MOORESVILLE, N.C. - Officials of Rusty Wallace Racing, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development) have announced that beginning with the 2010 season, RWR will field Toyota Camrys in its quest for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship.
The team currently plans to enter the No. 66 and No. 62 Toyota Camrys in the 2010 Nationwide Series, piloted by Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan, respectively.
Additionally, a separate agreement with RWR team owner, Rusty Wallace, will enable the racing legend, television analyst, and Toyota dealer to represent the Toyota brand on a national basis.
"I'm very proud to have the opportunity for the team and I to represent the Toyota brand," Rusty Wallace said. "Our team's decision on manufacturers involved input from a lot of people within the organization. We decided that at the end of the day, our goal as a race team is simple: to win races and championships. Thus, we all had to take a long look at which manufacturer partner could best help us reach that goal.
"I'm a Toyota dealer already, so I knew the high levels of support and dedication they provide to their partners. After touring the TRD facility in North Carolina, I was completely convinced. Toyota is the manufacturer to beat in the Nationwide Series right now and after seeing the level of engineering support they provide their teams, I understand why; their level of support is second to none. We're really excited about the opportunity to partner with Toyota for 2010 and beyond."
Toyota will enter the 2010 season looking for its new RWR partnership to aid in securing the brand's third consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series Manufacturers' Championship.
"We are looking forward to our partnership and working together with Rusty Wallace Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series," said Lee White, President and General Manager, TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development). "As a former Cup Series champion who is now a team owner, Rusty knows what is required -- in terms of equipment and people -- to win races and compete for championships. The team is a first-class organization and we are proud that they will be a part of the Toyota Camry roster."
RWR's move to Toyota follows a two-year campaign in which the team enjoyed manufacturer support from Chevrolet.
"Chevrolet has been a great partner for our team and on behalf of RWR, I'd like to thank Pat Suhy, Shane Martin and everyone at GM Racing for their dedication and support," Wallace said. "They were a key in our team's growth over the last two seasons."
The first event for Rusty Wallace Racing's new fleet of Toyota Camrys will be the February 13, 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
