we get to the racetrack and most of the security people speak Spanish. So, the energy just feels different, and they make me feel like home. And that feels very amazing. I really feel good and its hard to explain that to people. I don’t expect everyone to understand this, but me being away from home 98% of the time, I am able to have this experience and it feels very good. Miami is this way and there are many racetracks that are this way. Texas, every single race on the west coast, and yeah, I really feel more like home in coming to places like this. And I know that there are going to be a lot of fans speaking to me in Spanish and bringing some Mexican flags. We have a lot of support and that is something that I really enjoy a lot.”

DOES IT FEEL LIKE THE RACING IS A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE THIS YEAR IN THE PLAYOFFS THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST OR IS IT JUST BECAUSE ITS PRESENT TIME AND WE THINK LIKE THAT?

“You, know, that is a very good question. Good or bad, I think I have a very short memory when it comes to that kind of stuff. I think back then, last year, I think the racing was pretty aggressive as well. But I think that just because of the package, It was aggressive for longer because everyone was more tied together with a high downforce package and less power. Right now, I feel like its kind of a hybrid between the high downforce that we used to have and the low downforce that we used to have. But I think that we seem to race equally aggressive. Last week I had a pretty good experience because I was in the front the whole first half of the race in Stage 1 and 2. I was top five, top two, leading the race and I thought ‘man, we got this’. Then we had a very bad pit stop and I went to the back, and I was like ‘holy…,this is where the dogfight is’. So yeah, everyone has been very aggressive, especially in Stage 3, but yeah, as a race car driver I enjoy that. But yeah, just seeing everyone in the present right now, we see everyone being very aggressive and I feel that everyone enjoys that. You guys, media, and us as drivers as well.”

REGARDING RETALIATION, MARTINSVILLE AND THE END OF THE SEASON AND MAYBE RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO PAY THAT BACK

“Yes, we can. You just have to be smart about it. You can’t do it the way that (Bubba) Wallace did it, that is completely unacceptable. But retaliation is not wrecking somebody like that. With retaliation, you can put someone in the wall a little bit. NASCAR won’t penalize you for that. But what happened last week, it was just over the line.”

DO YOU SEE MARTINSVILLE NEXT WEEK AS BEING KIND OF CHAOS WITH SOME OF THE PEOPLE THAT OWE PEOPLE HERE AND THERE?

“You know, the way that I see it is that there are a couple of guys that owe me something. But the way that I see it is that you don’t, and this is just my opinion, I don’t wait for Martinsville to say, ‘okay, these two guys owe me something, I am going to pay them back at Martinsville’. I don’t think it works like that. The way that I think it works is that it just comes to you. If one day that guy that did something to you is close to you, and for some reason you are struggling, maybe that is the day that you are going to give that back. Again, its not wrecking, its just to give that person a very impossible life and maybe put them in the wall a little bit to remind him, ‘hey, remember what happened a few months ago?’. It happens and I don’t think you wait for one racetrack to do those things. I think the moment just presents itself.”

About Chevrolet
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, available in 79 countries with more than 3.2 million cars and trucks sold in 2020. Chevrolet models include electric and fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

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