When an iconic nameplate in motorsports approaches its final curtain call, it sends tremors across the racing world, and Toyota’s deep-rooted commitment to NASCAR ensures the impact is felt directly in the garage area. Toyota’s story began in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and expanded to the Xfinity Series and the premier Cup Series in 2007. Led by flagship teams like Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota amassed considerable success, achieving its first Cup Series win with Kyle Busch at Atlanta in 2008 and reaching the 200-win milestone in the Cup Series in a relatively short timeframe.

Toyota’s entry into NASCAR intensified the age-old manufacturer’s battle, creating a highly competitive triangle against Detroit’s titans, Chevrolet and Ford. For decades, the rivalry was a two-way street, but Toyota’s consistent performance turned it into a thrilling tri-cornered war. In the current Next Gen era, the standardized platform has shifted the focus toward aerodynamic fine-tuning and engine performance, making the brand identity of each car, the Toyota Camry XSE, the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and the Ford Mustang Dark Horse.

However, the latest seismic shift for the manufacturer is not a new model introduction but a quiet farewell. Toyota officially announced the end of production of the GR Supra in March 2026. This revelation, which is expected given the current generation’s age, has massive implications for the NASCAR Xfinity Series, where the Supra is currently the flagship model. This reality forces Toyota and Toyota Racing Development to already be deep into planning for the next O’Reilly Auto Parts Series car, facing the challenge of naming the race car.

The looming loss of the Supra will mark the end of its successful, though brief, tenure in the Xfinity Series, a run that started in 2019 when it replaced the Toyota Camry. The venerable Camry, a car more synonymous with mainstream reliability than motorsports glamor, had been Toyota’s workhorse in the Xfinity Series since the manufacturer joined the series in 2007. Jason Leffler delivered Toyota’s first Xfinity win in a Camry in 2007, solidifying the model’s track credibility.

The Supra delivered on its promise, with drivers like Ty Gibbs driving the car to a series Championship in 2022, but its impending retirement raises the key question of whether Toyota will revert to a Camry-based model or opt for a completely different car. Ultimately, the prospect of the GR Supra leaving the Xfinity Series has prompted a visible division among fans about NASCAR’s automotive future.

The existential dread facing the NASCAR Xfinity Series

One fan wrote, “It’s only a matter of time before we are racing the Rav-4, Escape and Equinox in NASCAR…” The production discontinuation of car models like the Toyota Supra in the Xfinity Series and the Chevrolet Camaro in the Cup Series is a direct consequence of consumers abandoning sedans and coupes in favor of high-margin SUVs and crossovers, which accounted for approximately 75% of new light vehicle sales in the U.S. in 2024.

This market trend directly challenges NASCAR’s stock car identity, as manufacturers are reluctant to showcase race versions of models they no longer sell in volume. For instance, Chevrolet has openly debuted a Blazer EV race car concept built on the Next Gen chassis, and NASCAR itself unveiled an electric prototype that sports a generic crossover-style body. One fan noted, “Considering the Subaru BRZ is supposed to be on the chopping block, I understand why Toyota would do that. People just want to drive crossovers and hatchbacks now sadly.”

This trend is powerfully evidenced by market analysis projecting to global SUV market size to increase significantly from an estimated $890 billion in 2025 to over $1.2 trillion by 2030, with crossovers driving this growth by offering the practicality and higher ride height consumers desire. Another fan added, “There is a rumor that the next generation Toyota 86 might be developed as a twin to the Roadster/MX-5, though that particular rumor should taken with grain of salt. Also, Toyota is developing the GR GT/”LFR”, but idk if it’s suitable for second-tier series car.”

The fan’s mention of the next Toyota 86 potentially twinning with the Mazda MX-5 is currently a prominent rumor circulating in the automotive press. The hypothetical partnership would see Toyota shift away from its long-standing collaboration with Subaru on the BRZ/GR86 twins, instead reportedly utilizing a revised version of the current Mazda MX-5’s lightweight rear-wheel-drive platform.

The rationale is that this co-development would allow Toyota to retain a 2+2 coupe layout with a distinct hybrid-assisted 2.0-liter Toyota engine, while the Mazda would remain the two-seater roadster, with both models allegedly being built at a Mazda facility. Some fans added to that asking, “Are they going to take the Supra name off the NORAPS cars like Chevrolet did with their current/former car?”

While the street-legal Camaro ceased production after the 2024 model year, NASCAR rules allow Chevrolet to continue racing the current body style. Crucially, as teams reveal their 2025 paint schemes for the NASCAR Cup Series, the word ‘Camaro’ was conspicuously absent from the rear bumper and bodywork, replaced simply with the manufacturer’s name, ‘Chevrolet.’ While another fan requested, “Pls go back to the Camry in the O’reilly series. I’ve never liked the look of the Supra.”

When the Supra replaced Camry in 2019, many fans felt the sleek, compact design of the production Supra was awkwardly stretched and distorted. In contrast, the previous generation Camry Xfinity car, which raced from 2007 through 2018, was generally perceived by fans as having a more natural and visually cohesive fit with the common template body. While these are some suggestions, many such fans dream of the return of old-school NASCAR.