Catchfence

“Clinches NASCAR Nationwide Series Manufacturer’s Championship at Memphis”

MILLINGTON, Tenn.. (October 24, 2009) – When Kyle Busch’s Camry crossed the finish line second in Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Memphis Motorsports Park, it enabled Toyota to clinch its second consecutive NNS manufacturer’s championship in just its third year of series competition. This marks the fifth time that Toyota has earned a NASCAR manufacturer’s title since its NASCAR entry in 2004. Last year, Toyota captured its first NNS title, and in each of the past three years (2006, 2007 and 2008) Toyota has won the manufacturer’s championship in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS).

The performance of six full-time teams fielding eight Camrys — Braun Racing, CJM Racing, Germain Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, JTG Daugherty Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing — all contributed to the 2009 title earning Toyota the Bill France Performance Cup. Camry Nationwide Series drivers have combined to produce 13 victories, 62 top-five finishes, 114 top- 10 results and 12 pole positions in the first 32 events of the 2009 season. “Toyota’s accomplishments are the result of hard work and achievement by all of our race teams working in conjunction with TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development),” said Lee White, TRD’s president and general manager. “All the tireless efforts during the off-season and throughout the season, in combination with a talented driver line-up, have produced the exceptional results that yielded this championship.” This year, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) drivers Kyle Busch (seven wins) in the No. 18 entry and Joey Logano (five wins) in the No. 20 entry have combined for the team’s 12 NNS wins.

In addition, Busch and Logano have recorded five one-two finishes in 2009. Along with JGR’s 12 NNS wins this season, JTG Daugherty Racing earned a triumph in August with Marcos Ambrose behind the steering wheel. “It is an honor to be such a big part of Toyota’s second manufacturer’s title in the Nationwide Series,” said Busch. “Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota have formed a great partnership and it shows through the success of our Nationwide Series program.” At Kansas, Busch established the NNS record for laps led in 2009 (currently 2,446 laps), which was previously held by Sam Ard with 2,127 laps led in a single season (1984).

A total of 37 different drivers have participated in the Nationwide Series in a Camry this year, including Jason Leffler — who has started every Nationwide Series race since Toyota entered the series in 2007 (102 races). Since joining the Nationwide Series in 2007, Camry drivers have won 35 races and captured 30 pole positions.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of more than 1,400 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers. Toyota directly employs over 33,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 2.2 million vehicles in 2008. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com, www.lexus.com, www.scion.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

TRD, U.S.A.

(Toyota Racing Development) Powering all of Toyota’s American racing programs is TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Salisbury, N.C. A subsidiary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., TRD serves as the North American racing arm for design, development and assembly of Toyota’s factory racing engines.

- TOYOTA Motorsports Press Release