Toyota's "Welcome" to Nascar

[mjd1001]

I don't have an article to link to, but found it interesting:

It appears Chevy/GM have made it a point to tell their top drivers to promote Chevy in the face of the attention Toyota is getting for their appearance in Nascar.

In the Bud Shootout tonight, they had a break after 20 laps in Daytona where they talked to the Drivers, and Dale Earnhardt Junior made a point of saying he wanted to get to the front and help/bump draft any Chevrolet car.

After the race was over they interviewed Tony Stewart, and as the camera was panning away, he made a point to scream at it "Chevy" as he started to throw his hands in the air and wave them at the camera.

Now of course all the drivers mention Chevy when they talk about their cars...the now famous Jeff Gordon "the Dupont, Pepsi, Nicorette, #24 Chevrolet" or something similar, but the attention they gave to the Chevy Brand in their interviews today was noteworthy and above the norm.

[spaz]

toyota has a ton pf work to do if they want to run well even though Brian vickers led a lap early in his camry no toyotas finished in the top 15 in a 21 car race thats pretty pathetic

[mjd1001]

Originally Posted by spaz

toyota has a ton pf work to do if they want to run well even though Brian vickers led a lap early in his camry no toyotas finished in the top 15 in a 21 car race thats pretty pathetic

It is much to small of a sample to come to that conclusion. Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon didn't lead a lap either. Dale Earnhardt Junior..if he did lead a lap..it was only one or two. None of the three challenged for the lead..but it doesn't mean they are bad. Johnson won last year and no one is recent years has had more success at Daytona than Earnhardt or Gordon.

Toyota does have a lot of work in front of them, but it is harsh to say it is easily apparent just because of this one, short race.

[darndot]

Vickers finished 8th. Team Red Bull is the only one that I am worried about be a contender. I think Mikey's team will be weak along with Davis Racing.

Congrats to Chevy and Tony.

[uboys]

Originally Posted by spaz

toyota has a ton pf work to do if they want to run well even though Brian vickers led a lap early in his camry no toyotas finished in the top 15 in a 21 car race thats pretty pathetic

Toyota's just holding back. Everything they do is calculated. They chose not to win that night.

[95MonteCarlo]

This is just one more reason I don't watch NASCAR races. I used to watch the datona 500 but thats kind of like how people watch the super bowl when they don't watch football the rest of the year. Now............I don't even watch that. We can sit around and carp all day about how Toyota sucks, but Im not going to watch them race.

[poncho1982]

Originally Posted by uboys

Toyota's just holding back. Everything they do is calculated. They chose not to win that night.

Oh, OK.

You believe that tripe?

If they could have won, they would have.

[nikivee]

I can't stand Toyota. I would buy any import, but never a Toyota. The reason is because I'm tired of them trying to pull themselves of as an American company when they are not. And I don't want to hear from anyone about how many people they employ here or how many plants they have. They are still a Japenese owned company with a Japenese heritage and name. They are not American, and I tired of them be disengenious.

I'm waiting for their new slogan, "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and Toyota".

[Snafu_SS]

Originally Posted by poncho1982

Oh, OK.

You believe that tripe?

If they could have won, they would have.

Well it wouldn't be the first time a team "sandbagged" before the big race...

Nascar just doesn't seem to have the appeal it once had years ago...SCCA really just keeps getting better each day it seems

[hunchman]

Originally Posted by uboys

Toyota's just holding back. Everything they do is calculated. They chose not to win that night.

It's obvious your only purpose here is to cause **************** and to tick people off at this forum.........please grow up

[RamJet502]

Originally Posted by uboys

Toyota's just holding back. Everything they do is calculated. They chose not to win that night.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

[XCR440SP]

1st, if any manufacturer has an advantage they usually do sandbag in the Bush clash so there is no chance of restrictions before the 500, look at DEI's bush Clash results compared to Daytona 500 results during their restrictor plate time, so the results of this race don't tell lots about the race.

2. I don't look for Toyota to do a lot this year. Not because of the cars, they'll spend whatever it takes to get the best equipment to guarantee that they win, however I don't see any drivers in their line-up that are capeable of doing anything, Jarrett is a has been that is too afraid of getting hurt and being in a wreck so he falls to the back (and usually then ends up in a wreck) Waltrips only success was due to the DEI restrictor plate advantage, Vickers may have future potential, but I don't see him doing lots this year (I think Hendrix held him back, but I don't think he'll do lots this year). Reutiman's not up to par, Dave Blaney is capeable of running up front, but isn't capeable of dominance, possibly a single win, but thats it, Almidinger is an unknown, but it will take atleast a season to learn, Mayfield is capeable of some wins, but ever since he got fired from Penske for being a Coke-head, he hasn't amounted to much.

3. Having said that look for Toyota to get thier program togeather later this year and possibly get a win or two. Then look for them to sign some capeable drivers (of have some of the questionable ones from this year get enough experience to compete), then they'll have a good second season, and by season three they'll own the series (as in bought it) making it impossible to compete with them (look at the truck series for an example). I just don't think the other three can justify increasing spending in this series since I don't feel it generates much in car sales. It does wonders in other sponsorships (budwieser, Pepsi, etc), but I see more Earnhardt stickers in Hondas and find the ration of cars at the track isn't much different than what I see in the city around the track. I go to Kansas every year and it's mostly domestic Trucks and SUV's, but lots of Toyota/Honda/Nissan cars at the track same as what you see everywhere else in the area.

[gardnet1]

NASCAR, especially DW can't talk about anything else it seems. Time for mute button mouth restrictor plates to be put in force. I was hoping toyota would finish 20 & 21.

[CBGTO24]

This will be a long season for Toyota

[CBGTO24]

Maybe Red Bull will okay eventually, but what is waltrip racing going to do with him as their fearless leader!