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Toyota Partners With Milwaukee Mile
MILWAUKEE (May 26, 2005) -- The Milwaukee Mile and Toyota’s Chicago Region
announced today that the upcoming NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the
tradition-rich speedway on Friday, June 24, will be called the ‘Toyota
Tundra Milwaukee 200.’
“The Metro-area Milwaukee dealers in the Chicago Region are looking forward
to joining together with The Milwaukee Mile to sponsor this year’s NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series race at the track,” said Vince Harris, Toyota’s
vehicle merchandising manager for the Chicago Region (Wisconsin, Indiana,
Illinois, Minnesota). “Even though the Toyota Tundra is new to NASCAR,
area Toyota dealers have a great deal of enthusiasm for the Tundra racing
program. This sponsorship, combined with the on-track success of the
Tundra, will allow us to capitalize on the passion Toyota dealers have
demonstrated for Toyota’s NASCAR program.”
The ‘Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200,’ which will be broadcast live on SPEED
Channel, will begin at 8:00 PM (CST) and will be the culmination of a complete
day of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series action at the track. Race day will
also include practice and qualifying sessions -- a format that was initially
introduced to the series at The Milwaukee Mile in 2004. There will be a
pair of practice sessions in the afternoon, followed by pole position
qualifying at 5:30 PM.
“This partnership with Toyota’s Chicago Region is an excellent opportunity
to further what our friends at Jack Safro Toyota began last year with The
Milwaukee Mile,” said Gary Girard, The Milwaukee Mile general manager.
“As we celebrate ‘Ten Years Tough’ with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series, we look forward to the promotion and participation of our Toyota
partners in attracting more NASCAR fans to The ‘Mile in our first night race
of the season.”
In addition to serving as the title sponsor for the Milwaukee event, Toyota
will furnish vehicles for on-track activities and have a visible presence at
the oldest, continuously-operated speedway in the world. Currently, Jack
Safro Toyota in Brookfield, WI is the official vehicle-provider to The
Milwaukee Mile, including all of the speedway’s Toyota Tundra Quad Cab
safety units.
“We have the total support of our Metro-area Milwaukee dealers to fully
maximize this race sponsorship,” adds Harris. “We plan to take full
advantage of this sponsorship with promotions and advertising to insure that
the relationship is beneficial to both area Toyota dealers and The Milwaukee
Mile.”
This marks the second NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race that will have Toyota
as the title sponsor. Toyota is also the primary sponsor of the
‘Toyota Tundra 200’ at Nashville Superspeedway, a relationship that began
in 2004.
One year ago, Toyota became the first new manufacturer in elite NASCAR
competition in more than 50 years by becoming a regular competitor in the
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. In its inaugural NCTS season, the Toyota
Tundra recorded four wins, five pole positions and 25 top-five finishes.
Tundra drivers Travis Kvapil and Todd Bodine each captured two wins during
Toyota’s debut season in the series.
This year, Toyota has increased its involvement in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series by expanding the Tundra line-up to include five teams and nine drivers
-- three more drivers and one more team than in 2004.
Drivers piloting Tundras in 2005 include established NASCAR veterans Johnny
Benson and Mike Skinner at Bill Davis Racing, and Todd Bodine at Fiddle Back
Racing. Other drivers utilizing Tundras this season are Craftsman Truck
Series regulars Chad Chaffin (Germain/Arnold Racing) and Bill Lester (Bill
Davis Racing), as well as youngster Brandon Whitt (Clean Line Motorsports) and
former open-wheel racer Shige Hattori (Germain/Arnold Racing).
In addition, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports has expanded to a become a two-Tundra
team featuring last year’s NCTS Rookie-of-the-Year David Reutimann and his
new teammate Robert Huffman, a five-time NASCAR Dash Series champion.
Ticket information for the ‘Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200’ NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series race is available by calling 414-453-8277, or visiting www.milwaukeemile.com.
TOYOTA IN AMERICA
Toyota has eight manufacturing plants in the United States, with two more
currently under construction in Texas and Tennessee. With a strong
manufacturing presence in the country, it’s no surprise that more than half
the Toyota vehicles sold in the United States are built here -- using many
American-sourced parts. Toyota’s overall commitment translates into
manufacturing plants, sales and marketing operations, and research and design
facilities throughout the United States, where Toyota directly employs more
than 31,000. Since 1986, the company has built more than 11 million cars and
trucks in the U.S. As one of the world’s leading automakers, Toyota
offers a full range of models from mini-vehicles to sedans to large
trucks. For more information on Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., please visit
www.toyota.com.
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