How does Toyota determine which racing series and drivers to sponsor?

Toyota does extensive homework on demographics. They look at what vehicles are relevant to each series (trucks for off-road, Camrys for NASCAR), who attends the races, what current fans drive, what they want to drive, and whether they're in the market to buy. They also consider whether drivers have TV exposure, associate sponsors Toyota already works with, venue sizes, and the overall demographic of where they race. The research process is thorough regardless of how big or small the driver's name is.