Toyota Tag

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer *Editor’s note: Motorsports Tribune will be previewing the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season for 24 drivers. We will release one driver preview per day over a 24-day stretch. Age: 36 Years in Cup: 11 Career Wins: 7 Biggest Accomplishment: 4 wins in 2016 A stellar 2016 season saw Martin Truex Jr. tie a career best with eight top-five finishes and set career bests with four wins, five poles and 1,809 laps led. The four wins included two of the sport’s crown jewels, the Coca-ColaRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer KMC Wheels has signed a sponsorship agreement to support Zane Smith for the 2017 ARCA Racing Series season, Venturini Motorsports announced on Tuesday afternoon. KMC Wheels, a leading automobile wheel manufacturer and distributor located in Southern California, will partner with Smith to promote the company’s popular KMC Truck and SUV Wheel brand. “We’re proud to support Zane’s efforts with our KMC Wheel Brand for the upcoming ARCA season. Zane’s youth and talent compliments our overall KMC target demographic and appeals to a large segment ofRead More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams that fly under the Toyota umbrella will have a new look once the season kicks off at Daytona International Speedway next month. The manufacturer revealed its 2018 Camry at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and announced the race version will begin use for the 2017 season. “The 2018 Toyota Camry NASCAR race car has been years in the making, and to unveil it simultaneously with our new production Camry is a milestone moment for our organization,” saidRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Kyle Busch came up short in defending his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, finishing sixth in the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Busch finished third in the championship standings, five points behind race-winner and seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and two points behind second-place Joey Logano. “It’s very challenging,” Busch said of how tough it is to repeat as champion. “The biggest thing is you just don’t know where anybody is until the end. I mean, (Jimmie)Read More

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Daniel Suarez is the champion the NASCAR Xfinity Series needed and now that the Ford EcoBoost 300 is in the books that has become a reality. The series has undergone several changes, including the inaugural Chase this season and Sprint Cup driver participation limitations beginning in 2017, but has received little positive impact. However, with the crowning of its new champion, the future has never looked better. Justin Allgaier, Erik Jones and Elliott Sadler joined Suarez in what could easily be considered theRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Daniel Suarez started from the pole position after turning a lap at 169.924 mph  in knockout qualifying and led a race-high 133 laps en route to winning the NASCAR XFINITY Series Ford EcoBoost 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway and the XFINITIY Series championship. The 24-year-old driver from Monterrey, Mexico became the first Latin American driver to win a NASCAR national series championship and is the first graduate of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program to win a NASCAR XFINITY Series championship. “Man, I don’t think IRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Competition between NASCAR manufacturers isn’t confined to the race track. In a press conference featuring executives from Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, Ed Laukes of Toyota couldn’t pass up an opportunity to needle Chevy’s Jim Campbell. “Let me apologize for those 16 Monday mornings,” Laukes quipped, referring to Toyota’s 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories this season. “Let me apologize for last night,” retorted Campbell, referring to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship Chevrolet driver Johnny Sauter won on Friday. AllRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer Zane Smith began competing in BMX at the age of three, moving up to Karts and Legend cars before gaining national recognition in 2015 when he won the overall Super Late Model championship at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. Smith capped a fantastic 2015 season with a second-place finish in the Snowball Derby behind current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rookie Chase Elliott. Smith will make the next step in his career in 2017, competing in 18 races inRead More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service KANSAS CITY, Kan. – He did it again. Last in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings and faced with an uphill struggle to make the Round of 8, Kevin Harvick and his No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team did what they do best—win with their backs to the wall. Moments after a restart on Lap 238 of 267, Harvick cleared Carl Edwards for the lead through Turns 1 and 2 at Kansas Speedway and pulled away to win Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 byRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer KANSAS CITY, Kan. – Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Kanas Speedway started with a green flag run of 58 laps before the first caution flew for fluid on the track. The remaining 142 laps featured 10 cautions for 51 laps and changed the complexion of the Chase for several drivers. A Lap 165 accident ignited when Brandon Jones made contact with Justin Allgaier collected six drivers and resulted in heavy damage for Darrell Wallace Jr. as well as Allgaier. Wallace would immediately head toRead More