WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. (Aug. 20, 2015) – A 2015 Toyota Camry XSE is this year’s raffle car offered by the International Motor Racing Research Center. “We are extremely grateful to Toyota for donating this impressive vehicle for our annual raffle,” J.C. Argetsinger, IMRRC president, said. “One of our friends called the XSE a ‘four-door with attitude.’ We definitely think the description fits.”
The XSE is the model that has been pacing the races at the world-renowned Watkins Glen International race track, which on Aug. 9 hosted the Cheez-It 355 at The Glen NASCAR race. The drawing of the winning ticket will be on Dec. 12 at 1 p.m. at the Center, located at 610 S. Decatur St., Watkins Glen. The winner does not need to be present. Tickets are $40 for one or $100 for three. Only 3,504 tickets will be sold.
Tickets may be purchased by mailing in a form available at the website www.racingarchives.org; by calling the Center at (607) 535-9044; or by sending the necessary information to research@racingarchives.org. Online orders are not an option. The annual car raffle is the Racing Research Center’s major fundraiser. The Center is a 501 (c)(3) charitable organization.
“As an archival and research library dedicated to the preservation and sharing of the materials of motorsports, it’s appropriate that the IMRRC would be offering a prize car that fans can see at work on a race track,” Argetsinger said. Toyota is celebrating its 11th season in NASCAR in 2015, with several teams fielding Camrys. The XSE, new in 2015, leads the pack as a pace car at Watkins Glen, Daytona International Speedway and other tracks. Automotive writers have described the XSE as the Camry with a sportier look and feel.
The car being offered by the IMRRC boasts 268 horsepower with a six-speed transmission with paddle shifters. It has a power tilt/slide moonroof, sporttuned suspension, 18-inch machined alloy wheels, dual exhaust, smart key with push-button start, LED daytime running lights and blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. Color: ruby flair.
Other features include an Entune Premium JBL audio system and Bluetooth. The 2015 XSE is “a substantial midcycle update for the best-selling car in America,” wrote Jonathan Wong, Autoweek road test editor, in March. Autotrader reviewer Doug DeMuro described the XSE as “a truly fun-to-drive midsize sedan.”
Toyota Motor Sales was established in the U.S. in 1957. Camry has been the best-selling car in America for the last 13 years and has been the bestselling car in America for 17 of the past 18 years.
Toyota began competing in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series with the Tundra in 2004 and has logged 138 wins.
The Camry has competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR XFINITY Series since 2007, with178 total victories.
The Toyota Camry is built at the Toyota manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Kentucky.
The Camry has been built in Kentucky for more than 25 years