Toyota to begin racing stock cars in 2007

http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/01/23/toyota_2007.ap/index.html
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Toyota will race in Nextel Cup events beginning in 2007, becoming the first foreign competitor in NASCAR's top stock car series since the 1950s.
http://i.cnn.net/cnn/images/1.gif The Japanese auto maker will also run the Busch Series races after the 2006 season, joining Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge. The announcement was expected at a Monday news conference from NASCAR's research and development facility in Concord, a person close to Toyota told The Associated Press.
The person, speaking on condition of anonymity because an official announcement hasn't been made, said Toyota "is looking forward to being competitive right off the bat" in both series.
The last foreign manufacturer to participate in NASCAR's top racing series was Jaguar, which entered several races in the 1950s.
The move by Toyota was not a complete surprise. The company moved into NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and quickly became competitive, with Travis Kvapil (http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tkvapil00/cup/index.html) giving the manufacturer its first win in July of that year.
Toyota raced in several American-based sports car series before moving into open-wheel racing in 1996.
After providing engines for several teams in what was then the CART series from 1996-02, Toyota moved to the rival Indy Racing League, where it won 17 races, including four last year. The highlight for Toyota came when one of its engines powered Gil de Ferran to a victory in the 2003 Indianapolis 500.
The company was scheduled to continue to supply engines for IRL teams through 2006, but decided over the winter to withdraw immediately to concentrate on developing its NASCAR program, leaving Honda, its Japan competitor, as the IRL's only engine supplier for the upcoming season.

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yeah, i just ran across this on autosport.com. WHOO HOO! is there any question that toyota is the greatest car company in the world? not only do they have the best cars, but they're on their way up in formula one, and now they're going to dominate in nascar. should piss the "good ol boys" (read: rednecks) off pretty good. i might actually start watching nascar, who knows, even go to a race.

I hope the Camry is the car of choice. Not so lame now is it GMI!??

http://i.a.cnn.net/nascar/2006/news/headlines/cup/01/23/toyota.cup/camry.384.jpgA model of the 2007 Toyota Camry. Credit: Toyota Motorsports Media:D

I hope the Camry is the car of choice. Not so lame now is it GMI!??Head gaskets are blowing up big time today.;)

I'm a bit torn by this plus confused. Now the whole premise of NASCAR is race on Sunday and sell on Monday. But the Camry is already the best selling car in the US so I'm confused. Marketing would be the motivation. But seeing as Toyota's sales are already strong, is there some benefit I'm missing? I guess NASCAR fans must be a growth market...well, that's probably true for Toyota.

Oh yeah and tell me if I'm wrong here, but aren't NASCAR engines pushrod? Where'd Toyota get one of those? They could probably just buy one, but they do tend to like to produce their own engines.

Stock car or shell of the stock car?

What is the point of Stock car racing if only using its shell? :)

I think Toyota went around and looked at what the competion was using and put everything that they thought was good and made they're own push rod motor. I am not sure of this but i think i heard it somewhere.

I'm a bit torn by this plus confused. Now the whole premise of NASCAR is race on Sunday and sell on Monday. But the Camry is already the best selling car in the US so I'm confused. Marketing would be the motivation. But seeing as Toyota's sales are already strong, is there some benefit I'm missing?
They need to get ford, chevy, and GM truck buyers to see the Toyota logo. They may see it on a Camry crossing the finish line, but they will remember it when they go buy thier next truck. And its not just mom and dad, its the kids too. How nice would it be to see toy or model Camrys in the rooms of kids, 10 years before they start buying thier first car or truck.

fan

They need to get ford, chevy, and GM truck buyers to see the Toyota logo. They may see it on a Camry crossing the finish line, but they will remember it when they go buy thier next truck. And its not just mom and dad, its the kids too. How nice would it be to see toy or model Camrys in the rooms of kids, 10 years before they start buying thier first car or truck.

fan

Not only that....it will help prevent protectionism with GM, Ford, Chrysler all going backwards. "see we're just like Ford and GM...built in good ol' USA yeeeehaaah!!!

Oh yeah and tell me if I'm wrong here, but aren't NASCAR engines pushrod? Where'd Toyota get one of those? They could probably just buy one, but they do tend to like to produce their own engines.


yes the do use pushrod engines in NASCAR. They ahve already developed an engine that they use in the Craftsman truck series. THey supposedly tore Ford, GM, and Dodge engines apart and found the best of each and used those designs to build their own engine. TRD builds all engines for hte Craftsman series right now so I would assume that they will continue to build for the Toyota Nextel Cup and Busch series.

I'm a bit torn by this plus confused. Now the whole premise of NASCAR is race on Sunday and sell on Monday. But the Camry is already the best selling car in the US so I'm confused. Marketing would be the motivation. But seeing as Toyota's sales are already strong, is there some benefit I'm missing? I guess NASCAR fans must be a growth market...well, that's probably true for Toyota.


THey are the top selling car right now. Ford, GM and DCX all ahve new cars coming out or already ahve new cars out htat are competing with the Camry. JUst because you are at the top doesnt mean you will always be there. People that keep up with NASCAR tend to be very brand loyal. IF they find a driver they like and he dives a Ford or GM product they like to drive the same kind of product.

Not a surprise to me, but still good news. I knew they would eventually move up, but I didnt think it would happen this soon. Toyota said when they announced they would be joining the truck series that they wanted to win a few truck championships before they moved up. I guess Toyota is living by the motto, "moving foreward".
Toyota knows that they need to hit the domestics where they live: NASCAR and the hearts and minds of blue-collar America.
I wish them luck. :thumbsup:
Heres the word straight from the horse's mouth with a comical new Darrell Waltrip TV commerical: http://www.toyota.com/motorsports/pitpass/index.html?s_van=GM_HOME_NASCAR_TXT

I'm interested to see what happens. it'll stir the pot if nothing else

Toyota supposedly does not need to tear apart the competitions engines. They already
have pushrod engine experience, they just no longer produce these fine engines anymore since everyone is after HP numbers. Toyota use to make the HEMI 2T/3T engines which were copies of the late 60's Chrysler Hemis.

Those 3TC motors had crossflow heads, carb swirl ports, 4-2-1 exhaust manifolds and not to forget the Hemi heads.

Hemi3tC

Heres the word straight from the horse's mouth with a comical new Darrell Waltrip TV commerical: http://www.toyota.com/motorsports/pi...OME_NASCAR_TXT


Funny thing about DW doing that commercial is he has one of the most succesful Honda/VOlvo dealerships in the Middle Tennessee area. Another thing is his partners in the dealership is Hendrick motors. Which jsut so happens to own the Jeff Gordon/Jimmie Johnson race teams among others.