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Allmendinger locks up spot in Championship Race with win in Vegas

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Official Release
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By Holly Cain
NASCAR Wire Service

LAS VEGAS _ It was the first NASCAR Xfinity Series trophy of the season for A.J. Allmendinger but the timing was on point, his Playoff win in Saturday’s Ambetter Health 302 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway punching his ticket into next month’s season finale Championship race.

The 42-year old Californian held off a hard-charging Ryan Sieg by a mere .156-second to claim his 18th career win – leading a race best 102 of the 201 laps in his No. 16 Kaulig Racing Chevrolet. Allmendinger had to out-run and out-negotiate Sieg in the closing laps, ultimately getting the best of the field on a final re-start at the 1.5-miler with two laps remaining.

An exuberant Allmendinger – who is moving to the NASCAR Cup Series next year – climbed out of his Chevrolet, raising his arms to urge the crowd cheer and shouting congratulations to his team and his team owner Matt Kaulig, whose birthday was Saturday.

“I absolutely love these guys and girls at Kaulig Racing, it’s been such up-and-down but what I love about them is we stick together, we keep fighting,’’ Allmendinger said before turning toward his team and shouting, “Happy Birthday Matt Kaulig. The boss’s birthday I told you I was getting you a trophy. I love you.’’

“What a way to get to Phoenix after the year we’ve had. Let’s go win a championship. LET’S GOOOOOO!”

For Sieg – who is still looking for his first win in 364 Xfinity Series starts – Saturday’s near-miss marked the fifth runner-up showing of his career and second in just the last three races. He challenged Allmendinger mightily in the final 30 laps – passing him with nine laps to go, only to get passed right back the following lap.

“We had the best car on the longer run and I needed a long run and we were getting there,’’ the RSS Racing driver Sieg said afterward. “I just overdrove [turn] one and lost some of our track position, but I was able to gain it back. Just sucks to finish second again with a great car. One of these days it’s going to go our way.’’

Allmendinger’s fellow Playoff drivers, JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chandler Smith finished third and fourth. Parker Kligerman, who was eliminated from the Playoffs just last week, finished fifth.

Allgaier had a strong No. 7 Chevrolet, winning Stage 2 and leading 42 laps – second best to Allmendinger. His work didn’t get him the automatic Championship 4 berth but does put him atop the championship standings 32 points to the good with races at Homestead-Miami Speedway next week and then at the half-mile Martinsville, Va. track to formally decide which four drivers move to the Nov. 9 seasons finale eligible to compete for the season trophy.

“He did a great job and hats off to those guys to get a Chevrolet in victory lane,’’ Allgaier said of Allmendinger. “Ryan [Sieg] did a great job too.

“Really proud of this team. Yesterday in practice we weren’t as good as we wanted to be but they went to work and made good adjustments all day to put us in a good position.’’

“At the end there, just not able to get into dirty air like I wanted to,’’ he said, adding, “great start to the next round and obviously got some good stage points so we’ll move on to next week.’’

Richard Childress Racing rookie driver Jesse Love – a Playoff contender – was sixth, followed by Stewart-Haas Racing teammates, defending race winner Riley Herbst and Playoff driver Cole Custer. JGR’s Sheldon Creed – also eliminated from Playoff contention last week – was 10th.

Playoff contenders RCR’s Austin Hill and JR Motorsports’ Sam Mayer were 13th and 14th, respectively, with JR Motorsports’ Sammy Smith getting involved in an early race accident and finishing 32nd – last among the Playoff eight.

The reigning series champion Custer sits just behind Allgaier in the points standings – 16 points to the good with Chandler Smith in that fourth position, eight points to the good.

Hill (-8) is fifth followed by Love (-13), Mayer (-23) and Smith (-53).

The series moves to the Homestead-Miami Speedway 1.5-miler for next Saturday’s Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 (4 p.m. ET, CW, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Mayer is the defending race winner.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Race – Ambetter Health 302
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, Nevada

Saturday, October 19, 2024

(9) AJ Allmendinger (P), Chevrolet, 201.
(10) Ryan Sieg, Ford, 201.
(6) Justin Allgaier (P), Chevrolet, 201.
(3) Chandler Smith (P), Toyota, 201.
(11) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, 201.
(8) Jesse Love # (P), Chevrolet, 201.
(7) Riley Herbst, Ford, 201.
(2) Cole Custer (P), Ford, 201.
(38) Sheldon Creed, Toyota, 201.
(17) Austin Hill (P), Chevrolet, 201.
(14) Corey Heim(i), Toyota, 201.
(30) Daniel Dye(i), Chevrolet, 201.
(12) Aric Almirola (P), Toyota, 201.
(4) Sam Mayer (P), Chevrolet, 201.
(23) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 201.
(24) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, 201.
(1) Brandon Jones, Chevrolet, 201.
(19) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 201.
(18) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 201.
(27) Kyle Weatherman, Chevrolet, 201.
(32) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 201.
(20) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 201.
(33) Myatt Snider, Chevrolet, 201.
(15) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 201.
(28) JJ Yeley, Ford, 199.
(22) Kyle Sieg, Ford, 199.
(21) Dylan Lupton, Ford, 198.
(34) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 198.
(31) Garrett Smithley, Chevrolet, 198.
(36) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 198.
(35) Blaine Perkins, Ford, 198.
(5) Sammy Smith (P), Chevrolet, 197.
(13) Taylor Gray(i), Toyota, 197.
(29) Ryan Vargas, Chevrolet, 197.
(37) Akinori Ogata(i), Chevrolet, 196.
(26) Dawson Cram(i), Chevrolet, 193.
(25) Leland Honeyman #, Chevrolet, Electrical, 130.
(16) Shane Van Gisbergen #, Chevrolet, Fuel Pump, 77.

Average Speed of Race Winner: 127.215 mph.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 22 Mins, 12 Secs. Margin of Victory: 0.156 Seconds.

Caution Flags: 7 for 31 laps.

Lead Changes: 13 among 9 drivers.

Lap Leaders: B. Jones 1-8;S. Smith (P) 9-13;C. Custer (P) 14-35;B. Jones 36-38;R. Herbst 39-42;C. Custer (P) 43-51;J. Allgaier (P) 52-93;A. Allmendinger (P) 94-145;R. Sieg 146;P. Kligerman 147;J. Love # (P) 148-150;A. Allmendinger (P) 151-191;R. Sieg 192;A. Allmendinger (P) 193-201.

Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): AJ Allmendinger (P) 3 times for 102 laps; Justin Allgaier (P) 1 time for 42 laps; Cole Custer (P) 2 times for 31 laps; Brandon Jones 2 times for 11 laps; Sammy Smith (P) 1 time for 5 laps; Riley Herbst 1 time for 4 laps; Jesse Love # (P) 1 time for 3 laps; Ryan Sieg 2 times for 2 laps; Parker Kligerman 1 time for 1 lap.

Stage #1 Top Ten: 00,7,98,16,18,28,2,21,9,1

Stage #2 Top Ten: 7,16,28,9,81,00,20,2,98,19

Race Recap | South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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Official Release
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Race Recap | South Point 400

 DANIEL HEMRIC
No. 31 South Point Camaro ZL1

  • Daniel Hemric qualified 33rd for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Fighting tight in traffic in his No. 31 South Point Chevrolet, Hemric managed to gain four spots within the first 14 laps. As the green-flag pit stops began, he made it as high as fifth, before coming down pit road for tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to both right-side tires. Cycling back out to 29th, Hemric took over 28th, before an incident brought out the caution. Hemric took the wave around, before finishing the stage in 25th.
  • During the stage break, Hemric pitted for four tires, fuel, and a left-rear air pressure adjustment. He started the second stage from 24th place. A wreck on the restart brought out the caution, and Hemric managed to avoid the carnage. He was scored 19th to restart on lap 97. As the pit cycle began, Hemric made it as high as 12th, before pitting on lap 123 for four tires and fuel. He cycled back to 19th and worked his way up to 14th to finish the second stage.
  • During the second stage break, Hemric pitted for tires, fuel, and a right-rear air pressure adjustment, before starting the final stage from 11th place. When the next caution came out on lap 194, Hemric pitted for tires, fuel, and to go back on the previous air-pressure adjustments, before restarting 18th on lap 198. During the final green-flag pit cycle, Hemric made his last stop from 13th on lap 229 for tires and fuel. He went on to finish the race in 19th place.

“Pretty good day for this Kaulig Racing team. We steadily moved forward all day, and our No. 31 South Point Chevrolet really had speed late in the fuel run. Restarts were a little bit of a challenge, but overall, it was a great day showing competitive speed and a good day on pit road.” – Daniel Hemric  

SHANE van GISBERGEN
No. 16 Wendy’s Camaro ZL1

  • Shane van Gisbergen qualified 34th for the South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Van Gisbergen fired off tight in the No. 16 Wendy’s® Chevrolet, as he battled to maintain position. On lap 30, the race leader caught the No. 16 Chevrolet putting Van Gisbergen a lap down from the rest of the field. The No. 16 team opted to pit for fresh tires, fuel and adjustments on lap 38, re-entering the field 36th. A caution came out with 17 laps remaining in the stage, and the No. 16 team opted to take the wave around, gaining their lap back and restarting 33rd on the lead lap. Van Gisbergen gained two spots on the restart and ended the first stage 31st.
  • The No. 16 team opted to come to pit road at the stage break for fresh tires, fuel, and an adjustment. Van Gisbergen started the second stage 35th. A caution quickly came out on the first lap of the restart, and the No. 16 team opted to come back to pit road for more fuel and another set of tires. Van Gisbergen restarted 27th. Advancing to fifth during a green-flag pit stop cycle, he maintained that position for multiple laps. On lap 138, the No. 16 Wendy’s® Chevrolet came to pit road for fresh, right-side tires, re-entering the field 29th. Battling to maintain position, Van Gisbergen completed the second stage in 28th place.
  • The No. 16 team came to pit road at the stage break for fresh tires, fuel, and adjustments. Van Gisbergen started the final stage 25th. A caution came out with 75 laps remaining in the race, and the No. 16 team chose to pit to make another attempt at adjustments, as Van Gisbergen reported the car was tight handling. He restarted the stage 27th. With 36 laps remaining, the No. 16 team chose to pit for tires, fuel, and adjustments. Van Gisbergen continued to fight a tight Wendy’s® Spicy Chicken Chevrolet and ultimately took the checkered flag 29th.

“It was a tough day for our No. 16 Wendy’s® Spicy Chicken Chevrolet team, but we learned a lot. Our car was just super tight, and my team continued to worked on it all day. This track is a tough place but we wanted to learn and finish with a clean car and that’s what we did. Just wish we could have gotten a better result.” – Shane van Gisbergen  
 
About Kaulig Racing

Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) and NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) team, owned by award winning entrepreneur, Matt Kaulig. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing™ has earned 23 NXS wins, made the NXS Playoffs consecutively each season since the playoff system started, and won two regular-season championships. In 2021, the team competed in select NCS events, before expanding to a two-car, full-time NCS team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first NCS start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. Kaulig Racing is currently fielding two full-time entries in the NCS and continues to field three full-time NXS entries, with a part-time fourth entry at select events. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.

RCR NCS Race Recap: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

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On-Track Crash Ends Austin Dillon and the No. 3 Boot Barn Chevrolet Team’s Run at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Early

Finish: 37th
Start: 13th
Points: 28th

“Las Vegas Motor Speedway has always been among my favorite tracks, so it’s a shame the way our day ended. I hate it for Boot Barn and all of our partners. We were fighting a tight balance early in the race and trying to get to the end of Stage 1 to get a chance to work on the car. We got hit and ended up hitting hard into the wall. I’m not sure what the No. 31 was thinking. He flat-out wrecked me and I have no clue why. He stayed in the gas into Turn 3 until he hit me. I hate it for our Richard Childress Racing team.” -Austin Dillon

Kyle Busch and the No. 8 FICO Chevrolet Team Collect 13th-Place Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Finish: 13th
Start: 20th
Points: 20th

“Overall, it was a solid day for the FICO Chevrolet team. We started off loose, but crew chief Randall Burnett called for adjustments every time we stopped. By Stage 2, our Chevy was too tight but we had worked our way inside the top 10. The pit crew had a good day on pit road and we were able to gain a few spots there. We chose to split the final run of the race instead of trying to stretch it to the end. Unfortunately, that didn’t work in our favor because some guys didn’t stop and made it to the end. I want to thank everyone from FICO and their leadership team who came out to the race today in Las Vegas. They have been a great partner this season and it was cool to see them at the track this weekend. We’ll regroup this week and bounce back next weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.” -Kyle Busch

Logano Clinches Spot in Cup Series Championship 4 with Las Vegas Win

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Official Release
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Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Cup Series
South Point 400 Qualifying | Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Sunday, October 20, 2024

JOEY LOGANO PUNCHES TICKET TO CHAMPIONSHIP 4 AFTER LAS VEGAS WIN

  • Joey Logano won his third race of the season with today’s victory, not including his win in the All-Star Race.
  • It marks his fourth career triumph at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, most among all tracks.
  • Logano will be making his sixth career Championship 4 appearance in two weeks at Phoenix.
  • The win is Logano’s 35th of his Cup Series career and 33rd with Ford.
  • Those 33 wins put him 4th on the all-time Ford win list.
  • Today’s win is Ford’s 738th all-time in NASCAR Cup Series competition.
  • It also marks Team Penske’s 99th series win with Ford.

JOEY LOGANO, No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Mustang Dark Horse – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – A WEEK AGO WAS DEJECTION AND NOW HERE YOU ARE GOING TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP 4. “Oh my gosh. It’s an incredible turn of events coming from what was at the end of last weekend and what it was like Sunday night after a couple hours after the race and to this Sunday. This sport is just incredible. Things change, but what a team I’ve got. I stood out there at the start-finish line and it takes a total effort. Obviously, the car had to be pretty good. It was solid, but when you think about what it takes to win a fuel mileage race, you’ve got to have a good engine. You’ve got to have good engineers calculating stuff. You’ve got to have good communication communicating what they see and being able to make sure that I only gave up the right amount of spots on the racetrack and trying to get to the 99 in front and keep the 20 behind. Coleman, Paul, Joe, Nick Hensley, our gas man making sure it’s full. It takes everybody to do it, so we’re in the Championship 4 again. I’m so proud of this team. We just find a way and that’s what I’m most proud of. I said it as we entered this thing this week that we may be the underdogs, but I don’t think so anymore.”

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO CELEBRATE? “I have no clue. We’re a bunch of old guys. We’re probably going home.”

IS THE FAMILY AT HOME? “Yeah, they’re all at home. We’ll have a couple weeks to have some fun, but the focus tomorrow morning is gonna be on Phoenix.”

HOW INTENSE WAS THAT FINAL RUN? “We do some fuel mileage stuff, don’t we? Holy cow. What an incredible turn of events the last week. What a very fast Pennzoil Mustang. We’ve got the old kids crew here today and a lot of kids rooting us on, so it was really special to win in front of them again. My kids at home, I wish you guys were out here, but we’re going to the Championship 4 again. I don’t know what the deal is with the even year thing, but maybe it’s real. Thanks to the fans out here. Thanks to Roush Yates Engines for making great fuel mileage, great calls by Paul and Nick Hensley, our gas man, making sure she’s full, giving me the good info I need to save fuel and keep the lead that we needed to. Boy, we’re going racing again. What an incredible situation. I’m so blessed.”

HOW DISCIPLINED DID YOU HAVE TO BE ON THAT LAST RUN? “Coleman up there in the spotter’s stand, working with Paul and our engineers – Shaggy and Joe – everybody does a good job at just feeding the info that I needed. You have to go the right pace to make sure you get in front of the 99, but get to where the 20 was gonna catch me. It was an incredible day. Like I said, it takes the whole team to do the fuel mileage stuff. It’s not just the engine or the engineers or the driver or the spotter, it takes all of us together to do it. It’s a total team win. We may not have been the fastest car today, but we were a solid top-five car and being able to maximize it at the end.”

Ford Performance Unofficial Results:
1st – Joey Logano
10th – Chris Buescher
14th – Corey LaJoie
15th – Harrison Burton
18th – Noah Gragson
20th – Michael McDowell
21st – Cody Ware
22nd – Ryan Preece
24th – Josh Berry
26th – Chase Briscoe
31st – Todd GIlliand
32nd – Ryan Blaney
34th – Austin Cindric
36th – Brad Keselowski

RYAN BLANEY, No. 12 Menards/Great Stuff Ford Mustang Dark Horse – “We’re still alive. It’s definitely not the best of days. It was just a rough weekend overall. I don’t know what to do about it, to be honest with you, running over something and having a hole in it in practice. And then just getting clipped by the 6 there. I thought I could get around him and didn’t know if he’d come up the racetrack and then by the time he was kind of on the track it was too late. I got clipped and bent everything all to hell, so it was just a rough weekend. We still have two more weeks, so we’re definitely not out of it.”

BRAD KESELOWSKI, No. 6 King’s Hawaiian Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED ON TRACK? “I was coming off of turn four and the guys in front of me got together. It’s a shame. This is the best run we’ve had the whole playoffs. The car was really fast and we were fighting within the top five and top 10. It’s racing. You hang around long enough and you’ve got a shot at it if you hang around the top five or top 10. We just kind of got caught up in somebody else’s deal.”

WHAT HAPPENED? “I was kind of a victim of circumstances. A couple of cars got together in front of me and I just couldn’t miss them. It’s a shame. This is one of the best cars we’ve had in quite some time. I was really proud of our team. We were in a good spot to have a great day and just didn’t get to see it through.”

WAS REDDICK’S MOVE TOO AGGRESSIVE? “I haven’t seen it, so I don’t really know. I couldn’t see what happened.”

AUSTIN CINDRIC, No. 2 Autotrader Ford Mustang Dark Horse – WHAT HAPPENED DOWN THERE? “I have no idea. That’s a great question. I haven’t seen a replay. I just know that they wrecked off of four and the 6 came back up the track and either clipped me or I just got loose from getting up in the gray by the start-finish line and slapped the fence and killed all of the right side suspension and now I get to watch the rest of the race.”

HOW DO YOU MOVE ON NOW THE REST OF THE SEASON? “It’s totally frustrating because we’ve had really fast cars, especially today. I felt like we had one of the best cars on the long run and the way those cautions and the strategy and all that, it’s a shame. The last three weeks we’ve had cars that easily could have finished in the top five and some of those we got wrecked. It’s racing. It’s tough, but I definitely want to finish strong.”

A LOT OF AGGRESSIVE MOVES TODAY. DID ANYTHING SURPRISE YOU? “Not really. I think the thing that gets more and more frustrating on these is where was the line drawn when it comes back to lagging back on restarts. Depending on where the leader goes sometimes it’s hard to tell, but guys just continually back up to get gaps. It just puts you in a worse spot the further back you go and it’s just the benefits of having track position. That’s one thing that I would say is frustrating.”

Stewart-Haas Racing: South Point 400 from Las Vegas

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Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
South Point 400

Date: Oct. 20, 2024
Event: South Point 400 (Round 33 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Cup Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 267 laps, broken into three stages (80 laps/85 laps/102 laps)

Race Winner: Joey Logano of Team Penske (Ford)
Stage 1 Winner: Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing (Toyota)
Stage 2 Winner: Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

SHR Finish:

● Noah Gragson (Started 21st, Finished 18th / Running, completed 267 of 267 laps)
● Ryan Preece (Started 32nd, Finished 22nd / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
● Josh Berry (Started 28th, Finished 24th / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)
● Chase Briscoe (Started 24th, Finished 26th / Running, completed 266 of 267 laps)

SHR Points:

● Chase Briscoe (15th with 2,121 points)
● Noah Gragson (25th with 541 points)
● Ryan Preece (26th with 523 points)
● Josh Berry (27th with 519 points)

SHR Notes:

● Gragson earned his 20th top-20 of the season and his third top-20 in four career NASCAR Cup Series starts at Las Vegas.
● Preece finished 10th in Stage 2 to earn one bonus point.

Race Notes:

● Joey Logano won the South Point 400 to score his 35th career NASCAR Cup Series victory, his third of the season and his fourth at Las Vegas. His margin of victory over second-place Christopher Bell was .662 of a second.
● This was Ford’s 738th all-time NASCAR Cup Series victory and its 10th of the season.
● This was Ford’s 15th NASCAR Cup Series victory at Las Vegas. Ford won its first race at Las Vegas on March 1, 1998 with NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin.
● There were five caution periods for a total of 32 laps.
● Only 21 of the 37 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● This was the first race in the penultimate Round of 8 of the NASCAR Playoffs. Logano secured his spot in the Championship 4 via his win while Denny Hamlin, Tyler Reddick, Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliott are currently below the top-four cutline with two races remaining before the final, winner-take-all Championship 4 Nov. 10 at Phoenix Raceway.

Sound Bites:

“My car just really struggled. All day, it just didn’t really seem to do anything it should do. So yeah, I don’t know. We changed everything throughout the race, and there at the end, it was finally good, so I wish we could’ve started the race where we just ended it, but obviously we can’t do that. Definitely a rough one, for sure.” – Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 14 Texas A&M University Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Cup Series schedule is the Straight Talk Wireless 400 on Sunday, Oct. 27 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The eighth race in the 10-race NASCAR Playoffs starts at 2:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by NBC and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Toyota Racing – NCS Las Vegas Post-Race Report – 10.20.24

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Official Release
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BELL FINISHES SECOND IN VEGAS
Pole winner Bell leads race-high 155 laps, comes up just short after late charge through field

LAS VEGAS (October 20, 2024) – Christopher Bell won the pole, led 155 of 267 laps and finished second after charging through the field late in the running of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday evening. Bell led four Toyotas in the top-10 finishers with Martin Truex Jr. in sixth, fellow Playoff driver Denny Hamlin coming home in eighth and John Hunter Nemechek scoring a solid ninth-place finish.

The third Toyota Playoff driver, Tyler Reddick, led nine laps and won the first stage before being involved in an early stage two incident.

With the finish, Christopher Bell leads the overall standings and is second in the Playoff rankings. He is 42 points above the cutline. Denny Hamlin moved up to fifth. The Virginia-native is now 27 points out. Tyler Reddick ranks sixth, 30 points below the cutline.

Toyota Post-Race Recap
NASCAR Cup Series (NCS)
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Race 33 of 36 – 267 Laps, 400.5 Miles

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Joey Logano*
2nd, CHRISTOPHER BELL
3rd, Daniel Suarez*
4th, William Bryon*
5th, Alex Bowman*
6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
8th, DENNY HAMLIN
9th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK
12th, BUBBA WALLACE
25th, ERIK JONES
28th, JIMMIE JOHNSON
30th, TY GIBBS
35th, TYLER REDDICK
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Rheem Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 2nd

How do you come to terms with how that race played out?

“I don’t know. I don’t know, and I don’t think I’ve come to terms with it yet. Just a bummer. Everyone on this team did everything perfect today. This thing was obviously on rails, the pit crew did an amazing job, Adam (Stevens, crew chief) called an amazing race. We did everything we needed to put the Rheem Camry into victory lane, and unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be today.”

How do you use this to fuel you next weekend in Homestead?

“It is a whole new race next week. This track means nothing for next week, and fortunately, we were able to go and win in Homestead last year, but nothing is guaranteed. Just because I ran second this week, doesn’t mean I’m going to finish anywhere next week. I think the points look pretty good, which is a positive, but you are never safe in this deal. We needed to win today, and unfortunately, we didn’t. We will go on to the next one.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 Yahoo Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing

Finishing Position: 8th

How would you describe this day?

“Not a clean day. That certainly sums it up. You’ll have that. We did the best we could to get the best finish. I thought Chris (Gabehart, crew chief) did a great job to get some sort of finish. Once we lost the track position early, he was doing the best he could to try to get it back through strategy, and then it goes long there, and we fall to the back. Just part of it.”

How do you feel about your points position with Miami and Martinsville coming up?

“I don’t know where we are at, but certainly, we are not running quite as strong as we were earlier in the year, and we are definitely not as clean, execution wise, as we were. We will just have to clean it up and go to Homestead and try to win it.”

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 9th

Solid run today, can you talk about your race?

“Solid day. We didn’t start off great – started in 26th, I think we fell back to the 30s and Brian (Campe, crew chief) and the engineers – everyone on this 42 Pye Barker Fire & Safety Toyota team worked really hard to get the car right. I felt like our communication was good today. I just felt like everything went okay. We got track position, made some adjustments, woke the car up. I felt like we were running top-15 there for a little bit, and we opted to save fuel on the strategy that we played and came home ninth. Obviously, we want more – but at the same time, very, very solid day for this 42 group, and something I feel like us and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB needed.”

JIMMIE JOHNSON, No. 84 Dollar Tree/Family Dollar Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Finishing Position: 28th

Can you talk about the race and how it all progressed for you today?

“Not bad for this Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Toyota. We were in that lucky dog position, and as the race went on and some quality cars were trapped down a lap, it just made that really tough and we narrowly missed getting back on the lead lap multiple times, so trapped down a lap, and just ran along and did what we could, but it was great to see our other two cars with pace, especially the 42 (John Hunter Nemechek) car finishing there in ninth. That was a great day for us.”

TYLER REDDICK, No. 45 Jordan Brand Toyota Camry XSE, 23XI Racing

Finishing Position: 35th

First off, are you okay and secondly, what happened out there?

“Yeah, you just have to be aggressive on restarts. It’s how the Next Gen racing has been from the beginning. I kind of saw them both have a moment, and I just had to split second make a decision. You have to be aggressive on the restart. It is hard to pass after a while. Being myself on a mile and a half, being aggressive – by the time I realized I was in trouble, the 19 (Martin Truex Jr.) started sliding and the 9 (Chase Elliott) was coming up and I was pretty much already on their outside at that point, with nowhere to really go. I needed to make the decision earlier when I saw them sliding to be more conservative to avoid an incident – just not who I am, but it is unfortunate. It took us out of the race. We had a really, really fast Jordan Brand Toyota Camry, probably would have been in the mix all race long, but we will go to Homestead – a place where I have had to get it done before and go for it there.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

CHEVROLET NCS AT LAS VEGAS 2: Post-Race Report

By
Official Release
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
ROUND OF EIGHT: RACE ONE
TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE REPORT
OCT. 20, 2024

 Suarez Leads Chevrolet with Podium Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

 TEAM CHEVY UNOFFICIAL TOP-10:
POS. DRIVER
3rd – Daniel Suarez
4th – William Byron
5th – Alex Bowman
7th – Ross Chastain

WITH 33 NASCAR CUP SERIES RACES COMPLETE:
Wins: 15
Poles: 10
Top-Five Finishes: 66
Top-10 Finishes: 133
Stage Wins: 22

 UP NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series will head to Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend, with the Straight Talk Wireless 400 marking the second race of the Round of Eight. Coverage of the 267-lap event can be found on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

  • A late-race pit strategy paid dividends for Daniel Suarez and the No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Camaro ZL1 team, ultimately leading Chevrolet with third-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
  • Despite a tumultuous day for much of the remaining title contenders, William Byron and the No. 24 RaptorTough.com Camaro ZL1 team escaped with a stellar points day and a fourth-place result in the opening race of the NASCAR Cup Series Round of Eight at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Taking the green flag following a top-10 qualifying effort, the 26-year-old Charlotte, North Carolina, native drove his Hendrick Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet to top-four points in both stages en route to the team’s 12th top-five finish of the season. Byron will head into Homestead-Miami Speedway in the top-four of the playoff standings with a 27-point advantage over the playoff cutline.
  • Defending Las Vegas Motor Speedway winner, Kyle Larson, took the green flag from the fifth position in his No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Camaro ZL1. Following a top-10 finish in Stage One, a rare mishap during a scheduled stop near the midway point of the race ultimately put the team two laps down. There was no quit by the No. 5 Chevrolet team, going on to fight back to the lead lap and a top-15 position on the leaderboard with 60 laps remaining. The 31-year-old Elk Grove, California, native went on to earn a 11th-place result, with the team leaving Las Vegas still above the playoff cutline in the third position with a 35-point cushion.
  • Chase Elliott and the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Camaro ZL1 team fell victim to an early Stage Two crash involving a handful of playoff competitors. With Alan Gustafson (crew chief) calling the driver to pit road multiple times for repairs, the team was able to hit minimum speed to ultimately take their Chevrolet to the garage for further repairs. Returning to the track multiple laps down, the 28-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia, native took the checkered flag in the 33rd position, with the former series champion falling to the eighth-position and 53-points below the cutline heading into the second race of the round.

 TEAM CHEVY POST-RACE QUOTES:

AUSTIN DILLON, NO. 3 BOOT BARN CAMARO ZL1

Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in the closing laps of Stage One.

Finished: 37th

What was your take on the contact with Daniel Hemric?

“He (Daniel Hemric) flat-out wrecked me.. no clue why. He’s got three races left, and I don’t know if was just over his head. He stays in the gas into (turn) three until he hits me. I don’t know what that was.”

Are you OK?

“Yeah, it was a hard hit, but I’m good.”

KYLE LARSON, NO. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 11th

It was kind of an up-and-down day. You got back on the lead lap. How do you evaluate this day?

“Yeah, it was a messy, messy day. None of the first races in the rounds have been clean, at all, for us. But this was a long, hard-fought 11th-place finish. We just had a lot of unfortunate things happen with the debris that got stuck on our nose. We were able to overcome that and I thought we were going to be fine. We had a strong finish in the second stage, and then we had the issues on the pit stop and just had to fight from there.

We got the most we could out of the rest of the day. I’m proud of this No. 5 HENDRICKCARS.COM Chevy team for the rebound and having a clean rest of the race.”

CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 33rd

Elliott on the incident in Stage Two:

“The No. 45 (Tyler Reddick) was coming with a really big run on the top. I don’t think Martin (Truex Jr.) knew that, and he was kind of running as if we were two-wide. Once I recognized that there wasn’t going to be enough room, I bailed and there was just nowhere to bail.. it was too late. I need to sit down and take a look at it. I was, personally, just trying to get out of the situation and it was just a little too late at that point.

It sucks. Our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was really, really good there at the start. It was the best we’ve been out here in this new car, so it was just a bad day for that.”

WILLIAM BYRON, NO. 24 RAPTORTOUGH.COM CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 4th

“Yeah, we really improved a lot as the day progressed. That was a lot to be said about this No. 24 RaptorTough.com Chevy team, and our ability to get the balance close and get the speed once we had the balance close. We just started the race a little bit off, but I’m really, really happy with how we came on. I thought we were going to have a shot to compete for a win there in the final stage, but it turned into a fuel mileage race.

Just sucks. It’s going to take a win, I feel like, so we have to keep working for it and keep running up front. If we run up front, it will do two things – we’ll be able to compete for a win and score a lot of points. We just have to keep running like this.”

ALEX BOWMAN, NO. 48 ALLY CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 5th

You had a great car today. What could you have done there at the end?

“Yeah, I mean obviously they made it on fuel, so that’s what got those guys there. But hats-off to them for taking advantage of that opportunity. The second-to-last run, we were super-fast. And then on the last run, I don’t know if just coming out in some clean air or if I built the right-rear up too quick or what happened, but I was just too loose the last run. I struggled to run the wall in (turns) three and four like I could the run previously. I had some big moments behind Christopher (Bell) and kind of just melted the right-rear off the thing.

Bummed that we’re not a couple spots better at least, but it was a solid top-five effort for the No. 48 Ally Chevy team. We’ll keep on digging.”

DANIEL SUAREZ, NO. 99 TOOTSIES ORCHID LOUNGE CAMARO ZL1

Finished: 3rd

“It’s a little heartbreaking. We had a great No. 99 Tootsies Orchid Lounge Chevy. I think we could have won it. We just needed the bottom lane. A couple of cars right there, they were stuck on the bottom and I was in very dirty air. The No. 22 (Joey Logano) was a little faster than us right there at the end. I felt like if I had the bottom, Joey wasn’t going to be able to pass me, but you never know.

Our Chevy was good, but on the very last run, it was falling off. I’m very proud of my team because they won it again today with the strategy. The car was fast.. it was a top-10 car. But top-three is a solid finish. I’m very proud of my team.”

 

About General Motors

General Motors (NYSE:GM) is driving the future of transportation, leveraging advanced technology to build safer, smarter, and lower emission cars, trucks, and SUVs. GM’s Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC brands offer a broad portfolio of innovative gasoline-powered vehicles and the industry’s widest range of EVs, as we move to an all-electric future. Learn more at GM.com.

Stewart-Haas Racing: Ambetter Health 302 from Las Vegas Motor Speedway

By
Official Release
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STEWART-HAAS RACING
Ambetter Health 302

Date: Oct. 19, 2024
Event: Ambetter Health 302 (Round 30 of 33)
Series: NASCAR Xfinity Series
Location: Las Vegas Motor Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Format: 201 laps, broken into three stages (45 laps/45 laps/111 laps)

Race Winner: AJ Allmendinger of Kaulig Racing (Chevrolet)
Stage 1 Winner: Cole Custer of Stewart-Haas Racing (Ford)
Stage 2 Winner: Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports (Chevrolet)

SHR Race Finish:

● Riley Herbst (Started 7th / Finished 7th, Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)|
● Cole Custer (Started 2nd / Finished 8th, Running, completed 201 of 201 laps)

SHR Points:

● Cole Custer (2nd with 3,072 points, 16 out of first)
● Riley Herbst (10th with 2,126 points)

Playoff Standings(with two races to go until Championship 4):

  1. AJ Allmendinger (3,063 points) 1 Win
  2. Justin Allgaier (3,088 points) +32 Point
  3. Cole Custer (3,072 points) +16 Points
  4. Chandler Smith (3,064 points) +8 Points
  5. Austin Hill (3,056 points) -8 Points
  6. Jesse Love (3,051 points) -13 Points
  7. Sam Mayer (3,041 points) -23 Points
  8. Sammy Smith (3,011 points) -53 Points

SHR Notes:

● Herbst earned his 13th top-10 of the season and his sixth top-10 in 11 career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.

● This was Herbst’s fourth straight top-10 at Las Vegas. He won last October and finished eighth in March.

● Herbst finished third in Stage 1 to earn eight bonus points and ninth in Stage 2 to earn two more bonus points.

● Herbst led once for four laps increasing his laps led total at Las Vegas to 107.

● Custer earned his 20th top-10 of the season and his seventh top-10 in nine career NASCAR Xfinity Series starts at Las Vegas.

● Custer has never finished outside of the top-12 in nine starts at Las Vegas.

● This was Custer’s third straight top-10 finish at Las Vegas. He finished second in March.

● Custer won Stage 1 to earn 10 bonus points and one playoff point. He finished sixth in Stage 2 to earn five more bonus points.

● Custer led twice for 31 laps increasing his laps led total at Las Vegas to 147.

Race Notes:

● AJ Allmendinger won the Ambetter Health 302 to score his 18th career NASCAR Xfinity Series victory, his first of the season and his first at Las Vegas. His margin over second-place Ryan Sieg was .156 of a second.

● There were seven caution periods for a total of 31 laps.
● Twenty-four of the 38 drivers in the race finished on the lead lap.
● Justin Allgaier remains the championship leader after Las Vegas with a 16-point advantage over second-place Cole Custer.

Sound Bites:

“I thought it was good the first stage and the second stage I made a really bad decision on restarts, but, overall, I thought we got it better and better. It was just difficult. We haven’t really raced into the night here in a long time, so that was hard to keep up with the track, but, overall, I thought it was an okay day.​” –Riley Herbst, driver of the No. 98 Monster Energy Ford Mustang Dark Horse

“It was a solid day. I wish we had a little bit more, but it was a solid points day. We can take that and move on to the next one at Homestead. I wish we had this No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse just right to go win today, but it just didn’t quite have the long run speed.” –Cole Custer, driver of the No. 00 3D Systems Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Next Up:

The next event on the NASCAR Xfinity Series schedule is the Credit One NASCAR Amex Credit Card 300 on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race begins at 4 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Jones Prevails In Thrilling ECMD 125 At North Wilkesboro

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Official Release
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Conner Jones celebrates on Saturday after winning the ECMD 125 zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. (HHP/Jacy Norgaard photo)

“Butterbean” Captures zMAX CARS Tour LMSC Crown

  • Conner Jones (zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock), Kaden Honeycutt (zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Models) and Justin Bonsignore (SMART Modified Tour powered by Pace-O-Matic) scored victories on Saturday at North Wilkesboro Speedway
  • Fans can buy tickets to upcoming speedway events, including Sunday’s NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race and the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race, by visiting www.northwilkesborospeedway.com/

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (Oct. 19, 2024) – An action-packed Saturday tripleheader at North Wilkesboro Speedway saw three champions – Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Kaden Honeycutt and Luke Baldwin – crowned after a thrilling night of racing on North Wilkesboro’s iconic, five-eighths-mile oval.

Carson Kvapil dominated Saturday’s ECMD 125 zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car nightcap from the pole, but Conner Jones reeled in Kvapil after a Lap 101 restart, took the lead with 15 laps to go and sped to victory. Behind Jones, Kvapil and third place Mini Tyrrell, however, was a frantic battle for the series title.

Queen had a nine-point lead over Connor Hall heading into the LMSC season finale and his odds of winning the crown skyrocketed after Hall incurred front-end damage in the opening laps due to a chain reaction. Hall’s team kept his machine in the hunt with some repairs – enough to even pass Queen for fourth at the finish – but not enough to keep Queen from wrapping up the night in fifth place with the champion’s trophy in tow.

“It’s something I never knew would happen,” Queen said. “Coming up a few points short of this championship last year was tough for all of us, but I’m so grateful for the two years I’ve had here with Lee Pulliam Performance. We’re going to spray some champagne and find some waffles.”

It took more than 100 laps for someone to firmly wrestle the lead from Kvapil. Jones wasn’t sure he’d be the man to do the job until he’d already done it.

“I felt like we were better when we were low on gas,” Jones said. “I guess we just needed to get the car light on gas and snug it up. I’m just really happy. This is a big race and a big place to win at. We’ve had an up-and-down year, so it feels good to end the year with two wins.”

Spencer Davis entered the zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model finale leading Kaden Honeycutt by six points, but Davis’ bid for a championship fell by the wayside less than 10 laps into the 100-lap opening feature. Honeycutt sprinted out front from the start, while Davis and T.J. DeCaire made contact in Turn 1 on Lap 5, leaving Davis’ No. 29 entry with a damaged track bar. Things got worse after Davis stopped on track to bring out a caution – and, per CARS Tour rules, gave the presumptive favorite a three-lap penalty from which he could never recover.

Out front, Honeycutt was hardly challenged in a caution-filled opening 60 laps. With 21 to go, Tristan McKee nudged Honeycutt from the point and led to the Lap 80 caution. The restart, however, didn’t go McKee’s way. McKee spun his tires and joined Gio Ruggeiro in the Turn 1 wall, ending both drivers’ nights. The accident occurred after Caden Kvapil took the lead, but Kvapil was penalized and sent to the rear of the field for taking the top spot before the leader, McKee, crossed the line to take the green flag.

Honeycutt found himself back out front with 20 to go. Given new life, Honeycutt held off a last-gasp attempt from DeCaire to win the race, the PLM championship and a free ride on Wilkesboro’s elevator to Victory Lane.

DeCaire ended up second with Cameron Bolin, Jimmy Renfrew Jr. and Max Reaves completing the top five. Davis rallied to 14th at the finish – enough to capture the owners’ championship – but he fell short of the drivers’ title to Honeycutt.

“That’s so awesome,” an emotional Honeycutt said in the winner’s circle. “I wouldn’t be here without such an awesome team. It’s such a dream come true to win at North Wilkesboro. I just don’t know what to say. Thanks to all the fans who came out. This will forever hold a special place in my heart. It’s just amazing. I can’t thank these guys enough.”

Five drivers – Carson Loftin, Luke Baldwin, Danny Bohn, Burt Myers and Ryan Newman – entered Saturday’s SMART Modified Tour presented by Pace-O-Matic race with a shot at the championship.

Myers and Bohn were near the front of the field with 36 to go, when John Holleman – on older tires – got loose, forcing a stack-up behind him that sent Myers into Bohn, both contenders into the wall and out of the title chase.

Baldwin, an 18-year-old series rookie, spent much of the night running in the top five. Only Justin Bonsignore and Matt Hirschman could match Baldwin’s pace over the closing laps as Baldwin maintained a significant advantage over fourth-place Jake Crum as the 99-lap race wound to a close.

Bonsignore kept Hirschman and Baldwin at bay over the final laps, speeding to the win while Baldwin leaned on a third-place result to clinch the SMART championship.

“Matt Hirschman’s the ultimate on these tire-saving races and he was charging hard those last couple of laps,” Bonsignore said. “I knew we had to pounce early and get to the lead. If it was anybody other than Matt on that last lap, we probably end up in the fence. Kudos to him for racing us clean.”

Crum and Austin Beers rounded out the top five. Bobby Labonte finished sixth with Loftin seventh, Newman eighth, Joey Coulter ninth and Sammy Rameau 10th. While Bonsignore claimed the winner’s trophy, the night belonged to Baldwin – the son of Daytona 500-winning crew chief Tommy Baldwin Jr.

“Just four years ago, I was sitting in my room, playing iRacing, dreaming of a moment like this,” Baldwin said. “I’ve said it before but I don’t know if I’d be racing right now if it weren’t for Hermie Sadler and Bill Stanley. The main goal was to go out and get experience (this season). We did that, for damn sure.”

Racing continues on Sunday at North Wilkesboro Speedway, with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour rolling in for the Brushy Mountain Powersports 150.

MORE INFO: Fans can connect with North Wilkesboro Speedway and get the latest news regarding the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race and all events at North Wilkesboro by following on X and Instagram, or becoming a Facebook fan.

TOYOTA CLAIMS NINTH FORMULA DRIFT AUTO CUP TITLE

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Official Release
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IRWINDALE, Calif. (October 19, 2024) – Toyota has clinched its ninth Formula DRIFT Auto Cup title after the completion of the Round of 32 at the season finale at California’s Irwindale Speedway on Saturday.

“We are pleased to take back the top spot on the podium as we claim our ninth Auto Cup title,” said Paul Doleshal, group manager, motorsports, Toyota Motor North America. “This would not be possible without the dedicated work of our teams and talented drivers that push their Toyota vehicles to the extreme limits. We are thrilled to have achieved this honor for the 2024 Formula DRIFT season and look forward to much more drifting success in the years to come.”

Three iconic Toyota brands – the Toyota GR Supra, Toyota GR Corolla Hatchback and the Toyota GR86 – compete in Formula DRIFT. Multi-time champion Fredric Aasbo led the Toyota charge this season with a win in Atlanta and a podium finish in St. Louis, while his teammate Ryan Tuerck scored a victory at Seattle, his first triumph since 2022. Fellow Toyota drivers Ken Gushi and Jhonnattan Castro also had several round wins with Gushi starting the year with a strong fourth-place finish at Long Beach, while Castro reached the Great 8 in Seattle.

Toyota first entered the Formula DRIFT ranks with the Scion badging and claimed its first three Auto Cup titles consecutively with the brand between 2014 and 2016. Toyota scored three more championships from 2017 through 2019, along with its most recent Auto Cup crowns in 2021 and 2022.

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 12 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 13th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 29 electrified options.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

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