toyota racing development Tag

By David Morgan, Associate Editor DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – What next? Denny Hamlin was flabbergasted with a penalty handed down by NASCAR on Thursday for an engine inspection violation that will have affects on he and his No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team now and into the Playoffs. Hamlin’s race-winning engine from Bristol this spring was inadvertently torn down and rebuilt by Toyota Racing Development prior to NASCAR being able to inspect it and as such, the sanctioning body was left with no choice but to penalize them. Driver and teamRead More

By David Morgan, Associate Editor The chase for the NASCAR Cup Series regular season championship will have one less driver in the mix after a penalty handed down by the sanctioning body on Thursday. Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team, who have won three races on the year (Bristol, Richmond, and Dover) were among a four-some of drivers vying for the crucial 15 Playoff points that go to the driver that finishes Race No. 26 at the top of the standings. However, Hamlin now finds himself effectivelyRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Halmar Friesen Racing had its best season in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series to date after Stewart Friesen scored his first two wins at Eldora and Phoenix and made the Championship 4 this season. They’re now taking a wise gamble of leaving the Chevrolet Silverado and alliance with GMS Racing in favor of the Toyota Tundra with support from the Toyota Racing Development (TRD) next season, hoping it can translate into more wins and capturing the series title. “We were all very impressedRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Throughout the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign, Gaunt Brothers Racing have celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Toyota Racing Development (TRD). To cap off their celebration, the team tapped TRD test driver Drew Herring to pilot GBR’s No. 96 Camry for Sunday’s Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It’ll be Herring’s first national touring start since Phoenix in March 2017 when he drove for JGL Racing in the Xfinity Series. In 22 NXS starts, Herring is known for capturing a pole at Iowa Speedway inRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer After over a month of speculation, Leavine Family Racing finally confirmed Tuesday that NASCAR Xfinity Series star Christopher Bell will move up to the the sport’s premiere series in 2020. The Norman, Oklahoma native will replace Matt DiBenedetto in the No. 95 Toyota Camry and he’ll have familiar names joining him. Calling the shots will be his Xfinity Series crew chief Jason Ratcliff as Mike Wheeler will become the team’s Competition Director. Bell’s long-time partner of Rheem, who will also move up with the versatile driverRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent In his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut, Austin Hill quietly earned a top-10 finish in the Indiana 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On the final restart, Hill lined up just outside the top-10 in the No. 61 AISIN Group Toyota Supra. In the mad scramble, he maneuvered his MBM Motorsports forward. Hill followed Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe through the three and sometime four-wide pack. The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Playoff Grid driver passed Xfinity Series regulars Michael Annett and Ryan Sieg to enter theRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Toyota Racing Development driver Chandler Smith turned heads in his NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series debut at Iowa Speedway. It appeared that the 16-year-old was going to duel eventual race winner Ross Chastain after a lightning fast pit stop by his Rudy Fugle-led Kyle Busch Motorsports team. However, Smith was penalized for speeding entering the pits. He was sent to the tail-end of the longest line. Smith quickly worked his way back into the top-10. The progress of his No. 51 Safelite Toyota Tundra stalledRead More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent David Gilliland Racing – Crosley Group welcomes Raphaël Lessard back to the team for two NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series races. Réseau Dynamique will sponsor Lessard’s Toyota Tundras in the M&M’s 200 presented by Casey’s General Store at Iowa Speedway and the Chevrolet Silverado 250 at Canadian Motorsports Park. TheSt.-Joseph de Beauce, Quebec native made his Truck Series debut with Kyle Busch Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season. In two truck starts so far this season, Lessard’s best finish is 11th at Dover International Speedway.Read More

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent Just hours removed from her second NASCAR K&N Pro Series West victory, Hailie Deegan broke the news that she will make her ARCA Menards Series debut with Venturini Motorsports later this season at Toledo Speedway. In total, Deegan will make six starts in ARCA competition. Deegan is running full-time for Bill McAnally Racing in the No. 19 Monster / NAPA Power Premium Plus Toyota Camry in the K&N Pro Series West with selected starts in the East division. The 17-year-old made her NASCAR debut lastRead More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer The final race for Leavine Family Racing as a Chevy Racing team never got off the ground. The team, in its’ third full-time season, lost 26 laps due to an oil leak under the parade laps for the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Next season, the team will be a member of the Toyota Racing Development camp. Regan Smith in the teams’ No. 95 Dumont Jets Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 started well behind the preverbal eight ball. In the car designed to be a tributeRead More