Joe Gibbs racing to hold news conference today at 11

[likearock00]

We all know Joe Gibbs Racing is intending to switch from Chevrolet to Toyota for 2008. They are planning a news conference today at 11 and you can watch it on Speed or right here:

http://www.nascar.com/multimedia/web...ric/index.html

[BTrzebiato]

I have been reading on the NASCAR website how they feel that JGR is a sellout for going to a foreign manufacturer. At the tail end of the conference the SPEED guys were talking how JGR wants to be the leadership role for a manufacture. At this time JGR cannot do this with Chevrolet. Chevrolet is Hendrick, Ford is Rousch, and Dodge is Penske. Toyota right now is Bill Davis with Blaney, but they are not doing that well. Also, Tony likes to go against the grain on how he does things. I think he will stay with JGR just to prove everybody wrong and show that Toyota can win. Mike Ford made the comment that made so much sense to me was that it did not make any sense to switch for 2007. Then you have to develop two cars at the same time. Many people in the US think that we should boycott and do all that stuff, based on the comments people are making, My comment is with the economy and how easily things transport, why not think of this more as a world economy as opposed to just a US economy. Where do your ink pens come from? Japan. Look at the pen it says that. What about your electronics? They are made overseas in Japan most likely. I think TRD will do everything they can to assure the success of JGR for next season. They have tried with MWR and BDR, and TRB, but they have had minimal success. I think they have gotten better as the season has progressed, but still not where they want to be. One of the things that Toyota prides itself on is LEAN. Which basically is continuous improvement. They will continue to improve until their goals are met.

[Bvonscott]

All hail the end of Nascar. What was once our beloved motosport will be turned into anoth IRL, with only Foreign makes competing. Thankfully we still have the ALMS and the kickass corvette racing team.

You what this is BS. Toyota is trying to buy their way into America's driveways, pockets, and our racing. Their pretty much buying some wins. I hope Hendricks' freakin cream them next year!

[shabodah]

I really hope Toyota keeps trying to put the pressure on and failing. Maybe then Americans will have an example in front of them good enough for them to justify to themselves why they would switch back to an American make.

[mikesright]

Originally Posted by BTrzebiato

I have been reading on the NASCAR website how they feel that JGR is a sellout for going to a foreign manufacturer. At the tail end of the conference the SPEED guys were talking how JGR wants to be the leadership role for a manufacture. At this time JGR cannot do this with Chevrolet. Chevrolet is Hendrick, Ford is Rousch, and Dodge is Penske. Toyota right now is Bill Davis with Blaney, but they are not doing that well. Also, Tony likes to go against the grain on how he does things. I think he will stay with JGR just to prove everybody wrong and show that Toyota can win. Mike Ford made the comment that made so much sense to me was that it did not make any sense to switch for 2007. Then you have to develop two cars at the same time. Many people in the US think that we should boycott and do all that stuff, based on the comments people are making, My comment is with the economy and how easily things transport, why not think of this more as a world economy as opposed to just a US economy. Where do your ink pens come from? Japan. Look at the pen it says that. What about your electronics? They are made overseas in Japan most likely. I think TRD will do everything they can to assure the success of JGR for next season. They have tried with MWR and BDR, and TRB, but they have had minimal success. I think they have gotten better as the season has progressed, but still not where they want to be. One of the things that Toyota prides itself on is LEAN. Which basically is continuous improvement. They will continue to improve until their goals are met.

JGR sold out to Toyota, just leave out the foreign vs domestic argument here for a moment. Toyota is swimming in piles of cash, and spent huge sums this year in NASCAR, and got absolutely creamed, because they don't know how to spend it. JGR knows how to spend the cash, I'm sure they got quite the big bonus for switching, and since the bodies, chassis, and engines between Toyota and GM are mostly the same (spec, essentially with the COT), they can be assured of a competitive season next year despite the change just due to the fact that they are essentially the same racecars. Mark Cronquist was absolutely correct in saying that it's going to be easier to switch from GM to Toyota than it was to switch from SB2 engine pkg to the new R07 pkg within GM.

I enjoyed the press conference. The reporters tried to get the real reason for switching out of JD Gibbs and Stewart and Hamlin and stuff, and they pretty much ignored those questions and answered with the universal "this is going to help us win races, reach our goals, cure Joe of his sucky coach syndrome, etc. They said they get to lead development of the racing program for Toyota, which is somewhat true, but they are complete bull**** answers.

What they all meant to say is, "We got a big pile of cash for switching, we'd be fools for switching if it wasn't that, because Toyota has massively failed in its cup efforts thus far. Toyota has shown us all how incompetent they are when it comes to racing, so as a part of the deal, we'll get all the money they spend for R&D efforts so they can't let us down."

GM has always been there for Joe Gibbs Racing, and has helped that team win almost 60 races in 17 years and has helped them win 3 cup titles. The cup always runneth over for those guys when it came to GM helping them out. They are always on the cutting edge and winning because GM helped put them there. GM has never had a better winning season, and GM has won the manufacturer title 26 times in 35 years in cup, including the last 5 straight, and this is how JGR repays them? They talked a whole lot about loyalty when it came to Interstate Batteries when they signed Kyle Busch, but they sign on Toyota seemingly without batting an eyeball? There's real loyalty to the almighty dollar in the Gibbs camp, that's for sure.

One more point. JGR made their big point about switching is to lead development and stuff by being the most important team, and that by being a part of Chevy, with 4 very competitive teams, they could not ensure they would be competitive because GM wouldn't be able to directly address their needs. It's another bull**** reason, because every team wants to go faster and each has the same exact needs. Every team needs components that are lighter, stronger, engines that have more horsepower and durability, chassis that are top notch in handling, and better aero for more downforce in the areas they need it and less drag in the areas they don't, better setups for different tracks, etc, etc. With 4 teams all providing information and as a test bed for ideas that could help them all, each GM team could and would dominate the other teams and manufacturers.

In short, Toyota couldn't bring anything to the table except a smile, a pat on the back, and a sack of cash. But nevermind, because JGR will find its a tough road to hoe in the chase without a supporting manufacturer, and will find the roads ever tougher to be competitive in a racing organization that has consistantly proved they're not. With all of the bridges JGR has burned, just like BDR, they've probably sealed their organization's fate as one that's headed to the grave, especially since Toyota has a nasty reputation as one that has only a passing fancy at motorsport, they've pulled out of CART, IRL, Champ Car, WRC, etc. I don't see how another manufacturer could trust them.

[spaz]

from '97-'02 Joe Gibbs Racing was the top team in the Pontiac stable, i'm sure when they decided to switch back to chevrolets (for 2003 and then Pontiac left nascar after 2003) they realized that there were a bunch of teams in front of them in the Chevrolet pecking order. In NA$CAR the name of the game is money, and the more funding a team has, the more research and development it can do, and more specialized personnel can be hired.., which leads to better performance on race day. Having more support from toyota i assume seems like a better situation for them.
As a fan though i have more appreciation for the teams that are extremely loyal to a manufacturer, like the Wood Brothers team that has run various ford products over the past half century winning with Fords, Lincolns (in the '50s) and Mercurys, but also sticking with them through the lean years in the '70s when Ford did not offer any technical support even through the "back door" (meaning offering over the counter hi-po engine components).
The Pettys also stuck with ChryCo as much as they could. While Richard switched to chevys and olds cutlasses in mid '78, when the 1981 season rolled around and new downsized cars were required the first car Petty Enterprises built for that program was a Dodge Mirada, but it proved to be too far off the pace in testing so the King brought a Buick Regal to the daytona 500 and won it. Since dodge jumped back in in 2001 they were one of the first to jump back into the mopar stuff.

[Shotgun]

Toyota has the cash they do from building top-quality products the past 30 years while the domestics built junk for the most part of those years. That's a big reason why Toyota has so much money. Don't go crying about how Toyota is buying all these teams when it's also the other manufacturers fault for building crap for so long to get in that position. Why didn't Chevy match Toyota? Because they can't afford it. Plain and simple.

I'm not keen on the fact that they switched, but I do see their reasoning. $$$$$$$$$$$$

[chevrobill]

I guess old Joe is going to switch to Bhuddism.

[Shotgun]

Originally Posted by chevrobill

I guess old Joe is going to switch to Bhuddism.

LOL! Too bad Tony lost weight, they could rub his belly!