Toyota Motorsports tidbits 2010-08-10

TOYOTA'S TURNING RIGHT: In Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race at Watkins Glen International, Marcos Ambrose earned the highest-finishing position for Toyota with a third-place result at the upstate New York road course. Ambrose started 11th in the JTG-Daugherty Racing No. 47 Camry and led three times for eight (of 90) laps. Kyle Busch also earned a top-10 finish in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Camry with an eighth-place result. Busch, who was starting in the 10th position, had a loose weight prior to the start of the race and was forced to come down pit road for his team to fix the issue. Busch worked his way back through the field to earn his 11th top-10 finish this season.

THREE IN A ROW: In Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Watkins Glen, Ambrose earned his third consecutive win at the road course, having also won in 2008 and 2009. Ambrose started from the pole in the JTG-Daugherty No. 47 Camry and led twice for 60 (of 82) laps. With his third straight victory , he became only the second driver in history to win three consecutive races at Watkins Glen -- Terry Labonte accomplished the feat in 1994-96. Camry drivers have registered 12 wins in 22 NNS races this season.

TODD TAKES TROPHY: In Saturday night's NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race at Nashville Superspeedway, series points leader Todd Bodine was victorious for the second time this season. Bodine started from the pole in his Germain Racing No. 30 Tundra and led twice for 91 (of 150) laps, only giving up the lead to fellow Toyota drivers Aric Almirola (third) and Timothy Peters (fourth) who led two and 57 laps, respectively. Tundra drivers combined to lead all 150 laps at the 1.33-mile concrete Tennessee oval.

DENNY HAS DELIVERED: Camry driver Denny Hamlin is enjoying the most successful NSCS season of his career in 2010, amassing five victories through the first 22 races (including a win at Michigan in June). Hamlin led 123 laps (of 200) at the two- mile speedway earlier this summer en route to his fifth win of 2010 -- tying him for the most NSCS wins this season with defending champion Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin, who has made the Chase in each of his first four full seasons (2006 to 2009) had a career-high four victories in 2009, but has already bested that in 2010.

CHAMPIONSHIP COACHING: Trevor Bayne is getting some championship coaching this weekend at Michigan International Speedway from 2008 NCWTS champion and Grand Rapids, Mich.-native, Johnny Benson. Benson is serving as a 'driver coach' for the 19-year old Bayne, who earned three consecutive pole positions (Gateway, ORP and Iowa) last month. Bayne has earned four top-five and six top-10 finishes this season and is currently eighth in the NNS driver point standings.

MISSING MICHIGAN: Michigan International Speedway is one of only five race tracks on the NNS schedule where a Toyota Camry has not been to victory lane. However, current Camry drivers Busch (2004) and Hamlin (2007) have earned wins at the two- mile oval in Nationwide Series competition. Camry drivers Brian Vickers (second) and Busch (third) led much of last year's NNS race at Michigan, but contact coming to the checkered flag forced the two drivers to check-up and allowed the win to go to Michigan-native Brad Keselowski.

BACK TO THE 'LADY IN BLACK': The NCWTS will return to South Carolina's Darlington Raceway this weekend for the first time since 2004. Two Tundras finished in the top-10 during their first race at the ‘Lady in Black,' -- Johnny Benson (sixth) and Robert Huffman (ninth). Current Tundra driver David Starr has made three starts at the 1.366-mile raceway and finished in the top- 10 in all three events.

-source: toyota motorsports