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12-01-11 Toyota Honored with 2011 NASCAR Marketing Achievement Award
11-30-11 Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes Champions Week Nov 2011
11-20-11 HAMLIN TALLIES THREE TOYOTA TOP-10s IN MIAMI
11-20-11 TOYOTA NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) - Post-Race Notes & Quotes - Homestead-Miami Speedway
11-17-11 Toyota NASCAR Notes & Quotes Homestead November 2011
LOGANO LOGS TOP-FIVE FINISH IN FONTANA - Kyle Collects Checkered Flag in Nationwide SeriesNASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS)
In Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race, held under overcast skies in Fontana, Calif., Logano guided his JGR No. 20 Home Depot Camry to a fifth-place finish in the 250-lap, 500-mile race. The 19-year-old-driver started 19th and worked his way through the field to register his fourth career top-five NSCS finish.
“A top-five here feels like a win for me for as much as we have improved at this race track,” said Logano, following the race. “The first time I came here was last year and we were not very good. We ran 35th to 40th the whole time. Last time we came here (October), we ran probably 20th to 25th. This time around we were within the top-10 and sneaked out a top-five there at the end. That was really cool. We worked really hard all day. Zippy (Greg Zipadelli, crew chief) made awesome calls and the pit crew was amazing. We gained spots just about every time we came down pit road. I am really, really stoked about how we ran today. It feels like a win after what we had the first time we came here. To improve that much, and work with the team better -- it feels really good.”
Next weekend, the circuit heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Logano hopes to build upon his finish in California.
“Hopefully, we can keep pushing along,” added Logano. “This is what we have to do every week. It’s cool to see yourself improve from a year ago, and to keep improving. Hopefully, we can get some momentum going and go to Las Vegas, which is one of my favorite tracks.”
Teammates Scott Speed and Brian Vickers, from the Red Bull Racing Team, followed Logano to the finish line. Speed registered an 11th-place finish and Vickers ended up in 12th-place.
“It was an awesome weekend,” said Speed, after the race. “I can’t say enough. I didn’t think we would run as good as we did, honestly. We legitimately ran in the top-10 for the last half of the race -- once we got track position. For this being the beginning of my second year in the Series pretty much -- I’m really, really happy.”
Kyle Busch (14th) and David Reutimann (15th) also recorded top-15 results in their Camrys. Other Toyota drivers in the field were Max Papis (28th), Denny Hamlin (29th), Robby Gordon (33rd), Marcos Ambrose (35th), Martin Truex Jr. (39th), Joe Nemechek (40th), Dave Blaney (41st) and Michael McDowell (42nd).
The NSCS returns to action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Feb. 28.
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
It was a thrilling finish in Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at the Auto Club Speedway. Although Logano led the field five times for a total of 130 (of 152 laps), it was Busch who crossed the finish line first after a two lap chase to the checkered flag.
Logano was leading the field in his JGR No. 20 GameStop Camry when an accident five laps from the finish forced a green-white-checkered dash to the finish line. On the late race restart before the final two circuits around the two-mile oval, Greg Biffle moved into the lead with Busch trailing and Logano spinning. Then on the final lap, Busch was able to pass Biffle -- after some serious side-by-side racing -- and take the checkered flag.
“That was some racing right there -- that was pretty awesome,” said Busch in victory lane after the race. “That was crazy. I just can’t say enough about the guys on this team. We fought an ill-handling car in the beginning and worked on it all day. Jason (Ratcliff, crew chief) never gave up, and I never gave up. This Z-Line Camry was just awesome when we needed it to be.
“We went off into (turn) one and Joey (Logano) got loose and slid way across the race track and I had to turn underneath him and try to not get boxed in. Then we went down the back and I was inside of (Greg) Biffle and I’m like, ‘Man, I wish I was on the outside right now.’ We got into (turn) three and then (Brad) Keselowski put his nose in there and I thought we were going to wreck. Somehow, we held onto it and then down the front stretch I was so far up to Greg Biffle -- I had my spoiler in his rear window. I knew I had to let him down before we got to turn one and get out from under him and I did that, but he still ended up getting a little bit loose. Then, I was able to get on his inside. It was exciting there coming to the finish.”
Logano, who started on the pole, ended up finishing fifth.
Toyota drivers registering top-10 finishes behind Busch and Logano were Steve Wallace (sixth), Brian Vickers (eighth) and Brian Scott (10th). Other Camry drivers in the field included Trevor Bayne (11th), Jason Leffler (14th), Michael Annett (17th), Brendan Gaughan (24th), David Reutimann (26th) and Kevin Lepage (40th).
The win marks the fifth consecutive Nationwide Series victory for JGR and Toyota at the Fontana, Calif., track. Busch won the February NNS race a year ago and Logano captured the fall NNS event at the track last season. In 2008, former Toyota driver Tony Stewart won February’s race and Busch was victorious in the August event.
Camry drivers have now registered 38 Nationwide Series wins since becoming a participant in the series at the start of the 2007 season.
The Nationwide Series returns to action at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Feb. 27.
Toyota NSCS Driver Finishing Positions at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.)
5th, JOEY LOGANO
11th, SCOTT SPEED
12th, BRIAN VICKERS
14th, KYLE BUSCH
15th, DAVID REUTIMANN
28th, MAX PAPIS
29th, DENNY HAMLIN
33rd, ROBBY GORDON
35th, MARCOS AMBROSE
39th, MARTIN TRUEX JR.
40th, JOE NEMECHEK
41st, DAVE BLANEY
42nd, MICHAEL MCDOWELL
Toyota Drivers in NSCS Point Standings -- following Auto Club Speedway**
8th, DAVID REUTIMANN 273 points
9th, JOEY LOGANO 263 points
13th, KYLE BUSCH 252 points
14th, BRIAN VICKERS 250 points
15th, SCOTT SPEED 246 points
20th, MARTIN TRUEX JR. 201 points
21st, DENNY HAMLIN 198 points
31st, ROBBY GORDON 148 points
** unofficial point standings
Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.)
1st, KYLE BUSCH
5th, JOEY LOGANO
6th, STEVE WALLACE
8th, BRIAN VICKERS
10th, BRIAN SCOTT
11th, TREVOR BAYNE
14th, JASON LEFFLER
17th, MICHAEL ANNETT
24th, BRENDAN GAUGHAN
26th, DAVID REUTIMANN
40th, KEVIN LEPAGE
Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings -- following Auto Club Speedway (Fontana, Calif.)**
2nd, JOEY LOGANO 311 points
3rd, KYLE BUSCH 304 points
6th, BRIAN VICKERS 297 points
7th, STEVE WALLACE 289 points
11th, BRIAN SCOTT 240 points
12th, MICHAEL ANNETT 239 points
21st, JASON LEFFLER 185 points
24th, TREVOR BAYNE 170 points
** unofficial point standings
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