Crew members push Brian Vickers' No. 83 Red Bull Toyota out of the garage for testing at Daytona International Speedway. Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images Visit the Photo Place

Toyota elbows its way into Nextel Cup party

Toyota hopes to be competitive in first season

Date published: 2/15/2007

By Jim McConnell

BY JIM Mc CONNELL

Stock-car racing has been almost exclusively an American endeavor in the 58 years since the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing was incorporated in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Not any longer.

Beginning with Sunday's Daytona 500, Toyota will become the first foreign automobile manufacturer to compete full time in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.

And while much has been written about a possible xenophobic reaction by NASCAR's fans, Toyota's arrival has generated little public resistance among the teams that will compete against the new Camry on the track.

"I think it just shows how much NASCAR has grown all over the world," said NASCAR legend and team owner Richard Petty. "People from all over the world come to drive the cars, getting other car manufacturers to come in. Everybody don't drive an American car.

"As we grow, there are 300 million people in the United States, so we're getting new fans coming in. This helps create new interest in NASCAR and new interest to fans to come. I think it's the best thing that can happen to us in the long run."

The Japanese automaker actually entered the world of American professional auto racing 24 years ago. Toyota drivers and teams have won championships in IMSA, CART, IRL and off-road racing, and such prestigious events as the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Indianapolis 500.

Toyota's move to NASCAR came in 2000 with the introduction of the Celica model in the Goody's Dash Series. Four years later, Toyota unveiled its Tundra on the truck series, becoming the first new manufacturer in one of NASCAR's top series in more than 50 years.

"We spent quite a bit of time and research before we went into the truck series because we were quite concerned about what the reaction would be," Toyota Senior Vice President Dave Illingworth said. "And it was amazing to us how well we were received because we thought there would be a little more backlash, but it was really very positive."

By moving into Nextel Cup and Busch, Toyota has seized an opportunity to mass-market its product and "American-made" credentials to the millions of NASCAR fans who remain fiercely loyal to the Detroit-based automakers.

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Date published: 2/15/2007