Toyota Michigan Notes & Quotes July 31
Toyota Notes & Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Michigan International Speedway - July 31, 2004
THIS RACE -- This will be the fifth visit to Michigan International Speedway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series (NCTS). Seven Toyota Tundras are entered in the Line-X Truck Bedliners 200 at the Brooklyn, Mich. track.
LAST RACE -- In the most recent NCTS race at Gateway International Raceway (July17), four Tundra drivers had
top-10 finishes -- the first time that four Toyotas have finished in the top-10 this season. Hank Parker, Jr. was the first
Toyota driver across the finish line when he guided his No. 21 Innovative Motorsports Tundra to a fifth-place finish.
Following Parker Jr. to the checkered flag were Travis Kvapil (seventh) in the No. 24 Line-X Tundra, David
Reutimann (ninth) in the No 17 NTN Bearings Tundra, and Bill Lester (10th) in the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Tundra.
POINTS PACE -- After 12 races, three Toyota drivers are among the top-15 in the NCTS championship standings.
Travis Kvapil is eighth in the standings with 1564 points, 273 points behind current leader Dennis Setzer. Mike
Skinner, Kvapil's teammate, is 12th in the standings (1458 points) and rookie David Reutimann sits 13th in the
standings (1444 points). Reutimann also sits atop the Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year standings with 132 points.
HANK HITS TOP-5 -- At Gateway, Hank Parker, Jr. recorded his second top five of the season with his fifth-place
finish. Earlier this season, the Denver, N.C.-driver finished third at Dover (Del.) International Raceway.
HANK'S 'HOT' NO. 21 -- In both his top-fives this season, Hank Parker, Jr. has driven the same Tundra, which has
been nicknamed 'Smokey.' "My Tundra caught on fire during the Milwaukee race and 'smoked' me out of the
truck," explained Parker, Jr. "That's how it got the nickname." In addition to races at Gateway, Dover and
Milwaukee, he drove 'Smokey' at Memphis.
HANK'S FIRST -- Hank Parker Jr. will be making his first career NCTS start at Michigan. He has started two
Busch Series races at the Michigan track (2001-02).
JOHNNY'S HOMECOMING -- Johnny Benson, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-native, will be returning home to make his
2004 NCTS debut. Benson will drive the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra at Michigan. Last Wednesday
(July 21), Benson tested the No. 23 Tundra at Nashville Superspeedway.
MORE ON JOHNNY -- Between 1995 and 1997, Johnny Benson made 12 NCTS starts. His most recent NCTS race
was at Martinsville in 1997. His best career NCTS finish was a second-place at Phoenix in 1996.
'BUCKLE UP' -- Toyota Motorsports is joining NASCAR's ongoing traffic safety alliance with the U.S. Department
of Transportation (USDOT) aimed at saving the lives of everyday drivers on America's roads. Toyota, through its
participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS), will collaborate with the USDOT's National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and NASCAR to encourage race fans to use their safety belts.
"Unfortunately, too many young drivers still fail to emulate their racing heroes. Nearly 72 percent of males under the
age of 35 killed in car crashes were not buckled up," said NHTSA Administrator Jeffrey Runge, M.D. "Winning
consumer awareness about safe driving in Toyota trucks is just as important as winning races," said Toyota
Motorsports Vice President Jim Aust. Starting at Michigan this weekend, each Toyota truck in the NCTS series will
sport a Buckle Up decal, as will various team photographs and merchandising materials. In addition, Toyota drivers
will remind fans to buckle up at appearances and speaking engagements.
-more-
Toyota Michigan Notes & Quotes -- Page 2
BILL'S BEST -- At Gateway, Bill Lester earned his best NCTS finish of 2004, and equaled the best finish of his
NCTS career. His 10th-place at Gateway was his first top-10 finish this year and the second top-10 of his career. Last
year, Lester finished 10th at Kansas Speedway.
TWO TOP-15 -- Bill Lester has recorded two top-15 finishes at Michigan. Last year, he crossed the finish line 11th
and in 2002 he recorded a 15th-place at the track.
NO. 17 IN 10 -- David Reutimann's ninth-place finish at Gateway was his sixth top-10 of the year. Along with his
Gateway finish, he has finished third (Atlanta and Texas), eighth (Martinsville) and ninth (Daytona and Kentucky).
D.R. HAS DRIVEN MIS -- David Reutimann has one career NASCAR start at Michigan. Last year, he ran the
Busch Series race at the track and finished sixth.
TRAVIS HAS TWO -- Travis Kvapil has two top-10 NCTS finishes at Michigan. In 2002, he finished third at the
two-mile oval and last year he was seventh at the track.
MS HAS ONE -- Mike Skinner has one career NCTS start at Michigan, finishing 15th a year ago.
SECOND BEST -- The best finish by a Tundra driver this season has been second-place. Bang Racing teammates
Travis Kvapil (Daytona) and Mike Skinner (Atlanta) have finished second.
TUNDRA TOPS -- Tundra drivers have finished in the top-5 10 times, and in the top-10 20 times, in 81 combined
starts by 9 different drivers. Along with seconds by Travis Kvapil (Daytona) and Mike Skinner (Atlanta), David
Reutimann has two thirds (Atlanta/Texas), and Hank Parker Jr. a third in Dover. Also, Kvapil has a fourth (Atlanta)
and fifth (Milwaukee), Skinner has a fourth (Dover) and fifth (Martinsville), and Parker, Jr. was fifth (Gateway).
LAP LEADERS -- A Tundra driver has led the field in eight of the 12 NCTS races in 2004, Mike Skinner has been
the race leader in six events (Daytona, Atlanta, Martinsville, Charlotte, Dover and Texas) for a total of 240 laps.
Travis Kvapil has led three races (Daytona, Atlanta and Milwaukee) and David Reutimann has also led three races
(Daytona, Atlanta and Gateway). In addition, Bill Lester led 19 laps at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte.
POLE NO. 1 -- In Atlanta, a Tundra captured the NCTS pole position for the first time. David Reutimann recorded a
speed of 179.452 MPH (30.894 seconds) to earn his first NCTS pole, and Toyota's inaugural pole. He set a new
NCTS mark by winning the pole in his second start.
LINE-UP -- There will be four Toyota teams and seven Tundras at Michigan. The line-up:
Bang Racing: Travis Kvapil, No. 24 Line-X Tundra; Mike Skinner, No. 42 Toyota Tundra
Bill Davis Racing: Bill Lester, No. 22 Toyota Tundra; Johnny Benson, No. 23 Toyota Tundra
Innovative Motorsports: Robert Huffman, No. 12 Toyota Tundra; Hank Parker Jr., No. 21 Toyota Tundra
Darrell Waltrip Motorsports: David Reutimann, No. 17 NTN Bearings Toyota Tundra
TV TIME -- Line-X 200, Michigan International Speedway, Saturday, July 31, 1:00 PM (Eastern), PEE Channel
Toyota Michigan Notes & Quotes -- Page 3
2004 TOYOTA TUNDRA NCTS DRIVER RESULTS -- Start/Finish (Laps Led)
SHELBY ROBERT BILL TRAVIS HANK DAVID MIKE
DATE / SITE HOWARD HUFFMAN LESTER KVAPIL PARKER REUTIMANN SKINNER
2-13/Daytona 15/29 8/36 17/16 3/2 (15) 11/18 12/9 (7) 14/28 (6)
3-13/Atlanta 26/25 2/29 5/15 9/4 (1) 7/33 1/3 (8) 4/2 (68)
4-17/Martinsville 32/23 20/34 12/17 6/13 27/12 25/8 8/5 (38)
5-16/Mansfield# 22/23 DNS 20/30 31/32 35/19 33/14 32/11
5-21/Charlotte 32/33 7/16 8/21 (19) 14/8 22/22 24/36 3/15 (2)
6-4/Dover 5/6** 21/11 19/25 8/17 13/3 8/17 6/4 (85)
6-11/Texas 27/21 2/28 3/12 13/27 15/23 6/3 9/11 (41)
6-19/Memphis 25/24 8/16 23/23 5/13 16/12 30/17 11/26
6-25/Milwaukee 18/21 21/36 27/34 7/5 (50) 13/17 24/32 11/29
7-3/Kansas DNS 28/24 22/28 9/7 18/21 12/29 10/12
7-10/Kentucky DNS 28/10 22/29 8/15 19/22 14/9 11/18
7-17/St. Louis DNS 16/27 8/10 5/7 12/5 17/9 (15) 19/28
7-31/Michigan
Darrell Waltrip 4-17/Martinsville 21/24
8-6/Indianapolis
10/23/Martinsville
# Qualifying cancelled due to weather. Starting lineup determined by NCTS rule book.
** Dave Blaney substituted for Shelby Howard in the No. 23 Bill Davis Racing Tundra at Dover.
DNS -- Did Not Start
