Catchfence

TORRANCE, Calif. (June 5, 2010) — A Camry will serve as the ‘cutaway’ car during the six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race broadcasts on TNT this year, marking the first time since the manufacturer joined the upper levels of stock car racing in 2004 that a Toyota has served in such a capacity.

“One of our primary objectives when we became a NASCAR participant — besides winning races and competing for championships — was to enhance the race fans’ experience, whether at the track or during a race broadcast,” said Ed Laukes, corporate manager of motorsports marketing for Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. “We believe that having a Camry serve as a ‘cutaway’ car for static demonstration purposes will be beneficial to viewers watching the TNT broadcasts.”

The two-part display, which features a complete 2010 Sprint Cup Series Camry with an engine, as well as a separate rotating NASCAR drive train assembly featuring the entire inner workings of the Camry — from the radiator to the rear axle, and including the valve gear and bottom end of the engine, the gearbox, driveshaft and rear axle, and the rear brakes. It will travel to each track during TNT’s ‘Summer Six-Pack’ broadcast schedule, comprising events at Pocono Raceway (June 6), the two-mile Michigan International Speedway (June 13), the Infineon Raceway road course (June 20), the one-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 27), the two-mile superspeedway of Daytona International Speedway (July 3) and the 1.5- mile Chicagoland Speedway (July 10).

“This is a great opportunity for race fans to see the inner-workings of the Camry Cup car that has won 26 races since joining the series in 2007,” said Pete Spence, group vice president and technical director for TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development). “TNT’s NASCAR coverage includes a wide variety of race tracks, and the ‘cutaway’ can be used to describe how driver, car and engine are impacted by the changing conditions at each track, as well as various adjustments that need to be made at different circuits.”

TRD, U.S.A. provided all the engine parts and pieces for the displays. The main component, built by Hammond & Associates, includes a complete Camry body and engine. The second rotating component, constructed by Cutaway Creations, will be used to show a more in-depth look at what is underneath the car’s sheet metal.

Championship-winning crew chief and veteran TV analyst Larry McReynolds will be using the Camry for in-depth analysis during TNT’s race coverage.

About 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 more than 34,000 people in the U.S. and sold more than 1.77 million vehicles in 2009.

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release