Toyota hasn't been a favorite with some NASCAR fans since its foray into Nationwide and Sprint Cup racing in 2007. They also haven't been very dominant: their first Cup win didn't come until 2008 with Joe Gibbs Racing, and this year their only two Cup points victories have been provided by that team, through wins by Kyle Busch at Fontana and Denny Hamlin at Talladega. All of the Cup championships since Toyota's entry have been won by Chevrolet or, in 2012, the then-outgoing Dodge. They have had more success over the years with Busch in the Nationwide Series, despite him being a Cup driver for ten years now. They have also been dominant in the Camping World Truck Series, especially this year with Busch.
A few days ago, Toyota unveiled their new-look cars for Cup and what will soon be known as the Xfinity Series. This is the first revision any manufacturer has made to the Gen-6 models in Cup. The Nationwide/Xfinity Series still uses the Gen-5 (better known as the "Car of Tomorrow") bodies. The most obvious differences are the new, bigger grille, with more emphasis on aerodynamics, and less rounded corners. The side windows also take up slightly more space than the 2013-14 model. Toyota clearly wants to start being more competitive in NASCAR's top two series and take away some of the advantages that Ford and especially Chevrolet have had over them. In the past year, one former Toyota team, JTG Daugherty Racing, has switched to Chevrolet, while another, Swan Racing, merged with BK Racing. But they still have some competitive teams like Gibbs, who is increasing to four cars with the addition of Carl Edwards, and Michael Waltrip Racing. So 2015 could be a better year for Toyota.
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