MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Rusty Wallace Racing will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota race cars beginning with the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.
The team, owned by former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Rusty Wallace, plans to field Toyota Camrys for drivers Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan next season.
Toyota has also signed a separate agreement with Rusty Wallace that will enable the 1989 NASCAR champion, television analyst, and Toyota dealer to represent the Toyota brand on a national basis.
“I’m very proud to have the opportunity for the team and I to represent the Toyota brand,” R. Wallace said. “Our team’s decision on manufacturers involved input from a lot of people within the organization. We decided that at the end of the day, our goal as a race team is simple: to win races and championships. Thus, we all had to take a long look at which manufacturer partner could best help us reach that goal.
“I’m a Toyota dealer already, so I knew the high levels of support and dedication they provide to their partners. After touring the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) facility in North Carolina, I was completely convinced. Toyota is the manufacturer to beat in the Nationwide Series right now and after seeing the level of engineering support they provide their teams, I understand why; their level of support is second to none. We’re really excited about the opportunity to partner with Toyota for 2010 and beyond.”
RWR’s move to Toyota follows a two-year campaign in which the team received manufacturer support from Chevrolet.