Toyota Motorsports tidbits 2010-08-31

CAMRYS IN CANADA: Jacques Villeneuve was the top Toyota driver with a third-place finish in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race on Sunday at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve -- the circuit named after his father. Villeneuve started on the outside of row one in the Braun Racing No. 32 Camry and ran at the front of the field throughout the 77-lap event at the 2.7-mile, 14-turn road course. Robby Gordon, who was led the field twice for 17 laps after starting last, was leading the race on lap 75 when he ran out of fuel. Marcos Ambrose led 25 laps in the race before retiring from the event with electrical problems after starting from the pole. Along with Villeneuve, Camry drivers Joey Logano (sixth) and Trevor Bayne (10th) also posted top-10 finishes in Montreal.

TUNDRA TALLIES 75TH TRIUMPH: Kyle Busch won his second consecutive NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Chicagoland Speedway Friday night. The win was the 75th series victory for a Tundra driver since Toyota joined the series in 2004. Busch started fourth in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 Tundra and led three times for 121 (of 154) laps en route to victory lane. It was also Busch's fourth Truck Series victory of the 2010 season. Earlier this season he registered wins at Nashville (April 2), Charlotte (May 21) and last week at Bristol (August 18) -- where he swept all three series races to become the first driver in NASCAR history to accomplish the feat. Toyota has now won 10 of 17 NCWTS races in 2010.

WIN NUMBER ONE: Toyota earned its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March 2008 when Busch crossed the finish line first. The 25-year-old Las Vegas-native led 173 of 325 laps in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 18 Snickers Camry en route to victory lane. Toyota's inaugural NSCS win came in the 40th race for the Camry since joining the NSCS at the start of the 2007 season. Busch also won the NCWTS race that weekend at Atlanta, becoming the first driver to sweep both the NSCS and NCWTS races on the same weekend at the 1.5-mile oval.

CAN CAMRY ADD ATLANTA TO NNS WINS?: Camry drivers have been to victory lane at 20 of the active race tracks on NNS circuit since entering the series in 2007. Atlanta Motor Speedway is one of only five race tracks on the current NNS schedule where a Toyota Camry has not been to victory lane. Busch finished second in last fall's NNS race at the 1.5-mile speedway after leading 45 (of 195) laps.

TUNDRAS IN KENTUCKY: Tundra drivers have two NCWTS victories at Kentucky Speedway, located in Sparta. Mike Skinner took the checkered flag in 2007 and Johnny Benson was triumphant in 2008. In addition, in three of the six NCWTS races at Kentucky Speedway Tundra drivers have started from the pole. Leading the field in 2005 was Bill Lester, Ryan Mathews was the top qualifier in 2007, and Skinner took the top starting spot in 2008. Tundra drivers also have finished in the top-10 at Kentucky 27 times since Toyota joined the series in 2004, including a race-high seven top-10 finishes in 2008.

LEADING THE WAY IN SPARTA: Toyota drivers have combined to lead more than half of all laps in the six NCWTS races at Kentucky Speedway (489 of 904 laps), including leading all 150 race laps in 2008. Skinner has led more laps at Kentucky than any other driver with 223 laps led.

-source: toyota motorsports