TOYOTA NASCAR Notes & Quotes
Week of March 17, 2008

Upcoming Races:
NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) @ Nashville Superspeedway:
Saturday, March 22, Qualifying, 11:05 AM (ET) -- SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)
Saturday, March 22, Race start @ 3:00 PM (ET) -- ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)
Race 6 of 35

HISTORY HERE: Last year's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) spring race at Nashville Superspeedway marked the first time three Toyota Camrys finished together in the top-five. David Reutimann (second), Dave Blaney (third) and Jason Leffler (fourth) combined to lead one-third of the race laps (73 of 225) en route to their top-five finishes. Leffler (third) and Reutimann (ninth) finished among the top-10 once again when the series returned to the track for the second time last June. In four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) events at the 1.33-mile oval located on the outskirts of 'Music City,' Toyota Tundra drivers have earned two wins -- Reutimann in 2005 and Johnny Benson in 2006 -- along with a pair of poles (Mike Skinner in 2005 and 2007).

BACK AT BRISTOL: The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) competed at Bristol Motor Speedway over the weekend and Denny Hamlin (sixth) brought home the highest finishing Camry. Camry driver Tony Stewart led the most laps of the race (267 laps), but contact late in the race sent his car spinning and he finished 14th. Camry drivers Kyle Busch (17th) and Reutimann (20th) also finished in the top-20. Other drivers to lead circuits on Sunday include Hamlin (98 laps), Busch (seven laps) and Michael Waltrip (five laps).

FOUR IN 20: Four Camry drivers are among the top-20 of the unofficial NSCS point standings. Toyota drivers trailing points leader Busch in the standings include Stewart (seventh), Hamlin (15th) and Brian Vickers (17th).

KYLE CONTINUES TO TOP: Busch, driver of the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) No. 18 M&M's Camry, maintained the unofficial lead in the NSCS point standings after finishing 17th, and earning bonus points for lea ding seven laps, at Bristol Motor Speedway last Sunday. He currently leads second-place Greg Biffle by 30 points.

MAKING IT AT MARTINSVILLE: Bristol was the fifth NSCS race of the season and the final event where drivers competed for starting positions based on 2007 owner point standings. Starting now, teams will rely on their 2008 on-track performances, and those within the top -35 will start at Martinsville Speedway (3-30-08). At the moment, eight Toyota teams are within the top-35 and guaranteed to start at the Virginia short track. While the three Camrys of JGR (No. 18, 20 and 11) and the No. 83 Camry of the Red Bull Racing Team are solidly in the top-35, the Michael Waltrip Racing Camrys are 27th (No. 00 Camry), 30th (No. 55 Camry) and 34th (No. 44 Camry), and Hall of Fame Racing sits 31st (No. 96 Camry) in owner points. The No. 22 Camry of Bill Davis Racing is 37th, just 22 points out of the 35th position, while the Red Bull Racing Team's No. 84 Camry is 43rd.

READY FOR RETIREMENT: Dale Jarrett completed his final NSCS points race on Sunday at Bristol and will move from the race track to the television booth as a commentator for ESPN's race broadcasts. In 668 career starts (16th on the NSCS all- time record book), the 1999 Cup champion has accumulated 32 wins, 163 top-fives, 260 top-10 finishes and 16 pole positions. He led 7,050 laps of 185,948 total laps he competed in and earned nearly $60 million over the course of his 24 year career. "I don't want to leave the sport," says Jarrett. "I think there's a reason why we have the fan base that we have and the sport is as popular as it is, because there's a lot of good people involved. Now, ESPN has given me the opportunity to do it another way."

REUTIMANN'S NEW RIDE: With Jarrett's retirement following the Bristol race, Reutimann will take over driving duties of the No. 44 UPS Camry -- leaving the No. 00 Camry in the hands of Michael McDowell. Both cars are guaranteed starting spots at Martinsville based on owner points. "It will be nice to show up at a race track and know that we are locked into the race," says Reutimann, who spent all of 2007 outside the top -35. "We have to keep moving forward in our points to insulate things. I'm proud of my guys."

SUBSTITUTE FOR SEAT TIME: In preparation for his Sprint Cup Series debut next weekend, McDowell has been learning the ropes by being at the race track every week and spending time with the team's spotters, as well as using racing simulators. "I use all the systems -- it's a PC (personal computer) based simulator," explains McDowell. "I have a racing wheel, pedals, force feedback and a big monitor that's almost (like) looking out the windshield of your race car. It makes a huge difference."

SIMULATOR SUCCESS: "When I went to (Indiana's) Salem Speedway for the first time, I had already run 300 laps there on the simulator and when we unloaded I was the quickest -- my first time ever there," says McDowell. "I led the practice off of my first lap and I thought that was just coincidence. Then we went to Kentucky and it was the same thing. The simulator really helps where you're going to lift and how much brake pressure you're going to use. The only thing you don't get is that 'seat-of-the-pants' car sliding experience -- it's visual. I've used gaming and simulation so long that I've been able to adapt what's real and what's not real. I think it's a huge help and I've probably done 750 laps around Martinsville already."

FOUR NNS IN TOP-10: Toyota Camry drivers occupy four of the top-10 positions in the Nationwide Series point standings following the fifth race of the season at Bristol. Reutimann, the 2007 runner-up in the point standings, sits fifth in this year's title chase. Other Camry drivers in the top-10 include Mike Wallace (seventh), Leffler (ninth) and Busch (10th).

TWICE IN TENNESSEE: During the Nationwide Series' 35-race schedule, this will be the only time the series will compete in the same state two weeks in a row. The NNS remains in the 'Volunteer State' after competing at Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend. That event was rain-shortened after 171 of 300 laps were completed. Three Camry drivers finished in the top-10 at Bristol, including Reutimann (third), Leffler (sixth) and Wallace (10th). Hamlin (26th) finished four laps down and Busch (42nd) was involved in an accident on lap 18.

FIRST-TIMERS IN TENNESSEE: Camry drivers Leffler and Reutimann have each registered career firsts at Nashville Superspeedway. Leffler, driver of the No. 38 Great Clips Camry, earned his first -ever NNS win at the track June 2004. Reutimann, the No. 99 Aaron's Dream Machine Camry pilot, earned his first-ever NCTS win at Nashville in a Toyota Tundra August 2005. He also earned his first-ever NNS victory in the state of Tennessee at Memphis Motorsports Park October 2007.

REUTIMANN'S VIEW: "Nashville has always been one of my favorite race tracks, even before I won my first truck race there," says Reutimann . "I like the layout of the track and the people are always extremely nice. The area and the facility are beautiful. I wish we raced there four or five times a year."

BRING A DOLLAR HOME: The sponsor of Hamlin's No. 32 Braun Racing Camry at Nashville is Dollar General. The company is based in Goodlettsville, Tenn., just north of Nashville. "I really like racing at Nashville Superspeedway because I've had some success there, starting on the pole once and finishing in the top-10 in each of my four races," says Hamlin, who started on the pole in this event in 2006. "I'd still really like to get a win there -- and get my hands on that guitar! Nashville has multiple grooves for racing which makes for a good show for the fans. I haven't raced there since 2006, so I'm looking forward to getting back. This will be my first race with Dollar General and we're really excited to have them on board this year. Nashville is near Dollar General's hometown so we're planning on giving all the employees something to celebrate this weekend."

COOPER'S HOUSE: Braun Racing's Stewart Cooper (crew chief of Leffler's No. 38 Camry) is from Nashville, Tenn. "Nashville is home to me, but it's still just a race track to me," says Cooper. "It's my favorite race track -- not necessarily because friends and family are nearby, but because it's a good track to compete at. I've had some success there and was able to win in 2003 with David Green and Brewco Motorsports. Jason's done well there, too. Hopefully we'll be able to pull from both our past history there and have great results this weekend."

WALLACE'S TUNE: Nashville Superspeedway awards race winners with a custom 'Gibson Les Paul' guitar and many drivers covet such a trophy. "I would cherish it," says Wallace who has four career NNS wins, but has yet to visit victory lane at Nashville. "I can't play the guitar. It's something I've always wanted to learn and I've never taken the time. Nashville's guitar is kind of a value trophy -- some tracks have a trophy that you want to win because it's unique -- Nashville has always had a guitar and everyone makes a highlight of winning it. As far as what I'd do with the trophy, I'd probably talk to my friend, Chris Cagle, whose album came out No. 1 on the Billboard charts last week, and I think I'd take the guitar over to his place and let him teach me how to play."

NNS SEASON SUMMARY: Camry drivers have won two NNS races this season -- Stewart won back-to-back races at Daytona and California in a JGR entry to open the season in February. In the first five 2008 NNS races, Camry drivers have posted seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, and led more than half of all race laps (513 of 841 laps). Two pole s have also been earned by Camry drivers -- Stewart at Daytona and Vickers at Las Vegas.

TUNDRAS TEST MARTINSVILLE: The NCTS held a two-day test session at the 0.526-mile Martinsville Speedway last week. Terry Cook, driver of the No. 60 Wyler.com Tundra, was the fastest truck during the second day 's afternoon session of the two day test at Virginia's Martinsville Speedway. "We don't come to the track to be mildly competitive, we come to win," said Cook, following the test. "We tried some set-ups that this team used last year and for whatever reason they didn't work. Rather than accept that and come back, we sat down and talked it out and came back with something different to try on the second day. Instead of coming back and racing for a top-10, I think we can come back and race for the win."

TEST OF TESTS: Daughter of NNS racer Mike Wallace -- 20-year old Chrissy Wallace -- participated in the Martinsville NCTS test in a Germain Racing Tundra. According to crew chief Mike Abner, she is a natural. He says the feedback she provided throughout the test session was spot on, and her continued improvement and confidence behind the wheel showed in the rankings from the test session's final times -- she ranked 11th in day two's afternoon session. The team plans to have her test at another short-track this week and practice pit-stops at the race shop. She is confirmed to race for Germain Racing at Martinsville on March 29th.

THREE FOR THREE: A Tundra has made its way to victory lane in each of the first three NCTS races of the season. Todd Bodine, the 2006 series champion, won the season-opener at Daytona in the No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra. Busch (No. 51 Billy Ballew Motorsports Tundra) won the last two races at California and Atlanta.

TOYOTA ON TOP: Busch sits atop the NCTS point standings after three races, holding a 72-point advantage over Bodine. Tundra drivers Benson (fifth), Skinner (seventh), David Starr (eighth) and rookie Phillip McGilton (10th) are also in the top-10 in points heading into the Martinsville race (March 29).

TEAMWORK PAYS OFF: "We have a great relationship," says Busch of his Billy Ballew Motorsports team. "We're able to get out there and make our trucks better. We're always working on stuff. I'm running for a poin ts championship for Billy Ballew in the owners championship, so I'm out there to win as many races as I possibly can right now because we don't know who's going to be in the truck during the other races when I can't. We can't afford to miss any chances to win a race when I'm in the truck because those are 10 extra points. In order to do that, I have to drive it up towards the front and try to win."

MOVING FORWARD: The NSCS and NCTS take this weekend off before heading to Martinsville Speedway, March 29- 30. Hamlin sat on the pole for the spring NSCS race last year and Skinner is the defending race-winner of both 2007 NCTS Martinsville races. After Nashville, the NNS will take a weekend off before heading to Texas Motor Speedway along with the Cup cars, April 5-6.