toyota racing development Tag

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

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor Leavine Family Racing took another step toward their future on Wednesday as the team announced they would be swapping manufacturers to Toyota and bringing Matt DiBenedetto on board to drive their No. 95 Camry in 2019. Since first joining the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series ranks in 2011, LFR has run with both Ford and Chevrolet, but the new announcement will put them in some of the best equipment they’ve had to date, as the deal includes a technical alliance with Joe Gibbs Racing. “We’re thrilledRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Since becoming a part of the NASCAR community, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) have fully established themselves as a company dedicated to the growth of the sport. With champions in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr., Toyota have become a manufacturer to deal with at the top level, but they also have put a presence in the upcoming talent, with a focus in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series. Our friends from Mobil 1 The Grid satRead More