Kyle Busch and the No. 18 Camry completed the final burnout of the 2019 season as Busch celebrated his second Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) championship on Sunday. With a victory in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Busch captured the third driver’s championship for Toyota.
TOYOTA FAST FACTS
- Busch won five races and claimed 17 top-five results and 27 top-10 finishes over 36 races to claim the 2019 driver’s championship.
- Busch is the winningest driver in Toyota history with 52 of his 56 career victories behind the wheel of a Camry in the Cup Series in his 12 seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing.
- The 34-year-old from Las Vegas, becomes the first Camry driver to win multiple Cup Series driver’s titles after previously earning the 2015 Cup Series championship. Martin Truex Jr. (2017) has also captured a premier series title for Toyota.
- Camry drivers set a single-season wins record, visiting Victory Lane 19 times to help Toyota to its third manufacturer’s title in four years. In total, Toyota has earned 143 victories since joining the Cup Series in 2007.
TOYOTA QUOTES
KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How sweet is this moment for you?
“We have a great race team, a great owner and the best sponsors in sports. I just can’t say enough and thank everyone enough for this opportunity. I may be the one that’s able to hoist the trophy, or to have a championship, but it wouldn’t be possible without Adam Stevens (crew chief) and Joe Gibbs, J.D. Gibbs, Coy Gibbs and the whole family. M&M’s of course and Interstate Batteries and Norm Miller. And, Toyota – this TRD engine was awesome tonight. It’s been awesome all year. We had one issue, but man it’s so much fun to work with these guys and this group. Everybody that puts it all together for me. There’s always your doubters. There’s always your haters, but you know what, this one is for Rowdy nation because you guys are the best. Thank you so much.“
What kind of statement was tonight’s performance from the 18 team?
“Everybody always says you never give up and we’re no different and we just do what we can do each and every week and sometimes we may not be the best and sometimes we may not have the right track position. Today we had a really good car and I could race around and move around. That’s what’s so special about Homestead-Miami Speedway – is the ability to put on a show. Kind of like we did there racing those guys. It was exciting from my seat. It was a lot of fun to cap off such an amazing year.”
JOE GIBBS, team owner, Joe Gibbs Racing
What are your thoughts on winning a fifth Cup Series championship?
“It’s a thrill for us. The Lord blessed us with a great night. I spent three and a half hours worrying about everything. I didn’t know what was going to happen. I want to thank Mitch, Monster and Toyota. Norm Miller got us started over here. Coy (Gibbs) a big part of our family – our whole family is here. Thank you to everybody for being a part of this. It’s a thrill for me and to all of our fans, thank you to each and every one of you guys. We appreciate it so much.“
ADAM STEVENS, crew chief, No. 18 M&M’s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing
How do you explain the emotion of a moment like this after a year of such hard work?
“You’ve got to keep it in perspective, man. The goal from the time we left Homestead last year was to win it this year and that’s all we’ve tried to do and keep that in mind. I wish we had another dozen races to go with it, but we got the big trophy.“
VINAY SHAHANI, vice president of Integrated Marketing Operations, Toyota Motor North America
“Kyle is one of the most talented racers in NASCAR history and after capturing our first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series title in 2015, we are thrilled to see him hoist the championship trophy once again. After more than a decade racing with Joe Gibbs Racing in a Camry, Kyle is an integral part of our brand and has had more success on track than any other Toyota driver. Congratulations to Kyle, Adam Stevens and everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing on this remarkable achievement.“
TRD PR
