Is 2023 the year when Toyota can repeat its NASCAR Cup Series championship success? Here is what the drivers think

Toyota as a manufacturer has always been the one who has been outnumbered by its rivals in the world of NASCAR. With Ford and Chevrolet making up the majority of the teams and their operations in the sport around the blue oval and the bowtie, Toyota has always been at a slight disadvantage for championship success.

The sport is known for its inter-manufacturer alliances despite drivers belonging to different teams. With a limited number of Toyotas on the field to start with, drivers from the TRD camp have always been fighting at a slight disadvantage.

Going into the first race of the 2023 NASCAR Playoffs this Sunday, things seem to be changing, however. With four of the eight drivers contending for the final 4 spots driving Toyotas, half of the field is dominated by the manufacturers of the Camry and the Supra.

Here is what drivers from the camp had to say about their chances with the brand going into the tail end of the Cup Series season.

Denny Hamlin told nascar.com:

“It’s a one-third or two-thirds disadvantage, but when you get down to the final eight and you got half the field, it’s pretty good, right? So certainly, I think that the way they do things has been really successful, so it’s hard for me to second guess that.”

Martin Truex Jr. seemed to believe in all four Toyota-badged cars making it into the Championship 4 round as well and told nascar.com:

“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible. Four great teams, great drivers. The competition is stiff though. Just focused on getting ours in there.”

It remains to be seen how Toyota-backed drivers perform this weekend in Sin City.

Toyota rookie Tyler Reddick sums up his first year with NASCAR's third manufacturer

Making the switch from driving Chevrolet Camaro ZL1s at Richard Childress Racing to Toyota Camry TRDs at 23XI Racing, Tyler Reddick is in a unique position. He elaborated to nascar.com and said:

“They’ve been very beneficial to me as a driver and certainly the team this year. I’m new to it, my first year with Toyota. I’ve just been extremely pleased about what they bring to the table and how they operate. It has been a lot of fun. Personally, that would be really cool if the four Toyotas that are left can execute in this Round of 8."

Watch all four Toyota drivers challenge in the Round of 8 for the first time this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, October 15, 2023, at 2:30 p.m. ET.