Three main car companies are responsible for all the production of race engines used in NACAR racing. Team owners work with production companies like Ford performance and Toyota to find and develop the best engines to send their cars flying across the race track.
Key Points:
- Toyota is one of the leading engine builders for NACAR racing and produces high-quality 725 HP V8 engines.
- Each engine is built to exact specifications set out by NASCAR officials, tested with a dynamometer, and meets safety regulations.
- Toyota engine programs are used by race teams in the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck series.
For current generation cars, companies create specific engines for races, like Chevrolet’s first purpose-built engine that introduced a completely new small-block V8 engine.
In the field of high-performance diagnostics, no engine engineering company comes close to Toyota and the perfectly produced engines that meet the specs of cubic inches and reservoir sizes they produce. The high demand for these engines makes Toyota a lead building in the sport. But what engine do they use in NASCAR? Continue reading to find out.
What Type of Engine Does Toyota Use for NASCAR Cars?
All Toyota engine brands use 725-horsepower V8 NASCAR racing engines which have proven to have the power needed to reach top speeds on all tracks. Since superspeedways, where high horsepower could lead to greater speeds, are regulated with restrictor plates, the 725-HP engines have the torque to reach max speeds.
The rigorous testing on Toyota Race Development TRD engines allows engineers to avoid catastrophic engine failure during races by finding any faults or cracks at the testing facility in Costa Mesa long before the team ever receives the engine.
What Are Toyota Engines Known For?
Toyota engine designs are known for their meticulous attention to NASCAR cup engine specs and dynamometer that evaluates operating temperatures and other key metrics for manual transmissions far ahead of the engine ever reaching the race teams.
The efficient use of materials and the ability to manufacture engines repeatedly to NASCAR specs makes Toyota a superior company that supplies engines to race teams.
Which Engine Builder Has the Best Engines?
All of the different companies that supply v8 engines for race cars are the same size and similar in structure due to the strict NASCAR official regulations imposed on racing engines. Race teams and engine builders work together to pack the best engine components into the size constraints and do whatever is needed to pass NASCAR’s pre-race inspection and post-race inspections.
Each of the different companies produces slightly different engines; find out more below.
Ford
Creates a powerhouse engine known as the FR9, which is used by 8 race companies, and each crew gets a new engine every race. Capable of producing over 800 HP, the engine design boasts the highest horsepower V8 racing engine.
Ford NASCAR engine programs have been around since street engines were tuned up at the birth of NASCAR and supply engines to exact specifications required by race officials.
Chevrolet
Racing teams with Chevrolet use a purpose-built R07 engine that rolled out for the first time in 2007. The R07 engine is used by 10 race team partners, and the engine developers work closely to create engine features crucial for advanced engine performance.
The R07 engine has the ability to utilize oil for cooling and can operate at 10,000 RPM.
Toyota
Puts out high-quality 725 HP V8 engines and produces 350 to 400 engines a year for their race teams. All engines are systematically built to NASCAR specifications and thoroughly tested by Toyota Racing Development teams using a dynamometer.
These test measure horsepower and torque and allow teams to see how the engine will perform on different track conditions from inside the laboratory.
Which Teams Use Toyota Engines
Different teams in different series use Toyota engines in each series; there are several teams that race engines provided by TRD and trust the company to meet the demand of race day.
The three main series are the Cup, Xfinity, and Truck series; check out which teams race Toyota engines.
Cup Series
In the NASCAR cup series, Joe Gibbs Racing and MBM Motorsports run Toyota engines. 23XI Racing and Gaunt Brothers Racing also sport Toyota parts.
Xfinity Series
There are three teams that use Toyota engines in the Xfinity Series. Sam Hunt Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, and MBM Motorsports all use these reliable engines to race in this series.
Truck Series
Clay Greenfield Motorsports, Halmar Friesen Racing, Hattori Racing Enterprises, Kyle Busch Motorsports, G2G Motorsports, and ThorSport Racing all use Toyota engines in the Truck Series.
Pros and Cons of Toyota Engines
There are distinct advantages to running Toyota engines, and clever teams are able to utilize these benefits to win races. Likewise, there are limitations to what these engines can accomplish, and in some areas, like power and superior cooling, Toyota engines may not stack up.
Read on to learn the pros and cons of Toyota engines used in NASCAR races.
| Pros | Benefit |
| Purpose-Built | Created to meet all of NASCAR specs exactly, so no adjustments are needed by race crews |
| 725-HP V-8 engine | Ample power to reach maximum speed on all tracks with less waste of unused power transferred as heat |
| Dynamometer Tested | High-Tech lab to test engines and tweak and fix imperfections prior to sending engines to race teams |
| Cons | Drawback |
| Lower HP | Ford engines have a max HP of 800, making them more powerful engines |
| Inferior Cooling | Chevrolet can operate smoothly at 10,00 RPM due to advanced oil cooling systems |
