LE MANS, France, June 7, 2023
/PRNewswire/ -- Toyota and 23XI Racing announced today that famed
Toyota Gazoo Racing driver and WEC (World Endurance Championship)
team principal, Kamui Kobayashi will make his NASCAR debut in the
No. 67 Toyota Genuine Parts Camry TRD at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Road Course on August
13.
"NASCAR is something different in the culture of motorsports
compared to Japan and Europe – as a driver, it's the American
dream," said Kamui Kobayashi, Toyota Gazoo Racing driver and WEC
team principal. "I was lucky to be able to race in IMSA the
last couple of years. It's a different form of racing, but I think
the racing technology is at a high level. I really appreciate this
opportunity from TRD, U.S.A. and
of course Toyota Motor North America and Toyota Gazoo Racing.
Toyota has been racing in NASCAR for a long time, but I don't think
any other Japanese driver has raced a Toyota in the Cup Series. I'm
very proud of this opportunity."
Kobayashi started his racing career karting in Japan and after winning several titles, he won
a scholarship to join Toyota's Young
Drivers program and made the transition into single seater
race cars. This portion of his career also started in Japan and later into Europe, which led to being hired as Toyota's
Formula 1 driver. In 2008, Toyota signed Kobayashi as their third
driver resulting in his debut during the 2009 season at the
Brazilian GP. Kobayashi was active until 2014 in the highest level
of racing in the world, Formula 1. Following his Formula 1 career,
Kobayashi returned to Japan where
he switched to the Supra Formula Series, a class he still actively
competes in today. Kobayashi also competed as part of the IMSA
Series for the Lexus Racing program in 2022 at the Canadian Tire
Motorsports Park when he filled in for the injured Jack Hawksworth. Kobayashi is now a driver and
team principal with the Toyota Gazoo Racing Team in the World
Endurance Championship (WEC).
"It's truly an honor to have Kamui want to participate in our
NASCAR Cup Series program, and we're thrilled that we could work
with our partners at 23XI Racing to give him a competitive Camry
TRD for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course event," said
David Wilson, president of TRD,
U.S.A. (Toyota Racing
Development). "Kamui shares the passion for motorsports that all of
us at Toyota and TRD, U.S.A. live
every day so it will be exciting to show him our NASCAR program
with him behind the wheel of one of our TRD Camrys."
Toyota began competing in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2007 and
since that first event, have gone on to accumulate 174 victories
across 13 seasons. In addition, Toyota drivers have earned three
driver championships – Kyle Busch
(2015, 2019) and Martin Truex Jr.
(2017). Toyota has also claimed three manufacturer championships
(2016, 2017 and 2019). In 2023, Toyota drivers have won four races
with four different drivers. Those victories have allowed four
Toyota drivers to secure their positions in this year's
championship Playoffs, including 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick.
"We are thrilled to support Kamui in his first NASCAR Cup Series
start as we field another competitive Toyota for the race in
Indianapolis," said Steve Lauletta, president of 23XI Racing. "This
race will also serve as a great opportunity for our team to compete
with and learn from a highly accomplished driver. Earlier in the
season the No. 67 team did a great job preparing and executing at
the Daytona 500 and we look forward to the same with Kamui. We are
also excited to introduce Kamui's many international fans to 23XI
and our sport."
The NASCAR Cup Series will compete at the Indianapolis Motor
Speedway Road Course on Sunday, August
13 at 2:30 PM ET.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been a part of the
cultural fabric in North America
for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable,
next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus
our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 48,000 people in North America who have contributed to the
design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and
trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota's 14th plant
in North Carolina will begin to
manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With
more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker,
Toyota currently offers 22 electrified options.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights
the way it partners with community, civic, academic and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move,
anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit
www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
About 23XI Racing
23XI Racing – pronounced
twenty-three eleven – was founded by
NBA legend Michael Jordan and
three-time Daytona 500 winner Denny
Hamlin in 2020. With rising NASCAR star Bubba Wallace selected to drive the No. 23
Toyota Camry TRD, the team made its NASCAR Cup Series debut in the
2021 Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Wallace made
history on October 4, 2021, when he
captured his first career Cup Series win, becoming just the second
African American to win in the Cup Series, and earning 23XI its
first-ever victory. 23XI expanded to a two-car organization in 2022
with Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch
driving the No. 45 Toyota Camry TRD. With a win at Kansas Speedway
in May of 2022, Busch earned 23XI the team's first-ever playoff
berth. 23XI currently features the lineup of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 Toyota and
Tyler Reddick in the No. 45
Toyota.
Media
Contacts:
|
|
Toyota NASCAR PR
Contacts:
|
Toyota PR Contact:
|
Cody Poor, Golin for
Toyota Racing
|
Sam Mahoney
|
323-578-7159
|
980-900-8573
|
Cpoor@golin.com
|
Samuel.Mahoney@toyota.com
|
|
|
Pam Jansen, Golin for
Toyota Racing
|
23XI Racing
Contact:
|
386-631-2489
|
Davis
Shaefer
|
pjansen@golin.com
|
202-421-5505
|
|
davis.shaefer@23xiracing.com
|
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SOURCE Toyota Gazoo Racing North America