Wednesday, May 17th, 2006 11:07am CDT

By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.

[thumb:355:l:s=1:l=x]In what seems like a hostile corporate overtake at times, and at others almost an attempt to draw as little attention as possible, we all know Toyota is coming to not only Nascar’s Nextel Cup series next year, but the Busch Series as well. The rumor mill is alive and well with rumors of this an that, who’s doing what, and who’s going to possibly make a move. What can we realistically expect from Toyota next year, and during the timeframe leading up to Daytona next February?

We hear a new rumor about Toyota this or that almost every day or so, at least it seems like it. But what’s the deal? Some are about how mean and awful Toyota is, or about how they will fail in their mission to be competitive in Nascar’s crown jewel series. But what’s the truth behind it all?

Some rumors have been started by teams, some by the press, and some that were originally speculation got spun into the mix as well in an attempt to one-up the competition. So as it stands right now, what do we know as fact? All we truly know at this point that is concrete really isn’t that much at all.

Toyota has burdened, thus far, a lot of the costs in regards to their engine program. This has allowed the new teams to use their capital in other places, such as payroll and other development areas.
Toyota will field 6 cars next year. Michael Waltrip Racing will field 2, Bill Davis Racing will field 2, and the Red Bull team will also field 2.
The only driver’s out of the 6 that we know of are Michael Waltrip, and his teammate for next year, Dale Jarrett.
Bill Davis has not made any announcements as to their drivers, nor have there been driver’s named for the Red Bull team.
Only 1 Busch Series driver has been revealed. That is David Reutiman, who will move from the Craftsman Truck Series to the Busch Series next year, and drive for one of the two Michael Waltrip Racing Busch Series teams.
Toyota is not involved directly with teams and their salary/payroll decisions. They have left that up to the individual teams. However reports have mentioned that the teams are making extremely competitive offers.
Toyota wants to bring their teams together with information, and ensure all teams are sharing data between themselves and the manufacturer. Similar to how teams within one stable share information now, Toyota wants to do it across all teams under their umbrella.
Toyota is lacking in the PR department at the moment. Their association with Michael Waltrip, and now Dale Jarrett, will help in that area. However, there is still much room for improvement.
Toyota’s first NASCAR Camry must be approved by NASCAR by July 1st. (Not the “Car of Tomorrow” version)
Toyota’s Nextel Cup engine must be approved by September 1st.
Bill Elliot will drive 5 races later this year for Michael Waltrip Racing, to help with chassis and at the track experience for the teams. Also, providing some good feedback in the process. Bill’s effort for this will be sponsored by the rival of the sponsor we’ve come to associate Bill with, Burger King.
As mentioned in an earlier article here at the Thunder Lounge, Toyota has confirmed that indeed they are looking to have a mix of veteran driver’s, as well as a “few young gun’s” in their line-up for next year.

That’s pretty much the big picture of what is currently known as fact. I’m sure there are other minor details as well.

Other points to consider, that are nothing more than speculation at this point but should be watched closely, that are floating around the mill.

Ricky Rudd is having his vacation season this year, and looking to jump back in next year. Rumor’s have it that a Toyota team has spoken with Ricky about the opportunity. Then again, could a return to Robert Yates be in the cards? Things that make you go, hmmmm.
Casey Mears is at the end of his contract with Ganassi this year. Rumors have him in the Yates 88, moving to a Toyota team, and signing on again with Ganassi. Take your pick, but nothing is known at this time. However, it is a fact to consider that it is possible he could make a move. We’ll see more of this as we head towards Richmond in September, you can guarantee that.
Another rumor that popped up in the garage last weekend was the Michael Waltrip may actually be looking to field 3 entries next year. According to Brooke Hondros, MWR’s PR spokeswoman, MWR doesn’t currently plan to field 3 teams in 2007.
Reports have Elliot Sadler unhappy at Yates, but contracts come into play there. Nothing has been reported as to Sadler leaving either, just that he isn’t happy.
Ken Schrader could be in the market, but it is nothing more than mere speculation here. But previous reports had mentioned that the Wood Brother’s were looking to move Jon Wood up to Cup next year. That could be as a second car, so don’t take this out of perspective as anything more than speculation at this time.
Petty Enterprises switching to Toyota? Kyle Petty and Benny Parsons discussed it on “Fast Talk”, but it appears the comments were taken out of context. “Benny Parsons asked me if I would be interested in talking to Toyota, if it would benefit the team,” said Petty. “I told him that I would never say never, but that we are extremely happy with what we have (with Dodge) and have no plans to change. We haven’t talked to anyone at Toyota, and we don’t plan to.”
Larry McReynolds is looking into becoming a NASCAR team owner again, supposedly with John Dangler. Supposedly a Busch Series deal in 2007 that would move up to Nextel Cup in 2008. Could it be as a Toyota team? We haven’t heard anything official mind you, but it isn’t something to rule out.
Ward Burton’s coming back? About time someone pulled their head out. “There are people out there who are (and have been) in regular contact with Wardâ€™s public relations rep and with people who know him. Both parties agree that he has something nailed down, but neither is willing to part with any information.” Could this be a move to a Toyota team, or to replace a driver that will be leaving for Toyota? « Read more from LastCowboys.com »

So, there are some of the current rumors out there. None of which are fact at the moment, and are only considerations of possible scenario’s.

So with all the buzz going around, what can we be certain of?

We can be certain that Toyota doesn’t plan to fail. Toyota reported $12 billion in profits for 2005, and has the financial strength that is a little lacking from its Detroit competitor’s. When Toyota sets out to do something, they bring in that old saying of, “If you’re going to do something, do it right the first time. If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, what makes you think you will have time to go back and do it again?” With this in mind, they do not have any problems in opening their wallet if they need to. Whether it’s to secure state-of-the-art facilities, engineers, or testing. If they are going to do it, they are going to do it right and to the best of their abilities with the resources they have.

What can be expected from them next year?

Nobody knows. You have to look at both sides of the coin. In the past, new teams have typically struggled early on. Some never break out from running in average of 25th on back. It doesn’t matter who you are, Nascar is a tough sport. Even for veteran organizations. On average, a mere couple of tenths of a second can make or break whether a team is competitive week in and week out.

It also comes down to who is behind the wheel. Michael is a great guy, and very talented. At the same time, while he is a well known and respected driver, he hasn’t been running away with any points title’s either. Maybe it’s been situations, equipment, or something else. Right now, it seems he has his time stretched a little thin. Hopefully we’ll see him in the top 35 by the time we get to Homestead.

Dale Jarrett has the ability, but will the equipment be there? One could assume that most likely it won’t be right off the bat. But, what makes DJ special is what also fits so well with Toyota. They don’t plan on, and will not accept failure. In this case, you can look for Dale Jarrett to have some good runs next year. How many? Who knows. Look for steady improvement from his team next year though.

Will a Toyota make it into victory lane next year? While the odds don’t seem to favor it, you can’t rule it out either. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one there before the Chase begins next year, but it isn’t a guarantee either. Remember Dodge’s first win after they came back into Nascar? While weather played a factor, they were still there in victory lane. However, they did go on a couple races later to a full bore checkered flag as well. Point being, it is possible Toyota could win a race next year.

Toyota is going to do the best with what they have to work with at any given time. If the best they can do is that their top car finishes 23rd, so be it. They will improve. As has been reported Toyota is only talking with people who are tabbed as being available next year, and if this is truly the case then that is something to be respected. While there have been no reports of such activities, it is theoretically possible that they may have spoken with someone who would be available in 2008, or a team who’s manufacturer contract is up in the next year or two. However, as reports have shown they are not trying to get someone to violate or terminate a contract early which, as previously mentioned, is respectable.

The other side of the coin, goes back to Toyota’s unwillingness to accept defeat. Every team out there started somewhere. Roush, Hendrick, or RCR for example. They all had a first season on the track. Building a powerhouse organization takes time, and Toyota knows this. They are in it for the long haul, and this is something that no matter where you stand on the issue, we’re all going to have to live with.

Filed Under: Busch Series, Nascar, Nextel Cup

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