feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota Racing Development (TRD) had a rather tumultuous season last year. They lost Kyle Busch to the opposing faction. Further, with the departure of Busch, they also lost his Truck Series team Kyle Busch Motorsports to another manufacturer. However, it now seems that TRD is preparing to bounce back in the upcoming season onwards.

Terrell Owens holding Dude Wipes XL

Recently, the President of TRD, David Wilson, expressed his confidence in expanding its presence in the NASCAR Cup Series. In an interview with NBC Sports, Wilson shared that TRD is currently in talks with various teams—both existing and new—to increase their lineup for the 2024 season.

Watch What’s Trending Now!

“We’ve got some good irons in the fire now… What was once a very effective strategy to amass our resources across fewer cars, with the marginalization of the areas that we have to play in and the flattening out of the playing field, we definitely need some more help,” said Wilson.

ADVERTISEMENT

Read More: “It’s Not Our Responsibility” – Toyota Boss Explains Refusal to “Become Puppeteers” in Kyle Busch NASCAR Saga

The goal for TRD when it entered the Cup Series 16 years ago was to field around one-quarter of the 43-car field. However, despite the reduction in the number of cars on the field, TRD’s Cup fleet has remained below ten cars.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Future plans for Toyota Racing Development’s expansion

Currently, there are only six full-time Camrys in the Cup, between Joe Gibbs Racing and 23XI Racing. Wilson believes that “nine to ten cars is probably our sweet spot with this new car.”

article-image

USA Today via Reuters

Over the past two years, TRD has been in talks with teams within NASCAR as well as potential car owners who are yet to enter racing. Although, Wilson declined to reveal if TRD is currently focusing on existing or new teams. However, “he also mentioned, The bad news is you don’t have to worry about Penske or Hendrick.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Watch This Story: Bubba Wallace Reveals His Retirement Plans at Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin’s NASCAR Team Amidst Contract Extension

The NASCAR Cup Series has seen a lot of changes over the years, with the number of manufacturers and teams constantly shifting. TRD’s decision to expand its lineup comes as a response to the “flattening out of the playing field” and the need for more resources to keep up with the competition.

ADVERTISEMENT

With Wilson’s optimistic outlook, fans of the Cup Series can look forward to more Toyota Camrys on the track in the upcoming season.

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Srijan Mandal

1,061 Articles

Srijan Mandal is a NASCAR writer at EssentiallySports. With a Master's Degree in Journalism from a top institution, Srijan has written over 1000 articles across various platforms. His passion for racing began at a young age and has only grown stronger over time. From Formula 1 to NASCAR and from World Rally Championship to World Endurance Championship, Srijan has followed and studied all aspects of these thrilling sports. Srijan's passion for racing extends beyond writing. He is an avid participant in professional open-wheel sim racing and enjoys producing music, which he shares on popular streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music under the moniker "Lunaprism".

Know more

Edited by

editor-image

Nischal Kandpal

ADVERTISEMENT