40 Years of TRD Concludes with TRD Test Driver Behind The Wheel
Drew Herring will pilot the No. 96 Toyota Camry at Homestead-Miami Speedway
MIAMI (November 12, 2019) – For the last time this season, Gaunt Brothers Racing (GBR) will be unloading the No. 96 “TRD 40th Anniversary” Toyota Camry, honoring 40 years of Toyota Racing Development. And to drive the final celebration scheme of the season, GBR has tapped TRD test driver Drew Herring
“I can’t tell you how excited I am,” says Herring. “I spend so much time getting to fine tune these awesome race cars, to get back out there on track, in real racing conditions, at maybe the biggest race of the season, it’s really an incredible opportunity.”
Herring spends most of his time in Salisbury, North Carolina testing setups on behalf of TRD and their partner race teams.
“So much of Toyota’s success on track comes from preparation,” says Team Owner Marty Gaunt. “The teams, engineers, crew members, drivers, and TRD as an organization are always working so hard to be the best, and Drew plays a very big role in that. Not only am I confident he’ll run a good race, I also believe his feedback will make us an even better race team.”
Gaunt Brothers Racing is coming off its best finish ever at a non-superspeedway track, placing 22nd at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, November 3. Parker Kligerman, who has driven the #96 all season, has a conflict that will prohibit him from driving this weekend.
The Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will air at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Sunday, November 17 on NBC.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. and North America for more than 60 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of more than 38 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than 47,000 people (more than 37,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold 2.8 million cars and trucks (2.4 million in the U.S.) in 2018 – and about 87 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 16 years are still on the road today.
Through the Start Your Impossible campaign, Toyota highlights the way it partners with community, civic, academic and governmental organizations to address our society’s most pressing mobility challenges. We believe that when people are free to move, anything is possible. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Gaunt Brothers Racing
Gaunt Brothers Racing, owned by industry veteran Marty Gaunt, operates out of Mooresville, N.C. The Toyota team competes in select Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series events. GBR previously fielded teams in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Series, NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Pinty’s Series, for drivers Alex Bowman, Jason Bowles and John Gaunt, recording a victory in the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown and a track-record qualifying time on the Toronto street course.