Derek Kraus officially clinched the 2019 K&N Pro Series West championship on Saturday night at ISM Raceway. Photo – Meg Oliphant/NASCAR
AVONDALE, Ariz. — The 2019 K&N Pro Series West season finale showcased the up and coming talent in NASCAR. And when the lights shined the brightest, the young drivers delivered.
Derek Kraus officially clinched the series championship by taking the green flag and allowed himself to get a little introspective once the title was finalized.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway on November 10, 2019, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo – Matt Sullivan/Getty Images
For one final time before the championship race, the NASCAR Cup Series round of eight drivers will square off at ISM Raceway. Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick have already clinched a championship bid with their wins in the previous two races. The final two spots remained unknown with six drivers trying to earn a shot at the championship.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: Martin Truex Jr., driver of the #19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota, races during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway on November 10, 2019, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Camry Drivers Win Record 18 Times During 2019 Season
AVONDALE, Arizona (November 10, 2019) – Camry drivers continue a record season for Toyota, leading the manufacturer to its third Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) manufacturer’s championship at Arizona’s ISM Raceway on Sunday, one event ahead of the season finale. Joe Gibbs Racing drivers set a single-season wins record for Toyota, visiting victory lane 18 times to propel Toyota to its third manufacturer’s title in four years.
“This title would not be possible without the talented drivers, dedicated race teams and support of our team members at Toyota and Toyota Racing Development (TRD, U.S.A),” said Vinay Shahani, vice president of Integrated Marketing Operations for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA). “Eighteen victories is an incredible feat to accomplish in one of the most competitive motorsports series in America. The manufacturer’s championship is something incredibly meaningful to everyone at Toyota and TRD, we’re certainly honored to capture our third in the series.”
Camry drivers combined to win 18 races and led 3,974 laps in the MENCS in 2019. With one race remaining, three Toyota drivers, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch, will head to the season finale as part of the Championship 4.
Toyota’s milestone season was led by a series-leading seven victories by Truex. Hamlin collected Toyota’s second Daytona 500 title in February en route to his six wins this year while Busch (four victories) and Erik Jones (one) also took home the checkered flag in 2019.
Since joining MENCS competition in 2007, Toyota has won 142 races and captured 124 poles in 467 races. Toyota also claimed the MENCS manufacturer championships in 2016 (16 wins) and 2017 (16 wins).
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and his crew chief Todd Gordon stand on the grid after failing to make the championship race following the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway on November 10, 2019, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
AVONDALE, Ariz. – In the space of one pit stop, Joey Logano’s car went from a frontrunner to a backmarker, with no reasonable explanation.
AVONDALE, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 10: The car of Chase Elliott, driver of the #9 NAPA Autocare Center Chevrolet, is towed into the garage after he wrecked during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway on November 10, 2019, in Avondale, Arizona. Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images
Chase Elliott had to win Sunday’s Bluegreen Vacations 500 at ISM Raceway to advance to the Nov. 17 Championship 4 race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and for the first two stages of the event, it appeared Elliott might have the car to get the job done.