Toyota FastFacts - Atlanta Preview
If the following text-only file is not easily readable, particularly any tables of numbers, try enlarging this window since every line has a forced end and there is no word-wrap. Otherwise, this report will look and print better from the following PDF file: http://www.sportssystems.com/applib/PDFload.cfm?file=/email/filehost/LF097.pdf&id=BC097LF24C311 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOYOTA Motorsports Contact: Marc Spiegel, 414-559-7700 Diana DeJoseph, 626-354-3084 Toyota 'Fast Facts' 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Atlanta Motor Speedway -- February 13, 2004 Toyota's teams and drivers in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series roll into Atlanta Motor Speedway for the EasyCare Vehicle Service Contracts 200 on March 13, fresh off a second-place finish at the season-opener in Daytona Beach and after a strong test session at Texas Motor Speedway. LAST RACE: In the first race of the 2004 NCTS schedule, the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway (Feb. 13), Toyota made its Truck Series debut with four teams -- Bang! Racing, Bill Davis Racing, Innovative Motorsports and Darrell Waltrip Motorsports -- fielding seven Toyota Tundras. Last year's Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil was the first Toyota driver to cross the finish line, just .141 seconds behind race winner Carl Edwards. Along with Kvapil's second-place finish, three other Toyotas finished in the top-20 at Daytona -- David Reutimann (9th), Bill Lester (16th) and Hank Parker Jr. (18th). FIRST LEAD The first time a Toyota Tundra led the field in a NCTS race was when Travis Kvapil led lap eight COMES FAST: of the season opener in Daytona. Kvapil would go on to lead the race four times for a total of 15 laps in his No. 24 Bang! Racing Toyota. KVAPIL "Heading into Daytona, our goal was to try to run in the top-10 and have a good race and a good COMMENTS: finish," says Kvapil. "Our performance in the race really exceeded all our expectations. We qualified third, ran in the top-five and top-10 most of the day, led a few laps, and finished second. I'm not sure anyone thought we'd do that well in Toyota's very first race. We started really strong and it's made everyone on the race team even more excited about the rest of the season." AT ATLANTA: This will be the inaugural race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Atlanta Motor Speedway. TOYOTA Toyota will have seven trucks in the first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Atlanta TEAM: Motor Speedway. The teams and drivers fielding Toyota Tundras are: Bang! Racing: Travis Kvapil No. 24 Line-X Toyota Tundra Mike Skinner No. 42 Toyota Tundra Bill Davis Racing: Shelby Howard No. 23 Toyota Tundra Bill Lester No. 22 LidRock Toyota Tundra Innovative Robert Huffman No. 12 Toyota Tundra Motorsports: Hank Parker Jr. No. 21 Toyota Tundra Waltrip Motorsports: David Reutimann No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra Toyota Fast Facts - Page 2 ATLANTA Although the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series will be making its first appearance at EXPERIENCE: Atlanta Motor Speedway, several Toyota drivers have experience at the track in other series. Last year, Shelby Howard finished second in the ARCA race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (3-8-03), completing all 162 laps and finishing 2.11 seconds behind race-winner Mark Gibson. A year ago, Hank Parker Jr., started eighth and finished fifth in the NASCAR Busch Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway (10-25-03). It was his best finish at the Georgia track in three Busch Series starts over the past three years. Mike Skinner, who has driven Nextel Cup cars for Richard Childress Racing and Morgan-McClure Racing, has made multiple starts at Atlanta, including a sixth-place finish in the 2000 season finale at the track. TOYOTA'S Atlanta Motor Speedway is where Robert Huffman clinched the first NASCAR championship 1st TITLE: for Toyota, as well as his fifth NASCAR Dash Series title. Huffman, who drove a Toyota Celica in the Dash Series for four years (2000-03) before moving into the NCTS, is second on the NASCAR Dash Series all-time win list with 41 victories. Ten of those wins came while he was behind the wheel of a Toyota Celica. LEARNING This year marks the first time the NCTS will race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. How will the ATLANTA I: the Toyota Tundra drivers who have never raced at Atlanta adjust to the racetrack? "I've never raced at Atlanta before, although a few years ago I did a test at the track," says Kvapil. "When going to a new track I've never been to before, I like to watch the Busch and Cup races on TV from that track. It gives me a chance to learn as much as I can about the different racing grooves, adjustments teams make in the pits, and tire wear. Once I get to the track, I may ask a driver I know who's raced Atlanta a few questions." LEARNING Hank Parker Jr. has raced in the Busch Series at Atlanta in each of the past three years, including a ATLANTA II: fifth-place finish in last year's race at the track. However, he is not sure how much his experience at the track will help when the NCTS visits Atlanta. "What I've found in testing and at Daytona is that the trucks drive differently than the Busch cars. The trucks seem to have more 'drag' than the cars. So, even though I've raced at the track, it'll still be like starting over because I'm working with a new race team and I'm racing in a different series." TEXAS TEST I: Following the season opening race at Daytona, Toyota teams tested at Texas Motor Speedway. "Texas is a very similar racetrack to Atlanta," says Hank Parker Jr. "We got to make plenty of laps which will really help us with our qualifying set-up and our race set-up in Atlanta." TEXAS TEST II: "Texas is like Atlanta in a lot of ways because both are mile-and-a-half tracks, and both are high-banked tracks," says Travis Kvapil. "It was a really good test for us at Texas, not only because we were able to run some laps, but because it gave us more time to work together as a team." HOME RUN: Although he was born in California and attended college in Berkeley, Bill Lester now makes his home in Atlanta, and he is keeping busy with the upcoming NCTS race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. "It's been a very busy time for me, between family and friends needing race tickets, and the local media wanting to conduct interviews," says Lester. "I'm really looking forward to the race and think it represents another excellent chance to get a victory." WAITING AND One of the most difficult adjustments Hank Parker Jr. has had to make to driving in the ANTICIPATING: NCTS is the schedule at the start of the season. "It's not what I'm accustomed to when I was in the Busch Series," says Parker Jr. "Once the season started, there were just a few off weekends. I think the reason I'm having such a tough time adjusting is because I'm ready to race and I'm really excited about the season, my race team and Toyota." TV TIME: Easycare Vehicle 200, Atlanta Motor Speedway, March 13, 1:00 PM (Eastern), SPEED Channel Toyota Fast Facts - Page 3 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA NCTS DRIVERS SHELBY HOWARD Team: Bill Davis Racing Hometown: Greenwood, IN Truck: No. 23 Toyota Tundra Residence: Greensboro, NC Age: 18 (July 25, 1985) Finished 29th in season-opener at Daytona Beach. Started 15th and completed 51 laps before being caught in the middle of a 15-truck accident. First season in NCTS. Competed full-time in the ARCA series in 2002 and 2003. Won 3 races and recorded 10 top-5s en route to 3rd-place finish in 2003 ARCA championship standings. Became youngest (17 years, 9 months) race winner in ARCA history at Salem (IN) Speedway (4-27-03). Added 2nd win at Salem Speedway (9-13-03) and a victory at Kansas Speedway during 2003 ARCA season. Finished 5th in ARCA championship standings in 2002. Began racing at age 9. ROBERT HUFFMAN Team: Innovative Motorsports, Inc. Hometown: Claremont, NC Truck: No. 12 Toyota Tundra Residence: Claremont, NC Age: 35 (March 12, 1968) Finished 36th in season-opener at Daytona Beach. Started 8th and completed 25 laps before being sidelined by contact from behind. First full season in NCTS. In 1997, made NCTS starts at Bristol Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Raceway Park. In 2003, won the NASCAR Dash Series title driving a Toyota Celica to give Toyota its first-ever NASCAR series championship. Clinched 2003 Dash Series title at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Drove a Toyota Celica in NASCAR Dash Series competition during the past four years (2000-03), winning 10 races. Five-time NASCAR Dash Series champion. Recorded 41 NASCAR Dash Series wins (2nd All-Time). Competed in 11 NASCAR Busch Series races between 1991 and 1993. TRAVIS KVAPIL Team: Bang! Racing Hometown: Janesville, Wis. Truck: No. 24 Line-X Toyota Tundra Residence: Mooresville, N.C. Age: 28 (March 1, 1976) Finished 2nd in Daytona Beach season-opener. Started 3rd and finished .141 seconds behind race winner Carl Edwards. Gave Toyota its first lead in a NCTS race when he led lap 8 at the Daytona season-opener. Kvapil led the field 4 times for a total of 15 laps. Captured the 2003 NCTS championship -- moving from 3rd to 1st in the point standings in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. En route to 2003 NCTS title, won at Bristol Motor Speedway and registered 12 top-5 finishes and 22 top-10s. Last season, started from the pole at Darlington, Richmond and Gateway International Raceway. In addition last season's win at Bristol, Kvapil has recorded Truck Series wins at Memphis (2002) and Texas Motor Speedway (2001). Named NCTS Rookie-of-the-Year in 2001. Toyota Fast Facts - Page 4 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA NCTS DRIVERS BILL LESTER Team: Bill Davis Racing Hometown: Oakland, CA Truck: No. 22 Toyota Tundra Residence: Atlanta, GA Age: 43 (Feb. 6, 1961) Finished 16th in season-opener at Daytona Beach. Started 17th and completed all 100 laps. Entering 3rd season as full-time competitor in NCTS. In 2003, earned 1st NCTS pole position at Lowe's Motor Speedway and 1st career top-10 finish at Kansas Speedway. Finished 2nd in NCTS Rookie-of-the-Year standings in 2002. Made NCTS debut at Portland International Raceway in 2000. Started 4 NCTS events in 2001. Has participated in Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona sports car race 4 times. Earned degree from University of California-Berkeley in electrical engineering and computer science. HANK PARKER JR. Team: Innovative Motorsports Hometown: Denver, NC Truck: No. 21 Toyota Tundra Residence: Denver, NC Age: 29 (October 7, 1974) Finished 18th in Daytona season-opener. Started 11th and completed 95 of 100 laps while battling ignition problems. First full season in NCTS. Started 4 NCTS races in 2003. Finished 8th at Milwaukee and completed all but 3 laps in the 4 races. Started 6 NASCAR Busch Series races in 2003. Registered Busch Series wins at California Speedway (2001) and Pikes Peak (CO) International Raceway (2002), along with pole position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2000. Brother Billy will be a regular in Busch Series this season driving for Rusty Wallace. Father is nationally known fisherman and television host Hank Parker. DAVID REUTIMANN Team: Darrell Waltrip Motorsports Hometown: Zephyrhills, FL Truck: No. 17 Toyota Tundra Residence: Troutman, NC Age: 33 (March 2, 1970) Finished 9th in season-opener at Daytona Beach. Started 12th and completed all 100 laps. Led the field for 7 laps (51-57) at Daytona. First season in NCTS. Competed in 7 NASCAR Busch Series races last year. Recorded 2 top-5 finishes and started from the pole at Memphis. Father is NASCAR modified legend Buzzie Reutimann. MIKE SKINNER Team: Bang! Racing Hometown: Susanville, CA Truck: No. 42 Toyota Tundra Residence: Daytona Beach, FL Age: 46 (June 28, 1957) Finished 28th in season-opener at Daytona Beach. Started 14th and completed 57 laps before being caught in the middle of a 15-truck accident. Captured 1995 NCTS championship, winning 8 races and 10 pole positions during the year. Won the first-ever NCTS race at Phoenix International Raceway (2-5-95). First NCTS driver to win from the pole and after leading every lap -- at Portland (OR) Speedway (5-5-95). Recorded 8 victories during the 1996 NCTS campaign. NCTS all-time leader in consecutive wins (3, 1996), consecutive pole positions (10, 1995) and short-track pole positions (11). Is 3rd in career victories (16) and 4th in career pole positions (15). Competed in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series from 1997 to 2003, starting 229 races. Toyota Fast Facts - Page 5 2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA NCTS DRIVER RESULTS (Finish/Start) SHELBY ROBERT BILL TRAVIS HANK DAVID MIKE DATE RACE SITE HOWARD HUFFMAN LESTER KVAPIL PARKER REUTIMANN SKINNER 2-13 Daytona 29/15 36/8 16/17 2/3 18/11 9/12 28/14 3-13 Atlanta 4-17 Martinsville 5-16 Mansfield 5-21 Lowe's 6-4 Dover 6-11 Texas 6-19 Memphis 6-25 Milwaukee 7-3 Kansas 7-10 Kentucky 7-17 Gateway 7-31 Michigan 8-6 Indianapolis 8-14 Nashville 8-25 Bristol 9-9 Richmond 9-18 New Hampshire 9-25 Las Vegas 10-2 California 10-16 Texas 10-23 Martinsville 11-5 Phoenix 11-12 Darlington 11-19 Homestead-Miami