TOYOTA TIDBITS -- November 9 - 15, 2009
Busch Barely Misses Trifecta
Can Camry Drivers Find Top Finish in Phoenix?
Tundra Triumphs in Arizona
ALMOST A TEXAS TORNADO: Kyle Busch dominated Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series (NSCS) race at Texas Motor Speedway and led a race-high 232 (of
334) laps. However, Busch ran out of fuel three laps from the finish
and had to make one final pit stop -and finished in 11th-place. Busch's
Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) teammate Denny Hamlin used pit strategy to take
advantage of the fuel mileage situation, following an early race scrape
with the wall. Hamlin finished as the race runner-up to Kurt Busch and
moved up three spots to eighth-place in the unofficial NSCS Chase point
standings. Brian Vickers, who was 26th at Texas, is 12th in the points
with two races (Phoenix and Miami) remaining this season.
TEXAS TWO-STEP: Although his Toyotas dominated throughout the
Texas race weekend, Busch just missed becoming the first driver in
NASCAR history to win three national series events during a single
race weekend. Along with his 11th-place finish in the Cup Series
event -- which he led until three laps from the checkered flag --
the 24-year-old driver won the two other NASCAR events held over
the weekend. The Las Vegas-native won Saturday afternoon's NASCAR
Nationwide Series (NNS) event -- his fourth consecutive victory at
the Texas one-and-a-half-mile oval. He was also triumphant in Friday
night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) -- his fifth straight
win in his last five series starts. The NCWTS victory was also the 14th
of the season by a Tundra driver - the most wins for Toyota in the
series in a single season.
FINE PHOENIX FINISHES: Earlier this year, Hamlin (sixth) and David
Reutimann (eighth) earned top-10 finishes in the NSCS race at Phoenix
International Raceway (PIR). In April of 2008, Hamlin (third) and Busch
(10th) finished among the top-10 at the one-mile Arizona oval, and last
November Hamlin (fifth) and Busch (eighth) also recorded top-10 results
at the track.
SUN DEVILS SHINE IN NASCAR: Two former Arizona State University (ASU)
football players bring their athletic ability and teamwork to the
Red Bull Racing Team pit crew. Brett Nenaber (pit support, No. 83
Red Bull Camry) and Wes Evans (pit support, No. 82 Red Bull Camry)
both played football for the Sun Devils. A Chandler, Ariz.-native,
Nenaber played safety and special teams for the Sun Devils (2003-07).
Evans played defensive end and tight end during his collegiate career
(2004-08). While at ASU, both players received the university's
football 'Hard Hat' award, given for dedication to off-season
strength training.
PHOENIX PROCESSION: Earlier this year, three Toyota Nationwide Series
drivers finished in the top-10 at Phoenix -- Jason Leffler (second),
Joey Logano (fourth) and Busch (10th). Last year, Busch was victorious
from the pole position after leading 133 of 202 laps in the April NNS
event at the Arizona oval. A year ago in November, Hamlin (second) and
Bus ch (fifth) secured top- five results, followed by Mike Wallace
(ninth) and Logano (10th).
TUNDRAS AT PHOENIX: Tundras have had a great deal of success in NCWTS
competition at PIR. Tundra drivers have won two of the five Truck
Series races they have competed in, including back-to-back wins in 2005
(Todd Bodine) and 2006 (Johnny Benson). Mike Skinner captured the pole
position in the 2007 NCWTS race and has finished in the top-10 in each
of the past four years. In 2008, four Tundra drivers finished in the
top-five -- Busch (second), Bodine (third), Brian Scott (fourth) and
Skinner (fifth) -- and Busch led the most laps (90 of 150 laps).
-credit: toyota motorsports
