Arnold Motorsports joins Truck Series with Toyota

Rookie NASCAR Nextel Cup team Arnold Motorsports have announced that they are expanding into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with the Germain Motor Company and Toyota.

The new team will field and sponsor the No. 30 Toyota Tundra for the final nine races of the season starting in Richmond, Virginia.

Germain/Arnold Racing is a new participant in Toyota Racing Development (TRD), Inc.'s engine lease program. The team will lease engines from the manufacturer, and TRD will provide engineering and at-track technical support.

"The Germain family is extremely excited to represent Toyota in the Craftsman Truck Series," said Bob Germain, vice president of Germain Motor Company. "Germain/Arnold Racing has the experience and the resources necessary to ensure the teams' success. My brothers and I looking forward to Richmond."

The Germain/Arnold Racing team will be led by crew chief Mike Hillman who is currently the crew chief for the No. 50 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Don Arnold, owner of Arnold Motorsports, has owned and raced the No. 50 NASCAR Nextel Cup car since 2003 when he purchased the Melling Motorsports program.

Veteran NASCAR Cup and Bush Series driver Todd Bodine recently announced his commitment to join Germain/Arnold Racing for the balance of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series season. Bodine will pilot the No. 30 Toyota Tundra.

"It is great to team up with another family - oriented organization that has the same high principles and goals as the Arnold Companies," said Don Arnold, owner of Arnold & Arnold Real Estate and Arnold Development Companies. "I'm looking forward to racing the Toyota Tundra. Toyota has a great engineering team and great equipment. I hope to be in 'Victory Lane' in the near future with Toyota and Germain/Arnold Racing."

"We have been in discussions with Bob Germain and Don Arnold since we began interviewing teams in early 2003," said Pat Wall vice president and manager of Toyota's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program. "We are pleased to welcome the new partnership into our Toyota Motorsports family as our fifth team."

Germain Motor Company currently owns and operates 16 automotive dealerships in Columbus, Ohio, Naples, Florida and Sarasota, Florida. Germain has been associated with Toyota since 1968 and currently owns three Toyota franchises and three Lexus franchises.