NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
In Sunday’s Daytona 500, David Reutimann was the highest-finishing Toyota driver, taking the checkered flag fifth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) season-opener at Daytona International Speedway.

The race, won by Jamie McMurray needed three ‘green-white-checkered’ attempts to finish, ultimately going 208 laps and 520 miles on the 2.5-mile high-banked Florida oval. In the last two-lap shootout, Reutimann was able to position his Michael Waltrip Racing (MWR) No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry in the fast drafting lane for his best career Daytona 500 finish behind McMurray, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer.

“We weren’t the best at various times, but the car drove good and the guys made good pit stops,” said Reutimann, following the race.  “We just kind of got up there when it counted.  Our car liked the outside so we just kept pounding away on it.  Lo and behold, in the end the bottom seemed to be better for us in that last little bit.  It ended up working out.”

Reutimann was followed to the finish line by his MWR teammate, Martin Truex Jr., making his Camry debut in the No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota. Truex was running second at the start of the second ‘green-white-checkered’ attempt, but got shuffled back and could never recover and catch the lead pack.

Kyle Busch (14th), Brian Vickers (15th), Denny Hamlin (17th), Michael Waltrip (18th), Scott Speed (19th) and Joey Logano (20th) also posted top-20 finishes for Toyota. Truex Jr., Busch, Hamlin, Speed and Logano combined to lead 20 laps, as the event saw a record 21 different leaders.

Camry drivers Robby Gordon (28th), Michael McDowell (33rd), Max Papis (40th), Marcos Ambrose (41st) and Joe Nemechek (43rd) were also in the field.

The race was red-flagged on two separate occasions for a hole in the track betweens turn one and two, once for nearly two hours and another for 45 minutes, while track officials repaired the damage.

The NSCS returns to action at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 21.

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
In Saturday’s NNS season-opening race, four Camry drivers registered top-10 finishes at Daytona, with Vickers (fifth) leading the way in the Braun Racing No. 32 Dollar General Toyota.

Logano (seventh), Kasey Kahne (ninth) and Steve Wallace (10th) also finished in the top-10 for Toyota on Saturday in the race won by Tony Stewart. A pair of multi-car accidents -- including one that yielded an 11-minute red flag period -- took out many of the top contenders in the 120-lap, 300-mile event.

“It was a wild race -- it’s a shame we couldn’t get up there at the end,” said Vickers, following the race.  “I thought the Dollar General Toyota was good, but it just wasn’t as strong as it’s been here in the past.  The car was handling really, really good. I’m really proud of the guys -- they made great pit stops all day.  To bring it home for top-five is not too bad.”

Michael Annett (12th), Busch (18th) and Brian Scott (19th) also posted top-20 finishes for Toyota. Other Camry drivers that were in the field included Brendan Gaughan (30th), Jason Leffler (33rd) and Trevor Bayne (41st).

The NNS returns to action at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Feb. 20.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
In Saturday’s NCWTS race, Timothy Peters captured his second career victory, passing two-time defending race-winner Todd Bodine on the final lap at Daytona to clinch Toyota’s fourth consecutive win at the 2.5-mile Florida oval.

Peters kept his Red Horse Racing No. 17 K&N Tundra tucked behind Bodine during the final laps, patiently waiting for an opportunity to make a pass. With drafting help from behind, Peters ducked to the inside going into turn three on the final lap and held off Bodine to take the checkered flag in the 100-lap, 250-mile race.

“Man, this Toyota Tundra drove like a Lexus (Saturday),” said Peters, following the race.  “I can’t believe it.  Words can’t describe what I’m feeling right now. To start off the season like this -- it’s very emotional.”

It is the second victory for Peters in NCWTS competition -- he also won at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway last October -- and the first victory at Daytona for Red Horse Racing. The win is the fourth straight for Toyota at Daytona, with Bodine winning back-to-back in 2008 and 2009 and Jack Sprague driving to victory lane in 2007.

Since joining the series in 2004, Tundra drivers have won 66 of 151 NCWTS races.

Bodine finished second in the Germain Racing No. 30 GEICO Tundra. The 2006 series champion has finished in the top-five in all six of his NCWTS starts at Daytona.

“Timmy (Peters) just did it right,” said Bodine.  “He went to the outside, I had to block and he came back under.  It was a great crossover move.  He did exactly what he was supposed to do.”

Nelson Piquet Jr. (sixth) and Stacy Compton (seventh) also posted top-10 finishes for Toyota -- with Piquet’s coming in his NASCAR debut -- while Aric Almirola (12th), Tayler Malsam (17th), Justin Lofton (18th) and David Starr (19th) recorded top-20 results.

Tundra drivers Papis (21st), Busch (22nd), Mike Skinner (24th) and Ted Musgrave (31st) were also in the field. Busch -- driving in his first race as the owner of Kyle Busch Motorsports -- was involved in a lap one incident that caused damage to his No. 18 Tundra, forcing the team to the garage for extensive repairs.

The NCWTS returns to action at Atlanta Motor Speedway, March 6.

Toyota NSCS Driver Finishing Positions at Daytona International Speedway
5th, DAVID REUTIMANN
6th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
14th, KYLE BUSCH
15th, BRIAN VICKERS
17th, DENNY HAMLIN
18th, MICHAEL WALTRIP
19th, SCOTT SPEED
20th, JOEY LOGANO
28th, ROBBY GORDON
33rd, MICHAEL McDOWELL
40th, MAX PAPIS
41st, MARCOS AMBROSE
43rd, JOE NEMECHEK

Toyota Drivers in NSCS Point Standings -- following Daytona International Speedway**
6th, DAVID REUTIMANN, 155 points
7th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 155 points
13rd, KYLE BUSCH 126 points
16th, BRIAN VICKERS 118 points
17th, DENNY HAMLIN 117 points
18th, SCOTT SPEED 111 points
19th, MICHAEL WALTRIP 109 points
20th, JOEY LOGANO 108 points
27th, ROBBY GORDON 84 points
33rd, MICHAEL McDOWELL 64 points
40th, MAX PAPIS 43 points
41st, MARCOS AMBROSE 40 points
43rd, JOE NEMECHEK 34 points
** unofficial point standings

Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Daytona International Speedway
5th, BRIAN VICKERS
7th, JOEY LOGANO
9th, KASEY KAHNE
10th, STEVE WALLACE
12th, MICHAEL ANNETT
18th, KYLE BUSCH
19th, BRIAN SCOTT
30th, BRENDAN GAUGHAN
33rd, JASON LEFFLER
41st, TREVOR BAYNE

Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings -- following Daytona International Speedway**
5th, BRIAN VICKERS 155 points
7th, JOEY LOGANO 146 points
9th, STEVE WALLACE 139 points
10th, KASEY KAHNE 138 points
13th, MICHAEL ANNETT 127 points
18th, KYLE BUSCH 114 points
19th, BRIAN SCOTT 106 points
31st, BRENDAN GAUGHAN 73 points
33rd, JASON LEFFLER 64 points
41st, TREVOR BAYNE 40 points
** unofficial point standings

Toyota NCWTS Driver Finishing Positions at Daytona International Speedway
1st, TIMOTHY PETERS
2nd, TODD BODINE
6th, NELSON PIQUET JR.
7th, STACY COMPTON
12th, ARIC ALMIROLA
17th, TAYLER MALSAM
18th, JUSTIN LOFTON
19th, DAVID STARR
21st, MAX PAPIS
22nd, KYLE BUSCH
24th, MIKE SKINNER
31st, TED MUSGRAVE

Toyota Drivers in NCWTS Point Standings -- following Daytona International Speedway**
1st, TIMOTHY PETERS 190 points
2nd, TODD BODINE 180 points
6th, STACY COMPTON 151 points
7th, NELSON PIQUET JR. 150 points
12th, ARIC ALMIROLA 127 points
17th, TAYLER MALSAM 112 points
18th, JUSTIN LOFTON 109 points
20th, DAVID STARR 106 points
21st, MAX PAPIS 105 points
22nd, KYLE BUSCH 97 points
23rd, MIKE SKINNER 96 points
31st, TED MUSGRAVE 70 points
** unofficial point standings