NASCAR Cup

Toyota notes, quotes 2009-11-19

TOYOTA TALK: Toyota Drivers Talk Final 2009 Race NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: Toyota Camry drivers have combined for 10 wins (Kyle Busch -- Las Vegas, Bristol-1, Richmond and Bristol-2; Denny Hamlin -- Pocono-2, Richmond-2 and Martinsville-2; David ...

Published: Nov 20, 2009, 7:22 PM

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TOYOTA TALK:

Toyota Drivers Talk Final 2009 Race

NEWS, NOTES & NUMBERS: Toyota Camry drivers have combined for 10 wins (Kyle Busch -- Las Vegas, Bristol-1, Richmond and Bristol-2; Denny Hamlin -- Pocono-2, Richmond-2 and Martinsville-2; David Reutimann -- Charlotte; Joey Logano -- New Hampshire; and Brian Vickers -- Michigan-2), 41 top-fives and 73 top-10 finishes through 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) races this season ... With one Chase race remaining, Hamlin is eighth in the standings and Vickers is in 12th-place ... Busch will compete in all three races this weekend and could break his NASCAR record set last year of 21 wins in a single season ... Busch currently has 19 total wins in NSCS (four), Nationwide Series (eight) and Camping World Truck Series (seven) action ... Thomasville, N.C.-native, Vickers now considers Homestead a 'home track' as he is a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you like about going to Homestead-Miami Speedway? "When we go to Miami, it's always kind of a relief for me. The only time it was stressful was in 2006 when we were racing for a championship. This year we're running so well, we're excited to go there -- we're hoping to get a win. The good thing about winning at Homestead is that it lasts the entire off-season. With our team, we're looking to try t o win there. I go to Homestead thinking we can win, we've run very, very well there. I think last year was a fuel mileage race, but we were in contention to win that race. I go there expecting to run well and obviously give everyone at FedEx something to cheer about."

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M's Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

Do you feel like you personally are ready for a Cup Series driver's title? "Yeah, for sure. I felt like coming into the Cup Series you always want to be a contender for the championship. I felt like the first couple of years I wasn't capable enough of doing that. There was a lot of learning that I went through, but now I feel like it's as good a shot as any. Cutting back maybe a little bit on the Truck and Nationwide stuff and hopefully that helps so then you guys can be right that it does hinder my performance, but I'm hoping to prove you wrong anyways."

What are you going to do with yourself when the season comes to an end? "I'm going to go down and run the Snowball Derby and run the two races that are down there on that weekend so it will feel like a Nationwide race and a Cup race anyway. After that, it's going to be downtime and fortunately I'm going to go on vacation and finally get some vacation time to get away a little bit and go relax somewhere. I can't just go home and relax because then I'll be going to the race shop and working on stuff, so I've got to get out of the country and go somewhere in order to sit down and relax."

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team

Do you look forward to racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway? "I like racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway. I like the track, I like the multi-groove with progressive banking. I live in Fort Lauderdale, which is about 30 minutes north of Miami. I love the area, the weather and the people. I'm looking forward to going home and just relaxing for a few days before the race. It will be nice to not be in a rush to get to the race track every day, too, because I just have to drive 30 or 45 minutes. It's not too far."

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

Why do you enjoy racing at Homestead-Miami Speedway? "The first reason is because it's located in my home state of Florida, which means I'll have more fans, friends and family cheering me on. Second is because I've had some success at the track. I've won three poles there, including my first in the Sprint Cup Series last year. It's a unique track - it's banked in some parts and flat in others. The challenge is keeping up with the changes in the track throughout the race. We start in the afternoon and the race ends as the night begins, so the track will change and that can affect your handling if you're not prepared."

-credit: toyota motorsports

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