When former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott failed to qualify a Dodge for last weekend's Bank of America 500 for new team Red Bull Racing, which is one of the three Toyota teams for the company's inaugural Nextel Cup season in 2007, it cast a harsh spotlight on the steep learning curve facing Toyota's teams as they venture into the upper echelon of left-turn-only racing.
In the words of Lee White, senior VP for Toyota Racing Development, "I see light at the end of the tunnel, but there's still a mountain to climb."
Dodge, which re-entered Cup racing in 2000 after a 23-year layoff, could tell Toyota just how high that mountain can be - despite the best efforts of superstar team managers Ray Evernham and Roger Penske, it was only this year that Evernham Motorsports' Kasey Kahne (who won this weekend) started to make regular appearances in victory lane.
The learning curve will be even steeper for Toyota's teams, as they struggle to develop both a current-spec Nextel Cup streamliner with the Camry badge, and NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow" racer (shown above in its Camry guise), which makes its part-time debut in selected races next year. (Rumor has it that NASCAR is pushing for the COT to be used as soon as the Bud Shootout in the run-up to the season-opening Daytona 500 in February.)
[Source: Boston Herald]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Talis @ Oct 16th 2006 8:10PM
Although I do not like the idea of Toyota entering the world of "left turn only" racing, this just proves the mantra "win on Sunday; sell on Monday" is not only true, but a very necessary part of the modern American automotive manufacturing and sales.
An added bonus for die hard red blooded American racers like me is this will simply push the “big three” to create bigger and better racers and civilian monster machines.
John @ Oct 16th 2006 8:35PM
That is the most childish Camry headlights and grille pasted on a pastel lavender shell.
Corey W. @ Oct 16th 2006 8:48PM
"win on Sunday; sell on Monday"
Nothing against Toyota, I just don't see this working for the Camry. It's not like the Camry needs help in the sales department, but IMO I just don't see it happening through NASCAR...
mike @ Oct 16th 2006 9:09PM
If it didn't haul moonshine through the south it dosen't belong in NASCAR. NASCAR has started its own demise.
chewy @ Oct 16th 2006 10:06PM
Toyota and motorsports don't mix. Toyota is the worst manufacturer team in F1, but spends the most money.
vectorbug @ Oct 16th 2006 10:07PM
Too bad Toyota isn't trying to get into the WRC. At least with rally cars they're street legal, so if you squint at them, you can kind of pretend that its the same car we're able to buy.
Its so weird that they're called "stock" cars, when there is nothing stock about them. That is not a Camry, its just a 1000hp vehicle built by a team sponsored by TuRD.
laserwizard @ Oct 16th 2006 10:26PM
I hope Toyota fails miserably in NASCAR - their unethical, dishonest, criminal behavior in the Craftsman Truck Series should give everyone reason to turn their backs on Toyota and to throw glass in the path of every NASCAR racecar with Toyota on its front end.
dodgeboy @ Oct 16th 2006 11:02PM
the last 10 years nascar has sucked. Unless you are a gm team you will never catch any breaks on areo or rules. there is not 1 of the cars running that resemble a "stock car". wanna make it exciting again. make em run the actual sheetmetal that is on the stock car. If chevy or ford or dodge dont like there cars at daytona change the actual car. hence we get great cars the charger daytonas, the torino talledegas. make the sport back to where the manufactures can dictate there own competitive level and the consumer will ultimately win.
Jones @ Oct 16th 2006 11:18PM
Expect lots of good ol boys to be real angry if Toyota are remotely successful in the Nextel Cup.
naggs @ Oct 17th 2006 12:09AM
NASCAR needs to get back to its roots. the cars need to go back to modified street cars. the body and engine block need to be stock. maybe then we'll get some homoligation specials.
after than they can move into the late 20th century with fuel injection.
i have no problem with toyota in NASCAR, it doesnt matter what country your from, its still equally boring.
Corey W. @ Oct 17th 2006 12:14AM
When NASCAR was first formed, to regulate stock car racing, there was a requirement that any car entered be made entirely of parts available to the general public through automobile dealers, and that all cars must be from a model run of which at least 500 cars of that model were sold to the general public. In NASCAR's early years, the cars were so "stock" that it was commonplace for the drivers to drive themselves to the competitions in the car that they were going to run in the race.
They should return to the roots, up the model run requirement to 1000. I think it would be a lot more interesting than the current definition of a stock car.
motorman @ Oct 17th 2006 12:20AM
NASCAR let toyota in for one reason to keep either ford,GM or D/C from leaving because it will look like they are afraid to race toyota if they leave. they can not be seen as afraid of toyota either on the track or the showrooms.
Cars @ Oct 17th 2006 3:35AM
I think NASCAR will overcome TOYOTA this time.
swe @ Oct 17th 2006 5:27AM
here in sweden toyota has a tv commercial making fun of people driving fast.. and then they join nascar?
roadside observer @ Oct 17th 2006 9:06AM
As a long-time fan of NASCAR(25+ years), it's sad and painful to see the sport go down the IROC(read: boring!!!) road. This homogenized form of racing, the term "racing" used rather loosely, is decimating the sport, to the detriment of the true, hard-core racing fan. But that's what you get when NASCAR hands control over to "marketing professionals" and neglects its base.
NASCAR has always resented the power and the influence that the manufacturers have had over the sport. For decades, the sanctioning body has struggled to find a way to maintain supremacy over the manufacturers without giving up the money they pump into the sport. NASCAR has finally found a way to do it - through this "Car of Tomorrow" garbage. It will wind up backfiring on them, as I believe that at least one OEM will drop out of the sport within the next two years. This sport has topped out, and it is set for a decline. In a way, I'm somewhat surprised that Toyota even wanted in.
The old adage is still true - "just follow the smell of money" ... and to his credit, Brian France has done an outstanding job of following the smell of money.
tr @ Oct 17th 2006 9:14AM
"Too bad Toyota isn't trying to get into the WRC. At least with rally cars they're street legal, so if you squint at them, you can kind of pretend that its the same car we're able to buy."
dude, toyota's been there, done that.
http://www.rallycars.com/Cars/Toyota_GT4/Celica2.html
and as for squinting to pretend it's the same car, ever hear of FIA homologation? in the case of the Celica GT4, you pretty much could buy the same car that was raced in WRC.
that being said, i remember when NASCAR races had different vehicles racing each other. screw this COT crap.
Jro @ Oct 17th 2006 9:30AM
"If it didn't haul moonshine through the south it dosen't belong in NASCAR"
I don't remember the last time I saw a front-wheel drive Monte Carlo and two family sedans hauling moonshine through the back woods in Georgia. With the route that NASCAR has gone, making them far from "stock cars," I think they should allow everyone in. Nissan has a great history in motorsports, maybe we'll see a Nextel Cup car soon with a Nissan badge and Maxima headlight stickers.
Hemidakota @ Oct 17th 2006 10:20AM
I suspect it to see on MONDAY, it will need a motor instead of the V6. LOL
Paul @ Oct 17th 2006 10:21AM
i am sure with the help of the superior japanese engineers that toyota will come to dominate nascar. this will help make nascar an international series. maybe then it will gain some real manufacturers and lose those incompetants from the american car companies.
MARK @ Oct 17th 2006 11:27AM
THE CAR OF TOMORROW WILL BE A COMPLETE LOSER