Toyota Sending 2018 Camry Out On Modern-Day Cannonball Run

Said to be a successor to the legendary Cannonball Run of the early 70s, the Tire Rack One Lap of America now covers 3,675 miles (5,914 km) and takes place over eight days on seven road courses.

Three teams of engineers from Toyota’s manufacturing plants in Indiana, West Virginia and Kentucky will be racing three trim levels of the re-designed Camry (XSE, SE and Hybrid), in an attempt to put any lingering misconceptions about the nameplate to rest. A 2017 Prius will also be present.

This year, the race will start and end in South Bend, Indiana, and will take its participants to the following courses: Autobahn Country Club, Joliet, Illinois (May 5), Gateway Motorsports Park, St Louis (May 6), Hallet Motor Racing, Tulsa, Oklahoma (May 7), High Plains Raceway, Denver (May 8), Motorsports Ranch, Ft. Worth, Texas (May 9), NOLA Motorsports Park, New Orleans (May 10), NCM Motorsports Park, Bowling Green, Kentucky (May 11).

“We were doing track testing just a few days ago with the Camry Hybrid,” said Toyota Indiana engineer James Nichols. “It was met with humor by other drivers in the paddock, but, when we started passing cars on the track, the atmosphere changed. I think we’re going to surprise some people out there.”

In a previous One Lap of America event from 2016, Toyota managed their best-ever finish when a highly modified 2013 Toyota 86 claimed second place in the Sports GT Small Bore class, driven by the Kentucky team.