Story By: SAM MAHONEY / TOYOTA RACING – PLANO, TX – NASCAR’s Cup and Xfinity Series head back to the Northeast at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for their second consecutive short track race.
The ARCA Menards Series is right back in action, this time at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course competing at the first road course of the season. The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series returns to the track this weekend at Virginia Motorsports Park for the NHRA Virginia Nationals.
NASCAR National Series – NCS | NXS
Truex seeks New Hampshire repeat … Back home in the Northeast, Martin Truex Jr. looks to repeat his victory from a season ago in what could be his final appearance at his home race track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Truex had eight top-fives and 14 top-10s at New Hampshire before last year’s race and finally achieved that long-awaited triumph. A repeat victory at New Hampshire would lock Truex into the Cup Series Playoffs as the season nears the midway point.
Hamlin back at favorable New Hampshire … New Hampshire Motor Speedway has also been a successful circuit for Truex’s teammate, Denny Hamlin. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver enters this weekend with five consecutive top-10s at New Hampshire and eight in the last eleven races. The 43-year-old also seeks his fourth win at the one-mile short track as he captured victory in 2007, 2012 and 2017.
Bell eager to continue strong runs … After his fourth-place finish at Iowa on Sunday, Christopher Bell comes to New Hampshire with four consecutive top-10s and five in the last six races. Another such run, or even a second career win at New Hampshire, would help Bell continue to climb up the points standings, where he’s currently in eighth, while also sitting fourth in the Cup Series Playoff standings with just nine races remaining in the regular season. Bell is also running the Xfinity Series this weekend for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 GR Supra, his first Xfinity Series race since 2022. The Oklahoma native has been victorious in all three of his starts at the one-mile circuit (2018, 2019 and 2021).
Toyota Supras rising in Xfinity Series points … After sweeping the stages and accruing a top-10 finish at Iowa, Chandler Smith now sits second in the Xfinity Series points standings, just one point behind the top spot. His Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, Sheldon Creed, also used a strong day at Iowa to benefit his points standing, rising two spots to sixth after a third-place finish last Saturday.
Bonsignore makes Xfinity Series debut … Multi-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion, Justin Bonsignore, will pilot the No. 19 Toyota GR Supra for Joe Gibbs Racing this weekend in his Xfinity Series debut. The 36-year-old has been ultra-successful in his racing career, which includes three NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour championships (2018, 2020 and 2021), and now gets his chance in a NASCAR national series race.
Heim looks to couple career-best run … Corey Heim returns to Sam Hunt Racing and the Xfinity Series this weekend at New Hampshire, once again piloting the No. 26 GR Supra. The 21-year-old comes to the Northeast fresh off his best career finish of third at Iowa last weekend, his second top-five in seven starts so far this season.
NASCAR Regional Series – ARCA Menards Series
Toyota Development Drivers take on Mid-Ohio … The ARCA Menards Series competes back-to-back weekends, now heading to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for race eight of the 2024 season. Toyota will have three development drivers in the field on Friday, with Gio Ruggiero and Brent Crews driving Toyota Camrys for Venturini Motorsports and William Sawalich with Joe Gibbs Racing. Sawalich and Ruggiero are both coming off top-five finishes at Iowa last weekend, where Ruggiero also claimed pole.
NHRA – Top Fuel | Funny Car
Toyota drivers in championship fights … Heading into Richmond this weekend, Toyota drivers find themselves in the thick of the championship battles in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Defending Top Fuel world champion, Doug Kalitta, is back in the points lead after Bristol, leading Toyota teammate, Justin Ashley, by 22 points. Toyota currently makes up six of the top eight positions in the Top Fuel standings. In Funny Car, J.R. Todd moved up to third in the standings after reaching the finals in Bristol.
Milestone weekend in play for Torrence … Should he advance past the first round of eliminations on Sunday, Steve Torrence will achieve 500 round wins in his NHRA career. The three-time world champion is also a multi-time winner at Virginia Motorsports Park, last winning in 2019, where another win would be key as he’s currently fourth in the Top Fuel points standings.