 | Hey Toyota Racing Fans,
The month of May is when racing season traditionally kicks into high gear, and this year is no exception for Toyota Racing. It’s a busy month that includes a two-week homestand for Toyota's NASCAR® racers in Charlotte, Toyota-powered USAC racers in Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend and the NHRA in Atlanta and then on to the heartland as summer approaches.
As always, don't forget to visit ToyotaRacing.com to stay up to date on the latest happenings in Toyota Racing.
COMING UP ... TIME TO GET VOTING!
This month will see Toyota's NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™ drivers and teams participate in the longest and one of the most prestigious races on the annual racing calendar with the Memorial Day Sunday (May 30) running of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Before that, however, is one of the most anticipated events of the season, the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 22. Eligible drivers include all race winners from this season and last season, the past 10 All-Star Race winners and Sprint Cup champions from the past decade.
Immediately prior to the All-Star Race is the Sprint Showdown, which includes all drivers who have not already qualified for the All-Star Race for a 40-lap battle. The top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown will be added to the All-Star field, as will the driver who earns the most fan votes.
Here's where you come in. Click here to help your favorite Toyota Racing driver secure a spot in the All-Star Race. Vote early and vote often!
The winner of Toyota Racing's Sponsafy Your Ride contest will be unveiled during pre-race festivities at the All-Star Race, with the winning design helping to pace the field and the winning designer riding shotgun in the car! Voting has been completed and one of these finalists will be the winner. Tune in on May 22 to see the winning design.
The schedule for the rest of May and early June will take the Sprint Cup Series to the "Monster Mile" at Dover International Speedway on May 16 and the quirky Pocono Raceway on June 6. The NASCAR® Camping World Truck Series™ and Nationwide Series™ will each get a turn at Charlotte as well, on May 21 and 29, respectively.
The Trucks are also in action at Dover on May 14 and Texas Motor Speedway on June 4, while the Nationwide Series also races at Dover on May 15 and Nashville Superspeedway on June 5.
IT'S MAY, IT'S INDY FOR TOYOTA USAC RACERS
The eyes of the racing world always turn to Indianapolis on Memorial Day weekend, but the action isn't just limited to Indianapolis Motor Speedway. On May 29, the USAC Midget Car Series once again headlines the 65th annual Night Before The 500, and Toyota driver Cole Whitt figures to be one of the top contenders in the No. 71 Keith Kunz Motorsports midget. ONE TO WATCH: LARRY DIXON
Larry Dixon has long been considered one of the top drivers in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and he's proving it once again in 2010 in his Toyota-supported Al-Anabi Racing Top Fuel dragster. Dixon heads into this weekend's race at Atlanta Dragway (May 14-16) holding a 41-point lead over Cory McClenathan in the Top Fuel point standings.
Dixon earned his milestone 50th career Top Fuel victory in Houston on April 11 and has since added a 51st Wally to his trophy case with a win one week later in Las Vegas. In addition to being among the favorites in Atlanta, Dixon will also be looking to add to his win total at Heartland Park Topeka on the weekend of May 21-23 and at the Route 66 Nationals near Chicago on the weekend of June 3-6.
Stay on top of Dixon's performance and the rest of the Toyota Racing NHRA family here, and check out Dixon's profile right here.
REWIND ... HAMLIN TOUGHS IT OUT AND WINS, BUSCH RETURNS TO VICTORY CIRCLE
Not even three weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a torn ACL on his left leg, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry driver Denny Hamlin proved he's one tough customer by taking the victory in the rain-delayed NASCAR® Sprint Cup Series™ race at Texas Motor Speedway on April 19. It was Hamlin's second Cup victory of the season and was also his second win this season on a Monday. Relive the excitement here, and check out this story to learn more about how the recovery process is going for Hamlin.
The past few weeks have also seen the triumphant return of Kyle Busch to Victory Lane in the Sprint Cup Series, as "Rowdy" steered his No. 18 M&M's Camry to a win under the lights at Richmond International Raceway on May 2. Check out the video highlights of Busch's magical night here.
Busch also scored his third Nationwide Series victory of the season and led a top-three sweep for Toyota at Texas on April 19, just a few hours after Hamlin's gritty performance on the super-fast 1.5-mile speedway. Read the race report here.
You can also check out the race reports following Larry Dixon's victories at Houston and Las Vegas. Click here for a report on Dixon's Houston win in an all-Toyota final over Antron Brown, and here for coverage of Dixon’s win a week later in Las Vegas.
ON THE WEB: TOYOTA PRO/CELEBRITY RACE A HIT ONCE AGAIN IN LONG BEACH
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach every April is the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race. The 10-lap race is always entertaining, as an eclectic group of celebrities pull out all the stops to keep their fellow celebrities and hard-charging professional racers in their mirrors, with varying degrees of success.
This year's rendition was certainly no exception, as actor Brian Austin Green came out on top amongst the celebrities in the field, while former IndyCar champion Jimmy Vasser took the checkered flag in the pro division. Click here for video highlights of the 2010 Toyota Pro/Celebrity race.
For more exclusive insights into the 2010 racing season, check out Toyota Racing on Twitter and Facebook.
 
NASCAR® is a registered trademark of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is a trademark owned by NASCAR, Inc., and Sprint. The NASCAR Nationwide Series logo and word mark are used under license by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company. The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a trademark owned by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc., and Camping World, Inc.
| |
