Tundra driver Kyle Busch recorded his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) win at Nashville Superspeedway Friday night and the first for his team, Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM). Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race was highlighted by two Camry top-three finishers.
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS)
In Saturday’s NNS race, Camry drivers Reed Sorenson (second) and Kyle Busch (third) earned top-five finishes for Toyota at Nashville Superspeedway. Toyota driver Joey Logano started the 225-lap race from the pole – the ninth of his career.
Sorenson earned the second top-10 finish of the season in the Braun Racing No. 32 Camry and closed in on eventual race winner, Kevin Harvick, in the final laps of the race.
“Even when there was 10 laps to go, I thought we could get him (Kevin Harvick),” said Sorenson, following the race. “With five laps to go, I still thought we could. We were a top-three or four car all day and then the way those green flag stops fell and everything that went along with that, we got shuffled back. We had a missing lug nut once and had to wait in the pits — that hurt us. We had to work our way back through the field a couple times, but our car was good enough to pass people.”
Logano led a race-high 122 laps, but made a late green flag pit stop costing the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 Camry track position. Logano would go on to finish eighth.
Michael Annett (eighth) and Brendan Gaughan (ninth) also finished in the top-10 for Toyota at Nashville.
Camry drivers Trevor Bayne (12th), Brian Scott (15th), Mikey Kile (33rd), Steve Wallace (36th) and Jason Leffler (39th) were also in the race.
With the finish, eight Toyota drivers are in the top-20 in the unofficial NNS driver points – Busch (fourth), Logano (seventh), Annett (10th), Wallace (11th), Bayne (13th), Scott (14th), Leffler (15th) and Gaughan (16th).
The NNS returns to action at Phoenix International Raceway, April 10.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS)
In Friday night’s NCWTS race, Kyle Busch earned his first NCWTS victory as a team owner as he clinched the fourth win for Toyota at the 1.33-mile Nashville Superspeedway.
Busch earned the first pole for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) earlier in the day and went on to dominate the race, leading a race high 131 (of 150) laps en route to his 17th career NCWTS win and first at Nashville.
“It feels pretty awesome,” said Busch, following the race. “This is so cool – to win in your own stuff and to have these guys behind me that worked so hard. We’ve been working some long hours in the shop just getting this truck ready. Eric Phillips (crew chief) did an awesome job with this truck. He got a great Toyota Tundra for me. It’s a dream come true to come out here and own your own stuff, but to win in it, that’s something special too.”
In addition to Busch, two other Tundra drivers led laps in Friday night’s race – Daytona winner, Timothy Peters (17 laps) and Todd Bodine (two laps). Peters (fourth) and Bodine (fifth) also earned top-five finishes for Toyota.
“We had a real fast truck,” said Peters, following the race. “Our Toyota Tundra was good all race long. That last green flag pit stop we had a little bit of trouble. We had something for Kyle (Busch) out there tonight, but it just wasn’t our day.”
Since joining the series in 2004, Tundra drivers have won 67 of 154 NCWTS races.
Tundra drivers Mike Skinner (seventh), Aric Almirola (eighth), Steve Wallace (12th), James Buescher (13th), David Starr (16th), Tayler Malsam (17th) and Justin Lofton (20th) also recorded top-20 results at Nashville.
The NCWTS returns to action at Kansas Speedway, May 2.
NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS) East
In Saturday afternoon’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series (NKNPS) East race at Virginia’s South Boston Speedway, Camry driver Max Gresham earned his first career NKNPS East win. Gresham started his Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Camry from the pole and led 146 (of 150) laps en route to the win.
Gresham was followed to the checkered flag by fellow Toyota drivers Cole Whitt (second) and Ryan Truex (third).
Camry drivers Brett Moffitt (sixth), Miguel Paludo (12th) and Zach Germain (24th) were also in the field.
The NKNPS East returns to action at Iowa Speedway, May 23. The NKNPS West will compete at Phoenix International Raceway, April 8.
Toyota NNS Driver Finishing Positions at Nashville Superspeedway
- 2nd, REED SORENSON
- 3rd, KYLE BUSCH
- 8th, JOEY LOGANO
- 9th, MICHAEL ANNETT
- 10th, BRENDAN GAUGHAN
- 12th, TREVOR BAYNE
- 15th, BRIAN SCOTT
- 33rd, MIKEY KILE
- 36th, STEVE WALLACE
- 39th, JASON LEFFLER
Toyota Drivers in NNS Point Standings — following Nashville Superspeedway**
- 4th, KYLE BUSCH 764 points
- 7th, JOEY LOGANO 589 points
- 10th, MICHAEL ANNETT 544 points
- 11th, STEVE WALLACE 527 points
- 13th, TREVOR BAYNE 520 points
- 14th, BRIAN SCOTT 504 points
- 15th, JASON LEFFLER 501 points
- 16th, BRENDAN GAUGHAN 491 points
Toyota NCWTS Driver Finishing Positions at Nashville Superspeedway
- 1st, KYLE BUSCH
- 4th, TIMOTHY PETERS
- 5th, TODD BODINE
- 7th, MIKE SKINNER
- 8th, ARIC ALMIROLA
- 12th, STEVE WALLACE
- 13th, JAMES BUESCHER
- 16th, DAVID STARR
- 17th, TAYLER MALSAM
- 20th, JUSTIN LOFTON
Toyota Drivers in NCWTS Point Standings — following Nashville Superspeedway**
- 1st, TIMOTHY PETERS 666 points
- 2nd, ARIC ALMIROLA 584 points
- 3rd, TODD BODINE 573 points
- 9th, TAYLER MALSAM 469 points
- 10th, KYLE BUSCH 467 points
- 13th, MIKE SKINNER 450 points
- 15th, DAVID STARR 448 points
- 19th, JUSTIN LOFTON 385 points
** unofficial point standings
Toyota NKNPS East Driver Finishing Positions at South Boston Speedway
- 1st, MAX GRESHAM
- 2nd, COLE WHITT
- 3rd, RYAN TRUEX
- 6th, BRETT MOFFITT
- 12th, MIGUEL PALUDO
- 24th, ZACH GERMAIN
