Toyota has
announced plans to compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with a new
Supra-inspired race car. Set to enter competition on February 16th, the model was jointly
developed by Toyota Racing Development (TRD) USA and Calty Design Research. The
race car has little in common with the upcoming production model and Toyota
noted “TRD and Calty scaled Supra to fit within NASCAR’s specifications
for race vehicle entries in the NXS.”
While the two models will be quite different, a
number of Supra styling cues carryover to the race car thanks to an extensive
wrap. It features three large air intakes which reside below slender LED
headlights and a protruding nose.
The production-inspired styling continues out back
as the car has been equipped with slender taillights and a rear bumper that
mimics the road-going model. The latter features a center-mounted third brake
light which is flanked by a dual exhaust system.
The Supra will replace the previous Camry-inspired
race car which has been competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series since 2007. Over
the course of its run, the car racked up four manufacturer championships, two
driver championships and a total of 143 wins.
While the Camry won’t be competing in the NASCAR
Xfinity Series, the model will continue to have a presence in the Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series. Toyota also noted this will be the first year the
company will a field a different model in all three of NASCAR’s national series
as the automaker also competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with a
Tundra.
