Toyota Trouble: Manufacturer Winless Heading Into Atlanta
Although the season is just four weeks old, it has been a rough start for the Toyota camp. The manufacturer is still waiting for their first taste of victory this year. They have had to watch their competitors, Ford and Chevrolet, each win two races already.
Last season Toyota went to victory lane ten times with five different drivers. All four Joe Gibbs Racing drivers (Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr, and Christopher Bell) won at least one race. At Talladega, Bubba Wallace got his first career win, which was the first victory for 23XI Racing. So far this season, all of them have come up empty handed.
Each driver and team has had their fair share of bad luck along the way. Busch has clearly had the pace at most tracks, but multiple incidents have been the story of his season so far. The same could be said for Hamlin, and to a lesser degree with Truex. Bell has run well, but he too has had solid outings that ended with a dose of bad luck.
Looking at 23XI Racing, they have been strong most weekends, with the now two-car operation with Kurt Busch in the No. 45 Toyota. The veteran has added a great depth of experience, which has clearly made them better. Kurt's arrival is especially important when you consider the location of today's race.
Kurt entered the weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway as one of the betting favorites. He is the defending race winner and his four wins at Atlanta are than any other active driver. Kurt also has six top-eight finishes in his last seven starts here. He comes into the weekend on the heels of a top-five finish at Phoenix, and could carry that momentum all the way to victory lane this afternoon.
Wallace has not had the same consistent finishes as his teammate, but his runner-up finish at Daytona has added fuel to the fire in his desire to get his first win without help from mother nature. This could be similar to a superspeedway race, which bodes well for him as he is one of the best in that type of racing. Working with Kurt is helping, but he will have his hands full later today when he starts back in 19th position.
Over the last five Atlanta races, Kyle has not finished outside the top-seven and had two runner-up finishes in his last three starts here. Despite all of the spins and crashes this season, the veteran has still been able to produce solid results. Finishing 6th, 14th, 4th, and 7th may not be up to his own standards, but given the circumstances, he should be considered a favorite to find victory lane today.
The results have not been great for Truex this year, but he too is poised for a breakout at some point. The former champion has never won at Atlanta but he has finished inside the top-ten in his last eight starts here. In fact, he has finished top-three in three of the last four Atlanta races.
Hamlin has had a frustrating start to the year, finishing 27th at Daytona and 32nd at Las Vegas. His best finish of the season was last weekend at Phoenix when he finished 13th. The 41-year old does have a win here, and this new-look track may suit him better running this particular package. He will start 15th today but will definitely be a driver to keep an eye on throughout the afternoon.
Bell is the lowest starting Toyota in the field, as he rolls off in 27th. Outside of his pole run and top-ten result in Las Vegas, it has been a miserable season for the young driver. He finished 8th in his last race here, but will need to stay out of trouble and work his way to the front of the field. The former has been his biggest issue this season.
When you factor in the Busch Clash, the Daytona Duel races, and Daytona 500 qualifying, Toyota has still been completely shut out. Between the six drivers, they have combined to win 171 Cup races and four series championships. The JGR organization is still one of the premier teams and will find victory lane soon.
Toyota may not look the part right now, but the wins are coming. But with each passing weekend, the pressure and noise around them will continue to mount.
