Toyota had strong performance in Texas, while Johnny Greaves kicked off the off-road season with a win in Missouri.
NASCAR
Denny Hamlin led Toyota in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race with a second-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway. Tyler Reddick also earned a top five result at the 1.5-mile Texas oval with a fourth-place result.
“These mile-and-a-halves have been really, really good for us on this No. 11 team and all of the Toyotas really,” said Hamlin. “We’re doing a great job with what we’ve got, and I wish we’d get the wins with as fast as we are but we’re still putting together good races.”
- Denny Hamlin
Seven Toyota Camry XSE drivers took turns leading 131 laps (of 267) at the front of the field with Corey Heim leading 69 laps in Sunday’s race. Christopher Bell led 22 laps early before being clipped by another competitor while leading, ending his day early.
Brent Crews was the top-finishing Toyota driver in Saturday’s NASCAR O’Reilly Series race at Texas, winning the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus with a fourth-place result. Eighteen-year-old Crews has recorded four consecutive top five finishes and six top 10s in eight series starts. Brandon Jones also earned a top-10 finish for Toyota with an eighth-place result.
“It was a blast,” said Crews, following the race. “I just want to thank the good Lord for keeping us safe. The Mobil 1 Toyota GR Supra was as fast as it could be. Some mistakes on my part learning green-flag stops and stuff but that comes with it. I had a blast and thankful to bring this team home some money. They deserve it with how hard they’ve been working in the shop. Congrats to Kyle (Larson) and Justin (Allgaier). It was really fun getting to race some of the best guys in our sport.”
- Brent Crews
On Friday night, TRICON Garage teammates Kaden Honeycutt and Brandon Jones led the Toyota Tundra contingent with third and fourth-place results, respectively, at Texas. With his third-place result, Honeycutt takes over the Truck Series championship points lead. Gio Ruggiero also ran among the top five throughout much of the race, pacing the field for 22 laps late in the running. Tundra drivers led a total of 43 laps (of 172) around the 1.5-mile Texas oval on Friday evening.
“I’m proud to be able to drive a truck like this,” said Honeycutt. “It’s disappointing that I just keep failing. There’s no excuse for it. As soon as I got the lead, I didn’t protect it right, I didn’t do the right things and ultimately that’s what led us to lose. I just want to thank this whole No. 11 crew, Safelite, Foster Love, Toyota Racing, TRICON. All my guys have done such an excellent job. Scott (Zipadelli, crew chief) did really good adjustments all day to help me out and I felt like once we got the track position at that last stage I thought we were one of the best trucks. I thought I could’ve run the No. 17 (Gio Ruggiero) down on that green flag run and pass him and if it went green, I thought I would’ve won it. Just gotta figure out how to get restarts done. I’ve gotta figure out how to win races. It’s eating me alive, I can promise you that. Just want to thank everyone at Toyota Racing – Toyota Tundras are built here in Texas, and I just wanted to get a win for them today because we definitely had a truck to do it. I’m disappointed that we didn’t, but thanks to Scott’s leadership and everyone that we’ll keep on going.”
- Kaden Honeycutt
ARCA
In ARCA East competition at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, Max Reaves led every lap from the pole position in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Camry to win his fourth career series victory on Saturday. In ARCA West action, three Toyota Camrys finished in the top 10 at Shasta Speedway on Saturday night, including Eric Johnson Jr. (sixth), Kenna Mitchell (eighth) and Mia Lovell (ninth).
OFF-ROAD
Hall of Fame Off-Road Racing driver Johnny Greaves kicked off his season in Wheatland, Missouri with two podium finishes, including a race win on Sunday in the Pro-4 class. Kyle Greaves, who is subbing for reigning champion CJ Greaves as he recovers from surgery, finished second and fourth in the two races over the weekend.
SPRINT CAR
Due to several inches of rain, both World of Outlaws Sprint Car races were cancelled this weekend.
POWRI
Jacob Denney won both nights of the POWRi National Midget League’s Spring Shuffle at the Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex this weekend, setting a new series record in the process with six consecutive feature wins.
In Friday night’s opener, Denney charged from ninth to win the 30-lap feature, finishing ahead of fellow Toyota-powered drivers Karter Sarff, Kale Drake, Drake Edwards and Colton Robinson. On Saturday, it was all Denney from start to finish. After registering a quick time in qualifying and then winning his heat race. The JBL Audio Toyota driver started the feature from the pole position and led all 30 laps, Drake earned runner-up honors followed by Zach Wigal, as Toyota drivers swept the podium for the second night in-a-row.
WHAT’S NEXT
NASCAR and the ARCA Series travel to upstate New York to compete at the Watkins Glen International road course. ARCA kicks off the racing action on Friday, May 8, with a race at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS2. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series also competes on Friday with a race at 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1. The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series follows on Saturday, May 9, at 4:00 p.m. ET on CW and the NASCAR Cup Series closes out the road course racing action on Sunday, May 10, at 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1.
