TOYOTA NOTES: Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway PreviewFive Toyota Camrys started the spring NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series (NNCS) race at the paperclipshaped Martinsville Speedway short track in Virginia. Those Camrys included Dale Jarrett (28th), David Reutimann (33rd), Jeremy Mayfield (36th), Dave Blaney (37th) and AJ Allmendinger (38th). In the spring NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) race at Martinsville, six Toyota Tundras earned top-10 finishing positions with Mike Skinner winning the race from the pole. In seven starts at the half-mile oval, Tundra drivers have three wins, two poles, 12 top-fives and 22 top-10 finishes.

HOME RUN:  Bill Davis Racing (BDR) is based an hour south of Martinsville Speedway in High Point, N.C. BDR fields two NNCS cars, the No. 22 Caterpillar Camry and the No. 36 360 OTC Camry. The team also fields three Tundras in the NCTS -- the No. 5 Toyota Tundra of Mike Skinner, the No. 23 Toyota Certified Used Vehicles Tundra driven by Johnny Benson and the No. 27 Toyota Tundra of Jacques Villeneuve.

FAMILIAR WITH THE FRONT:  Tundra drivers have taken the checkered flag at Martinsville Speedway the past three NCTS races at the Virginia short track. Skinner won from the pole in this year's first race, Jack Sprague took his No. 60 Conway Freight Tundra to victory lane last fall, and Red Horse Racing's Tundra earned the win in the spring of 2006.

JACK IS BACK:  "I've always qualified pretty well at Martinsville, but I never could finish on top until last fall," says Sprague. "I wish I could put my finger on what makes it so hard to race there, but it's just a really difficult track. It's never been one of my favorite places to race because you think that you're good during practice, but then when you get on the track during the race things change."

MUSGRAVE ON MARTINSVILLE:  "The Martinsville Speedway has a tendency of getting you involved in other people's wrecks," says Ted Musgrave, driver of the No. 9 Team ASE Tundra for Germain Racing. "If you qualify well and stay up front, you can have a good day. But, it seems that if any one thing doesn't go well, it's just a long, hard day trying to recover from it at Martinsville. You definitely need good track position, and you have to maintain it."

HT HOMECOMING:  "Martinsville is the home track for HT Motorsports," says Terry Cook, driver of the No. 59 HT Motorsports Tundra. "Our shop is located only 15 minutes from the track. We'll be looking to win this weekend, there's no doubt about that. We've really picked up our program the last couple of months and we've been running with the leaders at every race lately. It would be very cool for a Virginia team to win at a historic Virginia track like Martinsville."

MARTINSVILLE MAN:  One person who has more experience than most drivers at Martinsville won't be in the starting line-up, but will be in the pits for Bill Davis Racing. Jeff Hensley, who hung up his driver's suit and is in his third season as crew chief for Skinner's No. 5 Tundra, knows Martinsville as well as anyone. Growing up in Ridgeway, Va., just six miles from Martinsville Speedway, Hensley spent considerable time at the track and is very familiar with the circuit. He competed in 10 Busch Series races at Martinsville between 1982 and 1985, recording five top-10 finishes.

MARTINSVILLE MEMORY:  "The first time I raced at Martinsville was in 1982," says Hensley. "I think it was the first year of the Busch Series. I had run a race at Caraway (N.C.) Speedway and decided to try and make the Martinsville race. There were 50 or 60 cars there and I had to run a qualifying race just to get into the 250-lap feature. I managed to finish second in the heat to make the race. Then we ran the big race -- running against guys like Jack Ingram, Tommy Ellis and Tommy Houston -- and we finished ninth. It was a big deal just to make the race, let alone finish in the top-10."

THOSE FAMOUS DOGS:  Martinsville is not only famous for hard short track racing - it's also famous for bright red hot dogs covered with chili and cole slaw. Germain Racing teammates Musgrave and Todd Bodine seem to have differing opinions on the traditional Martinsville meal. "No, I can't do the hot dogs," says Musgrave. "Not at all -- I know they are a tradition, but I just can't get into the color. So, it's not on my to-do list when I get to Martinsville." Bodine's reaction to having a Martinsville hot dog this weekend; "Absolutely, got to have a Martinsville Jesse James hot dog, all the way. "(CF Side Bar: You can pick up a pack of Jesse James Hot Dogs At one of the Delhaise America, Inc., owned Food Lions, Blooms or Bottom Dollar Grocery Stores for around $1.89)

MCDOWELL'S MOMENT:  Michael McDowell will make his career-first start in the NCTS this weekend at Martinsville, driving the No. 17 Darrell Waltrip Tundra. McDowell is joining MWR as a development driver for 2008 and earned his fourth ARCA RE/MAX Series win Sunday at Toledo Speedway along with finishing second in the series point standings.

TUNDRA TALK:  After 20 of 25 races, five Tundra drivers sit among the top-10 in the NCTS championship point standings. Skinner slipped to second in the points with only five races remaining in the season and now sits 14 points behind leader Ron Hornaday Jr. Behind Skinner in the standings are fellow Tundra drivers Bodine (fourth), Benson (fifth), Musgrave (seventh) and Sprague (10th).

TOP TUNDRAS IN 2007:  Tundra drivers who have won races in 2007 include Skinner (California, Atlanta, Martinsville and Kentucky), Benson (Milwaukee, Bristol and St. Louis), Bodine (Texas and Talladega) and Sprague (Daytona). In addition, Skinner (Atlanta, Martinsville, Kansas, Charlotte, Mansfield, Dover, Milwaukee, Nashville, and St. Louis), Bodine (Texas and Talladega), Brad Keselowski (Memphis), Ryan Mathews (Kentucky) and Sprague (Daytona) have put Tundras on the pole.

RAISING AWARENESS:  October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) and as a tribute to those affected by the disease, Wyler Racing's No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota will carry the symbolic pink ribbon at the two remaining NCTS races in October. Wyler Racing hopes to help raise awareness about breast cancer and the need for continual screening by promoting NBCAM.

HAPPY 50th:  Toyota is celebrating its 50th anniversary in the U.S. this month. Toyota and its dealers employ close to 145,000 workers in the U.S. and assemble approximately half the vehicles it sells in America, while operating 10 manufacturing facilities throughout the country. For more information on the 50th anniversary of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. please visit www.toyota50th.com.

TOYOTA IN AMERICA:  Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. was formed October 31, 1957, establishing its headquarters in a former Rambler dealership in Hollywood, Calif. Sales began in 1958 and totaled a modest 288 vehicles that first year - 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and one Land Cruiser. In nine of the past 10 years, the Toyota Camry has been the best-selling car in America. Assembled at Toyota's Georgetown, Kentucky plant, more than six million Camry models have been sold in the United States since its debut more than 20 years ago.

BROADCAST BITS:  The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race will be televised on ABC and broadcast on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 128). The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race will be televised on Speed, and broadcast on MRN Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 128).