JAYSKI's SILLY SEASON SITE
Past Toyota News and Rumors
NOTE: many of the links in the past news will be old and may not work
decided it was not worth the time to go thru each one on all the Team Past News pages
- Toyota leaves IRL...for NASCAR? Toyota's withdrawal from the Indy Racing League before the 2006 season--it had previously announced it would stick around in the IRL for one more year--is designed to give it plenty of time and resources to prepare for its 2007 entry into the Nextel Cup Series. Bill Davis and Michael Waltrip are expected to field teams. Penske Racing also has been mentioned [and denied] as a candidate.(Sporting News)
AND It's a matter of when, not if, Toyota announces its intentions to expand its NASCAR entry beyond the Truck Series to the Nextel Cup and Busch circuits. Another sign that "when" could be soon came this week when the IndyCar Series confirmed Toyota's exit a year earlier than had been planned. Honda will provide all of the engines for the IndyCar Series in 2007. That frees up a lot of money in Toyota's racing budget, and it has been clear for some time that the manufacturer was heading this way. ThatsRacin's David Poole is hearing that the NASCAR world could get first word of Toyota's timetable before the 2006 season begins, perhaps in late January on the preseason media tour hosted by Lowe's Motor Speedway.(ThatsRacin)(12-19-2005)
- Parrott close to a new gig? Todd Parrott [former RYR crew chief] won't be unemployed for long--he's weighing the options on two crew chief offers and a Toyota research and development role.(Sporting News)(12-5-2005)
- Honda and NASCAR: Although Honda has not made formal inquiries with NASCAR, certain engineers in the garage have been approached about a program that would begin in 2010.(Sporting News) and with Penske switching to Honda in the IRL.......(11-1-2005)
- Toyota to Cup in 2007? 8 teams? UPDATE: Toyota will support eight Nextel Cup teams when its cars make their debuts in 2007, but none of them is likely to be from Ganassi Racing, which all along figured to be part of the Toyota contingent. Toyota Racing Development will support four Penske Racing squads and two each from Bill Davis Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing. Davis and Waltrip will be partners in 2006, then turn their attention to Toyota.(Sporting News)(10-3-2005)
UPDATE: however, as was reported in the past and reinterated today.....Walter Czarnecki, vice chairman of Penske
Racing, says Penske Racing's contract with Dodge extends beyond 2007.(10-3-2005)
- Honda and NASCAR? UPDATE: Honda, long-rumored to be interested in NASCAR Nextel Cup racing, is now trying to hire NASCAR engine builders for its Honda Racing Development operation, according to engine men familiar with the situation. It is unclear just what game plan that Honda might be considering. But NASCAR has provided Honda with Truck-racing templates, and Honda, since introducing its first big truck this season, the Ridgeline, has been widely expected to enter NASCAR Truck racing eventually.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-3-2005)
UPDATE: Robert Clarke, president of Honda Performance Development, attended his first NASCAR race Sunday. He said Honda isn't planning to follow Indy Racing League rival Toyota into NASCAR, and he came simply to watch the race.(Indianapolis Star)(10-3-2005)
- No Toyota in 2006 for Busch or Cup: Sources close to Toyota have confirmed that the Japanese automaker will not field a NASCAR Busch or Nextel Cup series car in 2006.(Speed Channel)(8-27-2005)
- Waltrip and Toyota? UPDATE 3 to BDR? Denied: Waltrip is headed eventually to the Toyota camp - along with Eury Jr. [note: as of 8/18 Eury signed to stay at DEI], according to one Detroit source very close to the situation - in what is reported to be a top-dollar project. "Toyota has offered Michael and Tony Jr. so much money they can't turn it down," the source said. Waltrip has been eyed for a Toyota ride for more than a year, in part because older brother Darrell runs a Toyota team on the Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR has been pushing Toyota to step up its presence in the sport, for the added marketing punch that would provide. And Waltrip could give Toyota quick credibility. Toyota isn't expected to field a Cup team until 2007, although a Busch team is a possibility in 2006. Toyota does have a formidable presence in the truck series. The Toyota option? "I don't even know when that's a possibility, and I need a job for next year," Waltrip replied.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-16-2005)
UPDATE: There have been whispers that [Michael] Waltrip is working with Toyota to become their flagship driver in 2007. Even though nothing firm has been announced in relation to Toyota, speculation is that they will have a car ready for the 2007 season. Don't be surprised if the team that Waltrip drives for in 2006 is in the final year of their manufacturers' contract.(Suffolk News Herald)(8-9-2005)
UPDATE 2: ....could find Michael Waltrip racing under the banner of Bill Davis Racing in 2006, and he might be taking his current sponsor, NAPA, with him. Waltrip has informed his current team, Dale Earnhardt Inc., that he won't be returning to the #15 Chevy he has driven for the past five seasons. A move to Davis' team would mesh nicely with Waltrip's expected plans to join Toyota's team when that manufacturer moves to the Cup circuit in 2007 or 2008], because Davis already is running Toyotas in the Craftsman Truck Series.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(8-19-2005)
UPDATE 3:.......also, it appears Michael Waltrip is headed to BDR. Waltrip attempted to bring Eury Jr. with him but he turned it down obviously. Bill Davis refused comment this morning.(ESPN's SportsCenter/Mike Massaro)(8-21-2005)
UPDATE 4 - Denied: Mike Brown, general manager for Bill Davis, said his team has had "no talks at all" with Michael Waltrip about joining their operation next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-22-2005)
- No Toyota in 2006: Over the past several months, Toyota Racing Development had quietly built a race car that eventually was submitted for the mandatory approval process that would allow it to be entered into the NASCAR Busch Series beginning in 2006. For reasons known only to them, TRD officials would never acknowledge the existence of the car even though it had gone through the initial stages of the approval process (fitting the car to the templates). Next up for Toyota was an on-track test at Atlanta Motor Speedway, similar to what Ford and Chevrolet recently underwent when submitting their new models for the 2006 season. But just three weeks ago, prior to the first scheduled on-track test, Toyota officials notified NASCAR that they were pulling the plug on the process.
Speculation centered on Toyota and NASCAR officials allegedly being at odds and not seeing eye-to-eye on the car and its engine.
"Not so," said a NASCAR official. "There was never a problem with the car. They just notified us that they were pulling the plug and ending the process – for now." Despite confirmation from those in the garage, Toyota officials still won't acknowledge the existence of the car. Instead, they maintain that their goals have not changed since earlier in the year.(Yahoo Sports)(8-13-2005)
- More on Toyota, Robby Gordon? from Inside the Pit Box - ...... this gentleman was at Bill Davis Racing [BDR] on another matter and while there, saw several Toyota Camry Cup cars either completed or close to being so. It is commonly believed that Toyota will probably not enter Cup before the 2007 Daytona 500. So why would BDR have so many cars with bodies already hung? Too many things can happen in a year and a half. It doesn’t make sense. Everyone knows that BDR heavily involved with Toyota and that the team is doing the majority of R&D for their Cup program. But the gentleman I spoke to said he saw something else at BDR. It was another Toyota painted in the familiar scheme of Robby Gordon with one of the sponsors already in place on the rear quarter panels. There has been no mention of Gordon going to Toyota so this is a brand new one. If Gordon is going to Toyota, which sponsor, Fruit of the Loom or Jim Beam will go with him? Both are extremely proud American companies so how will their customer base react to such a move?(Inside the Pit Box)(8-13-2005)
- Toyota Testing at AMS UPDATE maybe not: Now just one unveiling remains [after Ford and Chevy] – Toyota, which has scheduled its mandatory on-track NASCAR test of its Camry for sometime next week at Atlanta Motor Speedway.(Yahoo Sports)(8-5-2005)
UPDATE: On-again, off-again reports of Toyota's future plans continue to pop up here and there. Toyota officials continue to leave their NASCAR plans open-ended, saying they are committed to running well in Craftsman Trucks before proceeding to stock cars, either in Busch or Cup. One report said Toyota plans to test a car at Atlanta next week, but Toyota associates said Friday that was news to them. "Next week?" scoffed car owner Bill Davis, who has supervised Toyota's NASCAR developments. Toyota should announce its possible Cup and Busch plans in the "near future", according to partner Bill Davis. "I will tell you that [Toyota] will have an announcement in the near future. Asked when and where, Davis repeated, "In the near future."(Speed Channel)(8-6-2005)
- Toyota still up in the air, but could run in 2006: Chevrolet and Ford are seeking approval for new models to race in the 2006 Nextel Cup Series, while Toyota has satisfied all requirements to submit a car to compete in Nextel Cup or the Busch Series next season. NASCAR vice president for competition Robin Pemberton on Friday said the sanctioning body had already looked at Chevrolet's new Monte Carlo and Ford's new model, which will be revealed to the media in Charlotte, N.C., on July 14. "We've had conversations with Toyota all along, even though they haven't officially thrown their hat in the ring," Pemberton said. "We've had good conversations with them and they're evaluating the Busch and Cup Series now -- though no decisions been made (on proceeding). They have done what they need to do by the (deadline), but they've made no official request to participate in 2006." Pemberton said the deadline for getting a vehicle through the approval process -- which includes wind tunnel and track testing -- to race in either Nextel Cup or the Busch Series next season is Sept. 1.(NASCAR.com)(7-2-2005)
- Toyota to leave IRL after 2006: Toyota, which has seen its engines overwhelmed on the IRL circuit this year, will withdraw from open-wheel racing after the 2006 season. The announcement was made Monday by the Japanese automaker, which will pull out of competition in both the IRL and Champ Car after next season. It entered the IRL in 2003 and Champ Car -- which was called CART at the time and included what is now the IRL -- in 1996. "This was simply a decision to move in another direction after having our major U.S. motorsports emphasis on open-wheel racing since 1994," Toyota senior vice president of U.S. motor sales J. Davis Illingworth said. "Just as our participation in IMSA sports car racing ran its course after 12 years, so has our U.S. open-wheel racing program after 12 years in the IRL and CART," Illingworth added. Toyota moved into NASCAR last year with a fleet in the Craftsman Truck series. There has been considerable speculation that the company will move up to the Busch series in 2006 or 2007 and eventually move into Nextel Cup, challenging Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge, which currently race in NASCAR's top stock car series. "We are continuing to explore our options in NASCAR," said Jim Aust, Toyota vice president of motorsports. "However, at the present time our continued focus is on the Craftsman Truck Series."(ESPN.com/AP)(6-28-2005)
- Ford and Chevy submit 2006 models, Toyota....? Ford and Chevrolet have submitted prototypes to NASCAR for the 2006 season. Ford's car is expected to be named the Fusion, and Chevrolet will retain the Monte Carlo brand. The big question surrounds Toyota. The NASCAR rulebook says "any new car model to be considered for approval for competition in the 2006 season must be submitted by the manufacturers to NASCAR for initial consideration not later than July 1." NASCAR officials will not confirm Toyota's intention to offer a stock car. There has been talk that Toyota will pull out of the Indy Racing League at the end of this season, which frightens the big three American automakers currently competing in NASCAR because of the generous budgets the Japanese company devotes to racing. An announcement regarding Toyota's intention could come as early as this weekend at Daytona--perfect timing for the July 1 deadline.(Sporting News)(6-27-2005)
- No Toyota car in 2006? The rumors of an earlier than expected entry by Toyota into the Nextel Cup Series appear to be unfounded. There had been speculation that Toyota already had built and tested cars, but no one seems to have seen the car. Most insiders say Toyota, which competes in the Craftsman Truck Series, won't move up before 2007.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(6-10-2005)
- Trouble with Toyota? Honda looking? There are questions being raised about Toyota's commitment to a Busch series effort next season, and indications of a possible rift between NASCAR and the Japanese car maker about engine issues related to NASCAR's proposed engine of the future. NASCAR's meetings with the sport's four car makers about specifications for the engine of the future, tentatively designed to roll out in 2007, have been takin place since December. The Toyota engine, according to its rivals, has a technical edge in several respects, and the engine of the future project was in part designed to put all four car makers back on equal technical footing. The NASCAR-Toyota debate comes as word breaks that NASCAR and Honda are reported to be in talks for an engine program of some sort, still undefined, but apparently tied in with NASCAR's technical institute in Mooresville.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-5-2005)
- NASCAR Manufacturer Support in Trouble? Given the choppy financial outlook for the Big Three automakers, some NASCAR team executives are beginning to wonder whether the cascade of financial and technical support they receive from Detroit will begin to run dry. oes it really make sense for General Motors, which lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, and Ford and DaimlerChrysler, which saw profits slip 30% or more, to maintain estimated nine-figure NASCAR budgets? "It's a legitimate question that a shareholder would ask," says Jim Andrews, editorial director of the IEG Sponsorship Report. "But there's also a danger in saying, 'The company's doing badly, let's just start dumping stuff.' " Executives representing automakers' racing programs say sales slumps make NASCAR more important than ever. While manufacturers are beginning to find ways to spend money more efficiently in racing, executives rule out wholesale cutbacks that would jeopardize their teams' ability to compete. Andrews notes that GM actually is expanding its sports marketing budget, having signed a deal with Major League Baseball earlier this year. "I doubt very much that these companies are looking at NASCAR racing and saying, 'We should be getting out,' " Andrews says. Andrews believes automakers' support of NASCAR is more "defensive" than anything else; they're racing because their competitors are racing. "If they weren't there, other companies would say, 'Why aren't you there?' "
Automotive industry consultant Peter DeLorenzo, publisher of the autoextremist.com Web site, estimates each manufacturer spends at least $125 million a year on NASCAR and doesn't get its money's worth. While automakers still use racing to train young engineers, it has been decades since advances made in NASCAR — which limits technology to control the cost of racing — applied to passenger cars. Beyond that, drivers' personalities and connections to other corporate sponsors have been marketed so aggressively that DeLorenzo says the kind of car they drive is an afterthought. Most important, DeLorenzo says, being in NASCAR does nothing to help domestic automakers overcome what he calls their biggest challenge: winning over foreign car buyers. NASCAR fans already buy domestic cars and trucks. "Detroit is spending a lot of money to preach to the choir," DeLorenzo says.
Manufacturers' executives tell a different story, one of positive media exposure and fan demographics. "We absolutely believe that it's a great return on our investment, from the standpoint of getting exposure," says Bob Wildberger, senior manager of NASCAR operations for Dodge Motorsports. Mark Kent, director of GM Racing, says GM is in NASCAR for the "long haul." But Kent says they have cut back on travel expenses and are working with Chevy teams to consolidate research and development projects. "Obviously, like anything else in our business, we're looking to do more with less," Kent says.(USA Today)(5-11-2005)
- Toyota: No Busch Series plans? Since the day that Toyota came on the NASCAR scene in the truck series, speculation has continually bubbled about when the Japanese automaker will invade the Cup and Busch ranks. The speculation picked up in recent days with stories citing NASCAR sources as saying that Toyota is working on a car to race in the Busch Series next season and that Toyota has joined Chevrolet, Dodge and Ford in discussion with NASCAR over the development of its "Car of Tomorrow" and "Engine of the Future" for the Cup Series on down.
Those stories were accompanied at Talladega last weekend by word through the garage area that Johnny Benson, who drives for Toyota in the truck series, has tested a Toyota stock car with a Solara body at his short track in Michigan. Patrick Wall, manager of Toyota Racing Development in High Point, confirmed that Toyota has participated in the discussions about the "Car of Tomorrow" and "Engine of the Future" which could bring as early as 2007 significant changes from the cars and engines used now. But, he said, Toyota's plans hinge on the timetable for implementation of the rules changes and that the only series Toyota will race in next year is the truck series.
"We currently race trucks and we are looking at racing cars," Wall said. "We are doing an investigation into the best path for Toyota to get into car racing, and we are waiting on NASCAR to give us the timetable for the 'Car of Tomorrow' and 'Engine of the Future' before we determine what the best plan for us will be."
Wall said he expects NASCAR to announced the timetable for the future car and engine by the end of this month. The "Car of Tomorrow" is expected to incorporate more safety features, including a bigger greenhouse (area from windows on up). The "Engine of the Future" is expected to provide a common engine platform for all manufacturers. "It takes such a financial commitment to develop cars and engines that we want to see what direction NASCAR is going," Wall said. He denied that Toyota is developing a car to race in the Busch Series next year. "We are not working on any Busch cars," he said. He said that it did not make sense financially to develop a car now if the rules are to change significantly in the near future. "When you look at the cost involved, it takes a couple of years to get a payback on that investment," Wall said. He also denied that Benson or any one else has tested a Toyota stock car. "I can assure you that there has not been a Toyota-bodied stock car or a stock car with a Toyota engine [maybe a Ford or Chevy engine?] on a track anywhere on the planet since we raced in the NASCAR Dash Series with Robert Huffman in 2003," Wall said.(High Point Enterprise)(5-9-2005)
- Toyota to Busch Series in 2006: NASCAR has confirmed that Toyota intends to compete in the Busch Series in 2006 and is an active participant in discussions about the next generation of Nextel Cup cars and engines, which are slated to debut in 2007, or perhaps 2008. Bill Davis Racing, the lead development team in Toyota’s truck project, is likely also developing Toyota’s Busch entry, though little specific information has come to light yet.(Speed Channel)(5-4-2005)
- More on Toyota: The key issue in the NASCAR Cup garage at the moment is Toyota's apparently imminent step up to the Busch series next season, with an expected Nextel Cup debut in 2007. Toyota's NASCAR model is expected to be the Avalon, though some are looking at the Solara, too. Toyota, according to sources, wants to field two Busch teams next year, with engines provided by the company, as it has done with its NASCAR Truck program. However, NASCAR officials are reported to have told Toyota that it would have to provide support to least five or six teams. Toyota is also reported to be bidding for some big-name NASCAR teams for its Busch effort, the biggest name mentioned being Chevy kingpin Rick Hendrick. GM executives insist they've got firm contracts with Hendrick for the next several years. However the Hendrick-Toyota questions have persisted, in part perhaps because Hendrick is one of the country's biggest Lexus dealers. Adding fuel to the Toyota-NASCAR issue are reports that Toyota plans to drop its IRL support at the end of the season (the company is spending nearly $100 million this year on its Indy-car program) and that Honda executives have indicated to IRL boss Tony George they don't plan to stick it out either if Honda is to become the only engine supplier to that series.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-2-2005)
- NASCAR Confirms talks with Toyota: NASCAR Nextel Cup Director John Darby confirmed Friday that Toyota is participating in discussions with NASCAR about the new engine and so-called “Car of the Future,” both of which are expected to be introduced in 2007. This is the strongest indication yet that the giant Japanese automaker likely will enter the Nextel Cup Series, probably in 2007, though publicly it has not committed to doing so — yet. But at the very least, Toyota seems committed to the Busch Series for ’06, as Darby said. Toyota intends to submit a new car and engine to NASCAR by July 1, Darby said, the first steps necessary for Toyota to compete in the Busch Series next year. “They’re involved in our engine conversation,” Darby said of Toyota. “There’s an anticipation of them joining us in the Busch Series next season. I know they’re working on a car right now for submittal.” Asked if he thought Toyota’s arrival would be good for the sport, reigning Cup champ Kurt Busch said, “Definitely. They’ll bring in more sponsorship dollars, more interest. When we got these new tracks for two dates — Phoenix, Texas, California — people are familiar with Toyotas. They know what they’re about.” Busch’s car owner, Jack Roush, is adamantly opposed to Toyota’s presence in NASCAR, however, and privately, team owners are worried that the Japanese automaker will drive up the price of racing.(Speed Channel)(4-30-2005)
- A Bit of Toyota Speculation: Toyota executives may handle all driver contracts at the corporate level, instead of leaving it up to individual team owners. And Toyota has considerable cash in the bank for whatever it might want to do, because the company is the most profitable of the automakers at the moment. Might Toyota come in and spend whatever it takes to get whichever driver it wants? Executives at Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler may have to ante up themselves to keep prized drivers in the fold.
Toyota appears to be cranking up things for a 2006 Busch effort, with a Nextel Cup project planned for 2007 - and it may need some drivers. And not just one or two, because NASCAR is expected to insist that Toyota back at least six teams when it steps up. Toyota is spending $98 million on its Indy Racing League program, and that money, maybe more, is expected to be moved to the NASCAR account soon.(Winston Salen Journal)(4-26-2005)
- Benson to test Toyota [Solara?] Busch car? Toyota is getting closer to a Nextel Cup effort, according to sources, who say taht it's only a matter of time before Toyota executives finally pull the plug on their $98-million-a-year Indy Racing League operation and begin moving that cash to NASCAR, first for a Busch effort in 2006. Johnny Benson is reported to be set to test a Toyota Busch [Solara?] car at Michigan soon and at an unnamed short track.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Garage sources say Toyota has two Busch cars built and will be ready for competition in 2006. Bill Davis Racing, which has been without factory support in Cup for nearly two years, is expected to field teams, as is Chip Ganassi Racing. The other manufacturers have personal services contracts with most drivers; Toyota, though, is expected to hold the drivers' contracts, rather than the car owners, to maintain control over the program.(Sporting News/FoxSports)(4-18-2005)
- Huh? [from Yahoo in a rumors story] Hendrick Motorsports and Jeff Gordon to Toyota? This one sounds good because Rick Hendrick is one of the largest Toyota dealers in the country, but it won't happen. Unless, of course, Toyota buys GM in the next couple of years.(Yahoo Sports)(4-18-2005)
- Bridgestone to join Toyota? There is a new twist to the Toyota-NASCAR game plan: according to sources Toyota is already testing NASCAR-style tires for Bridgestone-Firestone, with the implication that when Toyota does step up to the Nextel Cup series, it plans to do so with Bridgestone-Firestone. Since Goodyear has an exclusive contract with NASCAR, the questions are obvious - are Toyota and Bridgestone going to challenge that exclusivity, or is NASCAR going to open up the Cup tour to competition between the two tire giants?(Winston Salem Journal)(4-18-2005)
- Latest on Toyota to Cup: One reason for the engine talks is Toyota's planned step up to Nextel Cup racing and worries the Japanese giant - now the world's second biggest car maker - may come in with a significant technological edge. Toyota's NASCAR Cup plans remain a hot button issue in the NASCAR garage, and now there is word that Toyota may have already tested a NASCAR Cup car with one of its NASCAR Truck engines, and that Toyota's racing division is only awaiting word from upper management to launch the program. However, Toyota has just undertaken a massive Formula One effort that could be draining potential NASCAR resources. The Toyota F-1 project could run from $400 million to $700 million a year. While much speculation has been that Honda would follow Toyota into NASCAR racing, there are reports Nissan, instead, might be the second Japanese car maker to make the move into this brand of racing.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-21-2005)
- No Honda in NASCAR? As for talk of Honda and Nissan entering NASCAR: Won't happen, at least for a very long time. Several motor-sports journalists continue to insist that the new Honda Ridgeline pickup truck signals Honda's interest in the NASCAR Craftsman truck series: Not true. And Nissan -- as long as CEO Carlos Ghosn, king of the depression mentality is in charge -- has no interest in anything that doesn't immediately translate into profit.(Orlando Sentinel)(2-25-2005)
- More on Honda and Toyota's 2006 plans? Next season Toyota is expected to jump into NASCAR's Busch series and Honda is expected to jump into NASCAR's Truck series.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-21-2005)
- Toyota in Busch in 2006? in Cup in 2007? Rumblings in the garage have Toyota testing the Busch Series waters next season before jumping to Cup in 2007, the first year all teams could be running NASCAR's new engines. Those engines will be constructed on common platforms but still will maintain manufacturer identities. Toyota's possible entry into the Busch Series also might accelerate the learning curve for Honda, which could be racing in the truck series as early as 2006. The Big Three U.S. automakers have expressed concern that if Toyota and Honda are given the specifications of this new engine now, the Nextel Cup Series soon could resemble the IndyCar series, meaning Detroit would be severely outspent and unable to compete.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(2-7-2005)
- Honda to NASCAR? With the debut of the Honda Ridgeline truck at the Los Angeles Auto Show earlier this month, speculation heated up that the Japanese automaker soon will follow Toyota's lead into the Craftsman Truck Series. Au contraire, says T.E. McHale, manager of motorsports public relations for Honda. "In the three years I've been here, I have heard no discussions in these hallways about getting into the NASCAR series," McHale says. "Honda is in racing to further its technology, and I'm not sure that NASCAR provides the right platform for us." McHale says Honda's emphasis is on winning its second Indy Racing League title.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(1-17-2005)
- Toyota Cup Plans on hold? Toyota. It seems the powers that be at Toyota aren't in a hurry to jump on to the top rung of the NASCAR competition ladder. In this week's Automotive News, Mark Rechtin gleaned from an interview with Jim Aust, president of Toyota Racing Development, that Toyota has put its plans on hold for NEXTEL Cup because NASCAR is considering announcing major changes to its chassis and engine specifications either after this year or after the 2005 season. Toyota had originally planned on being at Daytona in February, 2007, but those plans seem uncertain, at best. Maybe a breath of fresh air will blow through TRD, and they'll put their NASCAR NEXTEL Cup plans on ice - permanently. After all, one of these manufacturers is bound to get smart when it comes to NASCAR, and it might as well be Toyota, since Detroit seems incapable of any rational thought when it comes to the subject of the France family's little ol' marketing franchise. Toyota just might come to realize that they don't need NASCAR's "spec car" formula to be successful in their marketing efforts. They certainly have done just fine without NASCAR up until this point, haven't they?(autoextremist.com)(11-17-2004)
- Toyota gearing up for Cup?: Toyota, which competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, could be prepairing for its expected move to the Nextel Cup Series by pulling out of the Indy Racing League following the 2006 season, according to Mike Brudenell of the Detroit Free Press. The move would allow the automaker to utilize more of its resources for its Cup series program, which could be up and running by 2007. The news comes two days after General Motors announced that it was pulling out of the IRL after the 2005 season.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(11-5-2004)
- Toyota to Back Safety Program: Toyota Motorsports announced today that it will join NASCAR and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to promote seat belt use. Toyota will work with NASCAR’s Crafstman Truck Series to promote the U.S. Department of Transportation’s efforts to encourage race fans to use their safety belts every time they’re in their cars or trucks. As part of the program, all of the Toyotas in the Craftsman Truck Series will carry a decal urging motorists to "Buckle Up."(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(7-22-2004)
- Toyota Names Program Manager: Toyota has named Pat Wall to a newly created position as vice president and Craftsman Truck Series program manager for Toyota Racing Development USA Inc. Wall, who has spent 15 years as a motorsports consultant providing marketing and sponsorship services, will be responsible for oversight of all TRD resources in High Point, NC [where Bill Davis Racing is located]. He will also oversee Toyota’s technical and racing relationship with NASCAR.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-6-2004)
- Toyota to Cup in 2006 UPDATE: The word on the street in the NASCAR garage over the weekend was that Toyota is now expected to debut its Cup cars at the 2006 Daytona 500 and that NASCAR will let Ford, Dodge and GM have new Cup engine designs for that season. That, however, could give Toyota a significant head start, since Toyota this year is running its Cup engine on the Truck tour.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-24-2004)
UPDATE: been told that Toyota would not come to Cup [if they do] before 2007 as they have three year contracts with the seven current Truck Series drivers and folks on those teams tell me, there are no plans to break those contracts.(5-26-2004)
- Toyota On Track At Daytona International Speedway: Toyota made its first visit to historic Daytona International Speedway this week for a two-day manufacturer test session for the Toyota Tundra, which will make its racing debut in the inaugural nighttime running Florida Dodge Dealers NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday night, Feb. 13. On Tuesday and Wednesday, test driver Joe Ruttman turned laps around the 2.5-mile tri-oval in a Toyota Tundra truck with times posted in the 49-second range (180-181 mph). Ruttman, who won the 2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 and owns the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 qualifying record (187.583 mph, 2000), has been doing the test driving for Toyota at other facilities and was thrilled to be the first driver to turn laps at the "World Center of Racing" in a Tundra. "It's really special," Ruttman said. "Right from the start, it's something that they can't ever take away from you . . . getting the opportunity to do the development on the Tundra. It's educational and it's fun for me. I'm geared up every time they say we're going to go somewhere." A fleet of Toyota Tundras will compete against Chevrolets, Fords and Dodges under the lights on Friday night, Feb. 13 in the fifth annual Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener. Tickets to the Florida Dodge Dealers 250 and other Speedweeks 2004 events are available online at www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com or by calling 1800-PITSHOP.(DIS PR)(11-13-2003)
- Testing at Atlanta: Kevin Harvick’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck team tested Tuesday evening with driver Matt Crafton, getting a jump on testing for next March’s inaugural truck race, and the Toyota development team of Bill Davis Racing joined the test Wednesday night. The 200-mile event is scheduled for Saturday, March 13, at Atlanta Motor Speedway. During the four-hour evening test, Crafton and his #6 GM Goodwrench Chevy truck reached a top speed of 177.408mph around the 1.54-mile high-banked track. Crafton was joined during Wednesday night’s test by Shelby Howard, who will pilot the Bill Davis Racing/Toyota development truck. Crafton has driven the #88 Menards/Enzyme Majic ThorSport Chevy in the truck series for the past four seasons, this year earning 18 top-15 finishes in 24 races. However, Crafton announced in September that he would not return to Dick Thorson’s team next year and was quickly named the driver of Kevin Harvick’s full-time truck series entry. Howard, a three-time ARCA Re/Max Series winner, recently signed with BDR to drive the Toyota Tundra next season. Tickets are already on sale for the truck race and the rest of the March 12-14 Golden Corral 500 weekend. For more information, call the Atlanta Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, or call Ticketmaster.(Atlanta Motor Speedway PR)(11-13-2003)
- Toyota Testing at Daytona: Toyota will hold a two-day manufacturer test session today and Wednesday at Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the 2004 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Feb. 13. Joe Ruttman will serve as the test driver. The test session is free and open to the public both days, with access to the Oldfield Grandstand available through Daytona USA.(Daytona Beach News Journal)(11-11-2003)
- Toyota Unveils Tundra Racing V8 at SEMA Show: The SEMA Show unveiling of the Tundra Racing V8 for the Toyota Tundra race truck represents one of the most critical steps in Toyota's journey to NASCAR's victory lane. It follows a historic press conference at the 2003 Chicago Auto Show where Toyota first rolled out a race-prepared Tundra pickup to formally announce its plans to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The normally aspirated, Tundra Racing V8 engine was designed entirely in America by Toyota Racing Development. TRD's technical capabilities came to the forefront as they designed and produced "from a clean sheet of paper," an overhead valve racing engine in a remarkably short period of time. The engine design focused on high quality, performance, lightweight, reliability, and ease of manufacture. Measuring 358 cubic inches of displacement, the V8 is capable of producing up to 650 horsepower. The cast aluminum cylinder head and cast iron cylinder block both use a computer-optimized cooling system. The engine is also equipped with forged aluminum pistons, forged steel connecting rods, and a high strength billet steel crankshaft. Its fuel pump and exhaust were each developed by TRD. The engine's Craftsman Series debut will take place at historic Daytona International Speedway in February 2004 where it will be represented by at least six American-built Tundra race trucks. Team affiliations will be determined soon [see my Truck Series site for what I have heard, including drivers]. TRD will design, develop, and build the Craftsman Truck Tundra V8 to NASCAR specifications in its Costa Mesa, Calif., facility.(Motorsports Forum)(11-9-2003)
- DW Grand Marshal at the Toyota All-Star Showdown: Darrell Waltrip, three-time NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion, Fox Sports NASCAR analyst and occasional NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor, will officially start things off at the Toyota All-Star Showdown. Toyota named Waltrip as the event’s Grand Marshall and the popular NASCAR driver/TV analyst will give the command for the drivers to start their engines on Saturday night at Irwindale. "Toyota is delighted to have an icon of the sport as our Grand Marshall at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown," said Les Unger, National Motorsports Manager for Toyota Motor Sales USA. "We are working diligently with NASCAR and the staff of Irwindale Speedway to make sure this inaugural event is remembered for years to come." The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway will be held Nov. 6-8, 2003 and televised on Speed Channel on Nov 7th at 11:00pm/et and on Nov 8th at 8:00pm/et. More info at www.nascartouring.com/toyota.(NASCAR PR)(10-31-2003)
- Toyota Engine Heads disallowed? Toyota's new engine-cylinder heads have been disallowed by NASCAR, throwing that camp into turmoil. The new heads, according to one engine man, are worth 50 extra horsepower.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-13-2003)
- Toyota tests Tundra - Ruttman tests at Caraway: The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Tundra race truck, which will make its racing debut in February 2004 at Daytona, ran its initial test yesterday at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C. The historic session was the first for the manufacturer since it officially submitted the truck to NASCAR in July. Veteran racer Joe Ruttman handled the driving duties at the 0.455-mile oval.
"It was another significant step in the truck program's progression," said Jim Aust, vice president of Motorsports at Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) U.S.A. "For Toyota, it is a special day as we prepare for the
Tundra's debut at Daytona next February. It is a rewarding moment for those who have worked on the truck program over the last year."
The test was conducted to learn the Tundra race truck's basic characteristics, evaluate systems, and gain first impressions on down
force and balance.
"It's really an honor to be first to climb behind the wheel of the Tundra," said Ruttman, a NASCAR Craftsman Truck veteran since the
series' inception in 1995. "For being its first time on the track, I was really impressed with the truck's performance. It hit as close to the mark as any new race vehicle could hope to achieve for a first test. I'm really looking forward to experiencing the truck's learning
curve and contributing to its progression."
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Toyota Tundra will continue testing throughout the fall in preparation for the 2004 season.(Toyota Motorsports PR)(8-29-2003)
- Toyota still has a lot to do: Toyota has submitted its Tundra race truck to NASCAR for approval to compete in the Truck series in 2004. The design for the new truck was started more than a year ago by Toyota Racing Development, with the help of Swift Engineering in California. "We have a wealth of experience and talent at TRD in creating an engine from scratch, but in developing the Tundra chassis and body we went to industry experts with the know-how in NASCAR-type equipment," said Jim Aust, president and CEO of TRD. "It's been a great learning experience and a very gratifying journey," Aust added. "But we know a lot of the hard work is yet to come. We're working diligently to prepare our Toyota NASCAR V-8 for submission in a few months." The Tundra truck submitted to NASCAR will undergo final aerodynamic evaluation by the sanctioning body, along with the other manufacturers' trucks. On-track testing of the Toyota truck is scheduled to begin this summer and continue into the fall.(ThatsRacin.com/AP)(7-18-2003)
- Toyota Acknowledges Partnership, Denies Charges [by Dodge]: A Toyota spokesman says the company is working with Bill Davis Racing to develop its first entry into the Craftsman Truck Series but denies using the team to siphon trade secrets from Dodge, USA Today reports. Spokesman Xavier Dominicis says Toyota hired the team to help develop a chassis and body for its Tundra truck for the series and says the team is one of about 12 companies providing assistance. The story notes that Toyota is not named as a defendant in Dodge parent DaimlerChrysler's breach of contract suit against the team but points out that the suit "expresses concern that Davis' team has or will share DaimlerChrysler's confidential information with Toyota." Dodge announced last week that it was dropping its factory support of BDR, which enters Dodges for Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace in the Winston Cup Series. The team does not have an entry in the Craftsman Truck Series.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(6-6-2003)
- Toyota to help Davis with $$? Regardless of what Bill Davis' problems might be with Dodge, Toyota officials are saying privately that money will not be a problem for Davis, that they'll do whatever it takes. Dodge officials are declining to confirm reports that they have filed legal papers in Michigan over the issue or to describe the gist of those papers. The Dodge-Davis story was one of the biggest this weekend, along with worries about Toyota increasing among Winston Cup tour teams. According to two sources, Toyota's entry into NASCAR's Truck series could lead both General Motors and Ford officials to reconsider their companies' sponsorship support. If Ford and GM back off, the Truck tour could become a Dodge vs. Toyota battlefield, with the Japanese car maker challenging the German automaker.(more at the Winston Salem Journal)(6-2-2003)
- NASCAR gives a car and engine to Toyota? UPDATE 2 NASCAR denies: Another of the big stories here concerns car owner Bill Davis, who spent most of the day repeating 'No comment.' The bottom line is Dodge's one, big happy family isn't so happy, or as big, anymore, with the abrupt decision by DaimlerChrysler to cut Davis' two-car operation out of the fold a little more than a year after Davis and Ward Burton put Dodge in victory lane at Daytona. When Dodge returned to NASCAR's top division three years ago, it came with Ray Evernham, Petty Enterprises and Davis. Since then, Chip Ganassi and Roger Penske have jumped on the train, and those two Indy-car giants have been overshadowing Dodge's original threesome. Dodge's decision to drop factory support of the Davis team, because DaimlerChrysler officials hint the team has been providing technical advice to Toyota, was the talk of the Winston Cup garage yesterday ... except in Davis' hauler, where he and his crew were mum. 'No comment for the foreseeable future,' is all Davis is saying this weekend.
AND The surprising Dodge move has some key Winston Cup figures thinking that Toyota may be preparing to jump into Winston Cup racing sooner than expected. Tony Stewart said he has been told that NASCAR officials have given his Texas car to Toyota engineers for scrutiny -- NASCAR confiscated that car for uncertain reasons, and the sanctioning body hasn't given it back. Greg Zipadelli, Stewart's crew chief, said NASCAR also has given a Robert Yates' Ford motor to Toyota for detailed examination, in order to give Toyota a quicker jump out of the box. Stewart and Zipadelli are angry over those developments.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-31-2003)
UPDATE - denied bt NASCAR: NASCAR strongly denied published reports that it gave parts confiscated from the Winston Cup garage to the Toyota startup effort. One such written account attributed Tony Stewart and crew chief Greg Zipadelli saying NASCAR had given Toyota the #20 Home Depot Chevy, which was confiscated during the Texas race weekend. The same report indicated NASCAR had given Toyota the Robert Yates Racing engine confiscated during The Winston weekend. However, NASCAR Vice President of Corporate Communication, Jim Hunter, addressing both allegations said that the parts are still in NASCAR’s impound in the Concord, N.C., Research and Development Center. Hunter added, “We spoke with [Joe] Gibbs last Tuesday about getting the parts back to the car, that we're going to give him and he's working to comply with the requirements. NASCAR would never give a competitor a confiscated part," Hunter added. "It would be foolish to put confiscated parts back into circulation."(Team Ford Racing)(6-1-2003)
UPDATE 2 - more: Hunter said on an XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio interview that the #20 team would be getting most of the car back, but not the body as it didn't conform with the template rules. And that the story that NASCAR gave the car and the #88 engine to Toyota was ludicrous [ludicrous speed?] saying why would NASCAR want to put illegal parts back into circulation.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio - Subscription Required), heard this 'rumor' was started as 'fun' by a Cup driver/crew chief., to see if it would get picked up.(6-4-2003)
- More Toyota Stuff: Just say the word 'Toyota' in the Winston Cup garage here [Dover], and you can feel the shivers. Yes, the Japanese auto maker, even though it has yet to put a truck or a Winston Cup car on the race track, is already scaring the heck out of NASCAR regulars. Not just because they believe that Toyota's racing department is willing to spend money. Not just because Toyota has some good engineering talent. But because, rivals say, Toyota men have already upped the ante in ruthless behind-the-scenes battling for some of stock-car racing's key technical secrets and because many Winston Cup regulars fear that NASCAR officials will do for Toyota what they feel NASCAR did for Dodge - bend over backward to help the new car manufacturer make a successful entry into NASCAR. "Toyota is going to come in here and run teams right out of this sport,' said a top Winston Cup team owner."
Some notes:
--Over the winter, Dodge executives said they were angry at Toyota for moves they said it was making to hire Winston Cup engine builders who could provide proprietary secrets about engine designs.
--At least one Chevrolet team has provided engine builders to help Toyota with its new designs.
--Last week NASCAR approved Toyota's new cylinder head, according to NASCAR sources. And Toyota did more than that, providing NASCAR with some of the sophisticated 3D computer programs used in the CAD-CAM designing of those heads. That could be a precedent-setting move if NASCAR now insists that rival car makers provide the same computer programs.
--Tony Stewart said that NASCAR has given his Texas Chevy to Toyota to study.
--Crew chief Greg Zipadelli said that NASCAR has given a Robert Yates Ford engine to Toyota to examine.(Winston Salem Journal) and see past news on my Toyota page.(6-1-2003)
- And more on Dodge and Davis: Dodge has no immediate plans to expand the number of factory-backed Winston Cup programs, despite cutting ties last week to Bill Davis Racing. "Something like that would not come as a direct, hasty response to what has occurred," said Todd Goyer, manager of Dodge Motorsports. "I can't say what will happen down the road, however." Last week, Dodge severed its contract to provide factory support to BDR's Winston Cup teams with drivers Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace. The manufacturer would not comment on the specific reason for its move, with Goyer saying only that BDR's actions were "intolerable." Speculation in the Winston Cup garage Friday was BDR was involved with Toyota and its plans to enter the NASCAR Truck series next season. Goyer would not directly respond to that issue, saying instead: "As a hypothetical question, it's safe to say if a Dodge team was working with another manufacturer, we would have concerns." BAM Racing, which fields the #49 Dodges for Ken Schrader, hopes to pick up some of backing previously directed to BDR. BAM currently receives little factory support from Dodge. "The Dodge people know what their plans are for the rest of the year. Anything they can do for us, the gratitude would certainly be unlimited," said Eddie Jones, BAM's general manager. "They are already doing the things for us they can. They had a limited number of contracts and we weren't one of them. But they have been doing everything they could because they have seen our loyalty to the brand." Although it has no full-time primary sponsor, BAM has entered every race this season and has used Dodges since it began a part-time schedule last season. BDR officials again Friday declined to comment on the situation.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-31-2003)
- Dodge Splits with Bill Davis Racing UPDATE 2: A top Dodge Motorsports official confirmed Thursday that the automaker has terminated its contract with Bill Davis Racing [BDR]. Davis fields the Winston Cup Dodges of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace. Davis also fields Chevrolets in the Busch Series for Scott Wimmer. Todd Goyer, manager of Dodge Motorsports, said the contract was terminated prior to last weekend's Coca-Cola 600. Goyer would not comment spcifically on what prompted Dodge's decision, but called BDR's actions "intolerable." He would not provide specifics. A spokeswoman for the Davis team said she was not aware of the change late Thursday afternoon. The loss of factory support means BDR will not receive information and engineering data provided to Dodge programs. BDR could also lose wind-tunnel time and the use of factory-supplied parts for its teams. Bill Davis Racing ran Dodge bodies in last weekend's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(ThatsRacin.com). There have been many rumors that BDR has been working with Toyota for the Truck Series, which will run the that series in 2004.
AND Dodge Motorsports has terminated its contract with Bill Davis Racing, cutting off all support and access to information for drivers #22-Ward Burton and #23-Kenny Wallace. Todd Goyer, managing director for Dodge Motorsports, said Thursday the contract was broken before last week's Coca-Cola 600 because of a "material breach of agreement."
"We do have enough reason to reach the conclusion that we did," Goyer said. There has been speculation Davis has been in discussion with Toyota, which will become the first foreign automaker in NASCAR next season when it enters Tundras in the Truck Series. Goyer would not comment further on what led to the split with BDR. Davis can still use Dodge Intrepids for Burton, Wallace and Busch Series driver Scott Wimmer [but run's Chevy's in Busch], but he'll now have to pay for all of his equipment. He'll also be shut out of the information sharing that goes on between Dodge teams. That access can be vital, considering NASCAR heavyweights Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and Ray Evernham are part of the Dodge contingent. "Factory support means they have access to the technology that all the Dodge teams have and all the information sharing," Goyer said. "It's access to all the technical aspects, plus the marketing support and use of the Dodge brand name." Davis will also lose access to Dodge's wind tunnel in Michigan. Wind tunnel time is one of the greatest expenses in racing and Dodge teams were able to save considerably by having one in-house at the DaimlerChrysler headquarters. The manufacturer now has four official teams - Penske Racing [#2/#12], Chip Ganassi Racing [#40/#41/#42], Evernham Motorsports [#9/#19/#91] and Petty Enterprises [#43/#44/#45] - and nine drivers. #49-Ken Schrader drives a Dodge for BAM Motorsports, but the team does not receive factory support.(Charlotte Observer/AP)(5-29-2003)
UPDATE suspposedly BDR tested a Chevy at Dover with Wimmer the week before the Coke 600 for the Cup race, then it was announced Wimmer would not run at Dover.
AND also the Jim Smith's Ultra Motorsports #7 Sirius Dodge and Jimmy Spencer is a Dodge factory team.
UPDATE 2: all interviews with either Dodge folks, Bill Davis or the drivers pretty much are 'No Comment' on the situation. The only thing mentioned was that it was a face-to-face meeting with Dodge and Davis during the Coke 600 race weekend.(5-30-2003)
- Toyota in the Wind: According to Charlotte area sources, the Toyota factory folks are busy booking time at the Lockheed wind tunnel for 2004. How much time? According to TFR's sources every bit of it that they can get — so much so that if the non-Toyota teams aren't careful they could get shut out of the Marietta, Ga. based facility. "That's the way they work," said one team official, who dealt with Toyota in Championship Auto Racing Teams. "They're not afraid to spend their money."(Team Ford Racing a jayski sponsor)(5-22-2003)
- Toyota Stuff - Ganassi and Davis? Things have been pretty quiet on the Toyota front lately, but work on the Japanese company's new NASCAR Tundra racer is well under way. The two NASCAR teams expected to play a big role in Toyota's truck venture next season are the ones owned by Chip Ganassi and Bill Davis, although neither is willing to confirm anything. Davis' suspected Toyota truck operation, according to team sources, is being run at a secret shop that is being called Area 54, a take-off on the U.S. government's top-secret flight base, Area 51. Where might that shop be? According to sources, it's probably at Davis' old Busch shop in Thomasville, NC.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-14-2003)
UPDATE: AutoRacing1.com say to look for Carl Haas, not Ganassi Racing, to lead the Toyota NASCAR effort when it happens. Seems Ganassi may be too linked to the Dodge program right now.(AutoRacing1.com - need subscription to read)(4-15-2003)
- Roush not happy about Toyota: Jack Roush, head of Roush Racing, said Tuesday that while Toyota will bring new sponsors and generate added interest in stock car racing, America would be better off if NASCAR stayed ``red, white and blue.'' Toyota will become the first Japanese manufacturer to compete in one of NASCAR's top three divisions next year when it enters the Craftsman Truck Series. The company is expected to move up to Winston Cup within a few years.(Tampa Tribune)(3-26-2003)
- Toyota, new shop? Ganassi? UPDATE: Toyota is buying a 240,000-square-foot building in Charlotte on a 124-acre plot of land for part of its NASCAR venture, according to NASCAR sources, who report that car owner Chip Ganassi has already gotten a check for $35 million to crank up a Toyota operation. Toyota officials are pushing NASCAR to OK fuel injection and eliminate the old-fashioned carburetors used on these 358 cubic-inch racing engines for many years. Ford also is pushing for fuel injection, in large part because the company has developed - and patented - a solid-fuel injection system for race cars, a system better than anything General Motors or Dodge has. The GM system has a significant delay when drivers try to get off the gas. NASCAR has been so eager to get Toyota involved in stock-car racing that Detroit manufacturers believe that NASCAR might approve fuel injection.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-1-2003)
UPDATE: Toyota Motorsports' plan to field a team of Tundra's in the NASCAR Craftsman truck series could lead to a major Charlotte-area facility down the road. And Toyota is stressing the down the road part after a report this week in the Winston-Salem Journal quoted NASCAR officials as saying Toyota had written a $35 million check to open a 240,000-square-foot headquarters on 124 acres here. "There's no truth to that," says Les Unger, Toyota national motorsports manager. Toyota is much too busy developing an engine and chassis for the truck's planned 2004 entry to think about a presence in the country's racing capital, Unger says. Instead the work will be done at a 60,000-square-foot plant in Costa Mesa, Calif., which employs about 250. A Charlotte-area facility may come later, though, Unger acknowledges. "Maybe after the dust settles in five to seven months, we will look for a facility," he says.(Charlotte Business Journal)(3-10-2003)
- Toyota to build test track? in NC? there is speculation that Toyota might want to build a test track near Charlotte [NC].(Winston Salem Journal)(3-3-2003)
- Toyota News: The lead engine builder for the new Toyota program, according to Detroit sources, will likely be Larry Wallace. Larry Wallace decided not to renew his contract with Penske Racing at the end of last season, and Wallace is reported to have moved back into his former shop, not far from Lowe's Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Toyota's first wind-tunnel runs with its NASCAR Truck didn't go well, according to NASCAR sources, who report that Toyota engineers didn't tie the Truck down tightly enough during the runs at the Langley (VA) wind tunnel a few weeks ago. The Truck tore loose from its moorings and did serious damage to the facility, forcing it to close for two weeks for repairs. No word on how much Toyota had to pay for damages.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-24-2003)
- Nissan in the Truck Series too? Nissan, gearing up to launch a full-size pickup truck later this year, may race in a top pickup truck league of NASCAR, in an effort to promote the truck. Larry Dominique, chief product specialist for Nissan's full-size pickup truck and sport-utility vehicles, said NASCAR has contacted and asked Nissan whether the Tokyo auto maker is interested in taking part in its Craftsman Truck race series. Though there are some obstacles, including a sizable investment needed to develop race-ready pickup trucks, Dominique said Nissan told NASCAR it wanted to keep the dialogue open and learn more about the series.(Yahoo Biz via WSJ)(2-21-2003)
- Toyota to Launch Truck Ad Campaign: Toyota won't wait until it's actually competing next year to begin supporting NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, according to this week's issue of Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal. Senior writer Bill King says the company plans to begin advertising during the truck races on Speed Channel this year. No details about the ad campaign were disclosed.(Winston Cup Scene Daily Newsletter)(2-18-2003)
- Worried about Toyota? GM and Ford teams are both worried that when Toyota comes into Winston Cup racing, it will raise the financial stakes considerably, and that GM and Ford executives in turn will have to cut back on the support they give their own teams if they have to start matching Toyota's expected surge of TV ads.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-17-2003)
- Toyota in NC: Toyota officials said yesterday that they plan to build a major Southeastern racing center in the Triad of North Carolina. Toyota announced plans to step up to NASCAR's Craftsman Truck series next year, and there is intense speculation that it will step up to the Winston Cup tour by 2006.(Winston Salem Journal)(2-15-2003)
- Toyota in the CTS in 2004: Toyota announced today at the Chicago Auto Show its historic plans to begin participation in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. Toyota Tundra Trucks will make their racing debut at Daytona International Speedway in February 2004.(Autoracing1.com need subscription to view/read article, also on NASCAR.com), Toyota has assembled the full-size Toyota Tundra exclusively at its Princeton, Ind., plant since its debut in 1999. Beginning with the 2004 season-opening NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Daytona, as many as six Toyota Tundra race trucks may be entered for competition. Team affiliations will not be determined until a later date. Toyota Racing Development (TRD), U.S.A. will design, develop, and build the Craftsman Truck Tundra V8 to NASCAR specifications in its Costa Mesa, Calif., facility.(2-12-2003)
- Toyota Announcement Soon? NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. said Monday that he expects an announcement soon about the involvement of a new manufacturer [Toyota?] in one of the racing organization's top three series. Toyota, which already competes in NASCAR's Dash series, is said to be ready to announce that it will compete in the NASCAR truck series in the coming years. Although NASCAR's rules prohibit foreign-made cars, France pointed out that Toyota actually "manufactures" some of its cars in the United States.(in part from the Orlando Sentinel)(2-11-2003)
- Toyota and NASCAR ink deal? While it’s years from an official announcement, [Autoweek] have word that an agreement has been reached between Toyota and NASCAR for Toyota to race in Winston Cup in 2007. That’ll be three years after it starts in Craftsman Truck in 2004. Toyota engineers are working on the carbureted V8. It’s still on the computer at this point, but will soon come to three-dimensional form. One problem with the engine is casting it in iron. Most Toyota blocks are aluminum alloy, but engineers found a Toyota facility in Japan that still casts in iron. The Craftsman entry will feature a Tundra body and the Cup car will be a Camry, “whatever the Camry will look like then,” Toyota sources said.(Autoweek)(1-25-2003)
- Toyota in Cup - 2007? CTS in 2004 UPDATE: While it’s years from an official announcement, Autoweek has word that an agreement has been reached between Toyota and NASCAR for Toyota to race in Winston Cup in 2007. That’ll be three years after it starts in Craftsman Truck in 2004. Toyota engineers are working on the carbureted V8. It’s still on the computer at this point, but will soon come to three-dimensional form. One problem with the engine is casting it in iron. Most Toyota blocks are aluminum alloy, but engineers found a Toyota facility in Japan that still casts in iron. The Craftsman entry will feature a Tundra body and the Cup car will be a Camry, “whatever the Camry will look like then,” Toyota sources said.(Autoweek)(12-24-2002)
UPDATE: NASCAR executives are interested in getting Toyota into the sport, and they have had a number of talks over the past few years. The discussions intensified last spring, with NASCAR hoping that Toyota might have a truck ready for this year's SpeedWeeks. Now Toyota's time frame appears to be for a 2004 Truck debut, followed by a step up to Winston Cup in either 2006 or 2007. If Toyota wants to run on NASCAR's Truck tour next season, the Japanese car maker will have to first submit a Truck body for NASCAR to OK by July 1 and then submit a 358 V-8 by Sept. 1. NASCAR will go to a "common template" Truck next season, according to NASCAR sources, which would make the job easier for both Toyota and NASCAR. "We're excited," George Pyne, NASCAR's senior vice president, said Wednesday. "I think Toyota is taking a long, hard look at NASCAR," Pyne said. "But I don't think any final decisions have been made. But I know they have been working diligently on looking at the Truck series. They've done a lot of due diligence in evaluating NASCAR as an opportunity. We have had a number of conversations with them, on the racing side and on the business side. Our competition department has had conversations with them about the engine and about the (body) fabrication and aerodynamics."(Winston Salem Journal)(1-23-2003)
- More Toyota Stuff UPDATE: According to garage sources Toyota has placed at least one call to a third party engine casting company. The engine manufacurer is looking for support information and specifications for the V8 engine they’ll need if they want to go NASCAR racing in the future.(Ford Racing)
AND Toyota is expected to join NASCAR next season with some factory-backed trucks on the Craftsman's Truck tour, with the obvious aim of stepping up to the Winston Cup tour, probably by 2007. Toyota officials are working hard to recruit racing engineers from Detroit rivals for their NASCAR effort, and Toyota is seeking all sorts of proprietary engine information from Winston Cup engine manufacturers, according to Dodge sources. Toyota must submit a 358 c.i. V-8 to NASCAR for approval by Sept. 1, so the company should be quite far along in its development process. It is unclear which NASCAR operations might be helping Toyota with the project, although one unconfirmed report is that Robert Yates has an engine for testing.(Lap by Lap)(1-15-2003)
UPDATE: folks at Robert Yates Racing IS NOT working with Toyota on engines or anything else in any way, shape or form and that RYR is very committed to Ford.(1-16-2003)
- Toyota V-8 Stock Car: The International Stockcar Alliance announced that veteran driver Mark Dilley will be racing in the upcoming 2003 ISA Exide Racing Series. The Barrie, Ontario resident will be driving a Toyota Camry, the first driver to do so, not only in ISA competition, but in North America. The first to drive a Toyota V8-powered Camry in North American stock car competition. The ISA is a new auto racing series, the International Stockcar Alliance, which will feature not only new cars, drivers, and racing venues, but will feature a chance for a driver and a fan to team up and win a million dollars each at six of the ISA's races.(ISA Racing Site) [NOTE: Toyota is alos in Goody's Dash but is NOT a V-8](11-26-2002)
- Toyota News..in 2006? Lee White, general manager of Toyota Racing Development [TRD] said a lengthy feasible study is nearing an end and he should know before the end of the year whether Toyota will be entering NASCAR via the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. If it follows the Dodge model, Toyota would use the trucks as a rolling laboratory to prepare for a move into Winston Cup a few years later. Toyota already is building the engines to meet NASCAR specifications and has conducted wind-tunnel testing of truck bodies. "TRD has to treat this like it's a done deal," White said. "We can't wait till senior management and NASCAR make a deal before we get started on it." White said it's a daunting task given that no new manufacturer has tried to enter NASCAR in its 50-year history. All that have competed at one time or another, including the current four, were there at the beginning in some form. The soon-to-be-completed study is as much about the marketing aspects as it is the logistics. NASCAR wants to know how bringing a Japanese company on board is going to sit with its fan base. Toyota wants to be sure it can grow its clientele through NASCAR. To White, the second half of that equation is a no-brainer.(Indianapolis Star)(11-8-2002)
- Toyota News - lots of money: Toyota's NASCAR plans have been a hot topic ever since the Japanese car maker announced that it wanted to join the Truck tour, probably in 2004. Who might get the Truck deal is unclear. But there is a heck of a lot of money involved - $100 million, according to one source. Toyota's Indy-car deals have been high-dollar deals. Cal Wells' Toyota Indy program was reported to be a $25 million package, and Chip Ganassi's Indy program was reported to be a $40 million package. "When the Japanese go racing," Ford's Jack Roush said, "it's like going to war."(Winston Salem Journal)(10-26-2002)
UPDATE: According to industry sources the new kids on the block, Toyota, are trolling the garage looking for help with their start-up NASCAR motor program. What are they using for bait? A $25 million, three-year contract. The plan calls for a Craftsman Truck entry in 2004 and a Cup car ready for the 2005 or ‘06 season.(Ford Racing)(10-27-2002)
- Toyota and NASCAR..in 2004? Toyota officials are working hard to put together a full NASCAR package for the 2004 season and are trying to sign a top-name team to be the company's flagship operation. Among the teams being linked by unofficial reports to Toyota are Dale Earnhardt Inc., Bill Davis Racing and Penske South. Penske is the most logical pick, since Roger Penske is one of the country's largest Toyota dealers, but Penske is widely expected to announce a switch from Ford to Dodge within the next few weeks. Toyota executives have been talking with NASCAR officials about getting into this sport, and NASCAR officials have said that they would like to see a factory Toyota Truck running next February at Daytona. That time frame, however, may be too short. It took Dodge more than a year to set up its Winston Cup program after spending five years learning the NASCAR ropes on the Truck tour. So most people in the Winston Cup garage are expecting to see a Toyota Truck at Daytona in the spring of 2004. The big question is, will Toyota also have a Winston Cup program in place by then, and with whom? Toyota is expected to sidestep the BGN [as Dodge did] until it establishes itself in the other two series. Mike Brown, general manager for Bill Davis, says reports that the team is looking at a Toyota Truck program are considerably overblown, that the High Point team is simply providing some guidance for another unnamed operation. Toyota will have to create a 350 V-8 engine to NASCAR specs.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-30-2002)
- Volkswagen in NASCAR? German automaker Volkswagen is considering following Toyota's lead in joining the NASCAR marketing world, eventually with a Winston Cup effort, according to NASCAR sources. One question now is what model might Volkswagen want to brand and market under the NASCAR logo. NASCAR's common-template car project makes both a Toyota and VW Winston Cup effort easier. But Honda is not expected to show any interest in NASCAR's stock-car series, according to industry sources, because that company is not interested in playing the political games that must be played to placate the sport's rulers. Toyota wants to field a Tundra truck in NASCAR's Truck series next season, and company engineers are discussing various technical options with NASCAR officials.(Winston Salem Journal). A NASCAR Beetle?(a joke of course)(6-3-2002)
- More Toyota to NASCAR rumors: NASCAR officials have confirmed talks with Toyota about what Toyota would have to do in order to compete on the truck tour in 2003. That effort is seen as a preliminary move toward an eventual move to the Winston Cup tour in 2005. The V-8 Toyota that would have to build to race in NASCAR would, like the current Dodge Cup engine, be a purpose-built racing engine designed to meet NASCAR specifications.(Winston Salem Journal), see past news about Toyota on my NASCAR past news page, also Toyota runs in the NASCAR Goody's Dash Series.(6-1-2002)
- Latest NASCAR/Toyota news, CTS in 2004? UPDATE: Toyota's invasion of NASCAR continues to evolve. And Wade Lopez is on the front lines. The Abingdon businessman fields Toyota Celica's for drivers Tim Nichols (Abingdon) and Reece Milton (Blountville) in the Goody's Dash Series. While industry insiders speculate when Toyota will make its next move up the NASCAR ladder, Lopez is building and learning with his Bristol-based Highlands Motorsports team. "My goal is to have serious advancement in this sport every year and I feel we can do that through our relationship with Toyota," Lopez said. "Toyota is hoping to debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. That's where I want to be." Toyota has sent a factory representative to each Dash race, including Saturday night's event at LPR.(Bristol Herald Courier)(5-14-2002)
UPDATE: Toyota, which has tested the waters in NASCAR with several entries in the Goody's Dash Series, is looking at the possibility of competing in the Truck [CTS] series. Lee White, vice president of Toyota Racing Development, said Wednesday, "Toyota is participating in a cooperative study with the NASCAR organization expanding our NASCAR involvement to include the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with our made-in-America full-size Tundra pickup trucks." NASCAR has traditionally limited participation in its premier series to American-made vehicles. White, participating in a panel discussion during the Open-Wheel Racing Summit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was asked if TRD would build a new engine for the truck series. "What we end up doing motorwise, I don't think anyone expects NASCAR to change their rules for us, so you can draw your own conclusions." Currently Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet compete in the truck series. Several teams are running Toyota Celicas in the six-cylinder Dash Series. "Frankly," White said, "it's given us good exposure for the Celica throughout the Southeast in addition to being a venue and a vehicle for developing relationships with the NASCAR organization."(ThatsRacin.comAP)(5-23-2002)