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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Busch (#18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&M’s Toyota) gets into the back of Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) during the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum NASCAR Cup Series race on February 06, 2022, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 06: Kyle Busch (#18 Joe Gibbs Racing M&M’s Toyota) gets into the back of Kyle Larson (#5 Hendrick Motorsports HendrickCars.com Chevrolet) during the Busch Light Clash at The Coliseum NASCAR Cup Series race on February 06, 2022, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Chris Williams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Recently, Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson spoke about the Next Gen car. According to him, Hendrick Motorsports has understood the new cars the best. Unfortunately, the likes of Joe Gibbs Racing have been a step behind the Chevrolet-run team. Of course, he didn’t blame the outfit alone, but admitted that it was a collective responsibility.
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He said, “For sure, this one was not an evolutionary change to the car. It was a revolutionary change to the car. Candidly, I think for some organizations that aren’t burdened with the legacy of the old car, arguably it may even be better for them. All you have to do is look at the results sheet to suggest that Hendrick Motorsports in particular is on top of their game.”
“My supposition doesn’t hold true clearly with respect to Hendrick and hats off to them and (vice president of competition) Chad (Knaus) and what they’re doing there. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota, because I always say it’s not us and them.”
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“It’s all of us. We have struggled to find consistency.”
What else did he say about Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing?
Wilson confessed that he and the organization were quite frustrated with their performances. On tracks like Kansas Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Gateway, the team showed fantastic performances. At those tracks, Toyota cars led the most laps and were capable of winning. However, all of that changed at the Sonoma Raceway and they slumped to one of their worst finishes.
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Mar 14, 2021; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin (11) and NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) and NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson (5) lead the way during the NASCAR Instacart 500 at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
He cited the example of COTA, but could not replicate much success. From an engineering standpoint, it was highly frustrating and Wilson believes that they were outsmarting themselves. He firmly believes that Toyota can get to the bottom of their issues and sort them out.
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The Toyota Racing Development president did acknowledge that the Next Gen car has promoted healthy competition, though. According to him, with each track they visit, nobody has any idea what to expect because of the Next Gen car.
