‘We collectively hold ourselves accountable, and we need to fix that,’ TRD president David Wilson on Toyota team pitlane mediocrity this Cup season
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Denny Hamlin's Pit stop
Toyota teams have been struggling in this year’s Cup series to find consistency with the Next-Gen car as they have only secured three wins in 13 starts, which they have made so far this season. The struggles of Toyota have more to do with their pit lane mishaps than the car’s speed. Major Toyota teams such as Joe Gibbs Racing and 23X1 Racing have been the primary victims of the pit-lane issues this season.
The Pitlane issues of the team were seen more evident in the last weekend at Kansas where the Toyota cars dominated the track to secure finishes inside the Top 10 including the win from Kurt Busch and if not for the incredible resilience shown by the drivers their chances were minimal at the end.
Kurt Busch, who finished in the victory lane last race would have finished way behind if not for the Toyota’s dominant speed has, he had an early scare due to a pitstop mishap while his teammate Bubba Wallace wasn’t that fortunate as his hopes for a top 3 finish was hindered by 2 pit lane penalties, he incurred relegating him to P10. 23X1 co-owner Denny Hamlin also had recurrent pit lane issues in the rollercoaster of the season he is having.
Now Toyota Racing Development director David Wilson has come forth expressing his concerns and opinion over the pitlane mishaps they have been having this season.
Find out what David Wilson had to say about Toyota’s pit stop weakness this season.
David Wilson acknowledged that they have a lot of work to do especially in the pit-lane area and the execution of pit actions. He went on to acknowledge that it’s truly amazing that they were able to get 6 cars in the top 10 at Kansas even after the pit-stop mistakes they made. David Wilson went on to say that Bubba Wallace really had a chance for a top-three finish if not for the ridiculous pit stop he had which saw him start at P18 in the final restart.
“We do have work to do, and the area right now we’re focused more so than anywhere else is execution in pit lane. That has been a difference-maker. What’s truly been amazing is the fact that we had six cars finish in the top 10 with as many mistakes as were made in pit lane,” David Wilson said.
“He (Bubba Wallace) was going to finish top three; I’m convinced and he had to restart 18th because he had a ridiculous pit stop, and in spite of all of that, we had the speed to drive back to the front,” David Wilson added.
David Wilson went on to say that NASCAR is a team sport and it’s not a cliché. In order for the team cars to finish ached on the track, the individuals both behind the wheels and those who are underneath the hood and on the pit lane should execute their responsibility perfectly. HE went on to say historically for JGR pit-stop has been one of their strengths buts in the last few weeks they are lagging in this department which he and Joe Gibbs take equal responsibility for adding that it needs fixing.
“It’s not for lack of speed, but we all know, no cliche whatsoever, this is a team sport. In order to win, you have to execute not just behind the seat, but underneath the hood and on pit lane. It takes a team, and so this has been one of the absolute strengths of Joe Gibbs Racing, historically. And for [Joe] Gibbs and I to spend as much time as we have been the past few weeks talking about this are indicative of how we collectively hold ourselves accountable, and we need to fix that,” says David Wilson.
Also read: “I want to be with a great team,” Kyle Larson lays out his demands to partake in the 2022 Indy 500
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Justin P Joy
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