No. 19 Toyota SmartPath Toyota GR Supra News and Notes:
- TRUEX AT DAYTONA: Ryan Truex will kick off his eighth career NASCAR Xfinity Series season this weekend in the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway when he gets behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota SmartPath GR Supra. In four starts at the iconic track, Truex has one top-ten, three laps led, and an average finish of 15.8, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in 2018. The 31-year-old veteran also has one NASCAR Cup Series start and five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts, where he scored three top-five finishes.
- SEASON PREVIEW: Truex is coming off a milestone year in 2023 where he made the most out of his six starts, earning his first career Xfinity Series victory along with two additional top-three finishes. Heading into 2024, Truex is returning to JGR for his fifth part-time season with the organization and is looking to build on the momentum he created during his successful run last year. He will be working with a new crew chief in Seth Chavka, which will make Daytona their first start together.
- ON THE PITBOX: Rookie crew chief Seth Chavka will make his debut atop the pit box this weekend in the United Rentals 300. Chavka is no stranger to JGR, as he has spent time as lead race engineer for the likes of Erik Jones, Kyle Busch, and most recently, Ty Gibbs, since starting his tenure with the team in 2019. Prior to joining JGR, Chavka spent seven years at Richard Childress Racing and one year at Kevin Harvick Inc. as an engineer. In his 13 years spent in NASCAR, Chavka has earned six NASCAR Cup Series victories and four Xfinity Series victories.
- NO. 19 IN 2024: The JGR No. 19 will have a rotating schedule of drivers throughout the 2023 season. Kicking off with Ryan Truex, the entry will showcase three of JGR’s up-and-coming talents with Taylor Gray, Joe Graf Jr., and William Sawalich all slated to make starts in the No. 19 this season.
- JGR AT DAYTONA: Joe Gibbs Racing has earned four Xfinity Series victories at Daytona. In 120 combined starts at the track, the organization has posted 30 top-five finishes, 49 top-10s, seven pole awards, 749 laps led. Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, and Tony Stewart each raced JGR entries to victory lane in Daytona.
- FOLLOW ALONG: Follow along for updates and a behind-the-scenes look at Truex’s 2024 season.
Twitter: @Ryan_Truex I Facebook: Ryan Truex I Instagram: @ryan_truex
- RACE INFO: Coverage of the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway is scheduled for Saturday, February 17, at 5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Ryan Truex, Driver of the No. 19 Toyota SmartPath Toyota GR Supra:
“Last year was a big year for you. How do you plan to follow it up?”
“Hopefully with more of the same. I feel great about the opportunity I have this season and I was really proud of what this team accomplished last year, so it’s time to capitalize and execute. I’m looking forward to getting back out there this weekend and kicking this season off. We have a lot to be excited for and even more to accomplish. I can’t wait.
What’s your approach to Daytona given how unpredictable it can be?
“It’s hard to keep a plan for the entire race. Everything can change on any lap. I’m really just focused on working together with my Toyota teammates and getting to the front when it matters. At the end of the day, the first line of business is keeping the car clean for the end, if we can do that, I feel good about our chances to make a run for it late in the race.”
Ryan Truex’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats at Daytona International Speedway:
Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | ||||||||
4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18.5 | 15.8 |
Ryan Truex’s Career NASCAR Xfinity Series Stats:
Starts | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Poles | Laps Led | Avg. Start | Avg. Finish | |||||||
90 | 1 | 8 | 30 | 1 | 191 | 13.2 | 15.8 |
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