What Is Toyota Up To?
Sunday, May 7th, 2006 3:47pm CDT
By Luke, Thunder Lounge
Published on Thunder Lounge.
As it’s been written on numerous occasions, with much of it being speculation and possibilities, nobody knows what in the world Toyota is up to. As it’s well known, Michael Waltrip is currently the only driver that’s out in the open about being on board with Toyota next year as they make their debut in Nascar’s top series. As recently discussed on SceneDaily, as well as many other Nascar publications, the options are out there but still nobody knows what Toyota is up to.
Recent rumors had Kevin Harvick rolling out of the RCR stable to be one of Toyota’s front-men, however as announced Friday, Kevin will be returning to RCR with a brand new 3 year deal. Now all eyes are on Dale Jarrett, yet only his beloved Zoie knows what is coming down the road. DJ’s comment of “Just finalizing details” may have been taken out of context and believed to pretty much ensure his future in Toyota’s stable of drivers. One of the reported issues is with UPS, which as we all know has spent a fortune on branding itself with Dale. What Nascar fan, and even those that aren’t, hasn’t got an image of DJ and the “Race The Truck” campaign burned into their mind?
Rumors also report Robby Gordon as becoming one of the Toyota drivers as well, and Robby has confirmed that there has been communication with them on the issue. It is believed that Robby Gordon’s big issue is team ownership, and being competitive right out of the box. After all of his hard work over the past 18 months, the results are finally starting to show. Those results have been nothing less than impressive, and astounding to say the least.
So the question still lies. What is Toyota up to?
For that there is no answer, yet.
Most are in belief that DJ will end up in that camp, but you never know. So much politics play into it, that nothing is certain these days until it’s officially announced. But the move would not be surprising, as the opportunity over there would be incredible for Dale, and even if the on track results next year aren’t the best, it would still be a great way for him to close out his career.
So assuming that Michael and Dale fill out that portion of Toyota’s line-up for next season, the RedBull team is still in question.
How about a young hot-shot?
While the marketing potential is there, especially considering RedBull’s target market and audience, it is a thought for consideration. However it leaves a huge open hole in the experience world. As many teams are finding out, a so-called “Young Gun” isn’t always the answer for a new team, or for a struggling smaller team. That approach doesn’t even always work out for the big multi-car teams. Need we remember Leffler and Joe Gibbs racing last year? However, at the same time, look at what Denny Hamlin has done. The hit and miss of these “Young Guns” seems to be more attributed to ability than anything. Not to mention, they have to be able to communicate well with their team right out of the box. If their experience is lacking, it can very easily push a new team in the wrong direction.
So, if not a Young Gun, then what?
There hasn’t been much mention of it, and while there aren’t any ties or leads to this, one could easily look in the direction of a Mr. Ward Burton. Last heard, he’s still very interested in driving, but not for just anyone.
This could be the gold-mine that Toyota needs. Not only would they get an experienced driver, that’s well adapted to providing quality feedback, but the situation would seem to be about right.
While Ward’s getting a little older these days, it is possible that he would only drive for a handful of years. This would give Toyota the breathing room they need to get the team up and running with a sold foundation, while also giving them a chance to plan ahead for another driver. Whether that be a rookie, or a seasoned veteran, the team would at least have the solid foundation built to continue building on.
When it comes down to the end of the day nothing is guaranteed yet in regards to Toyota’s drivers, with the exception of Michael Waltrip, and Bill Davis Racing. Of course, we all saw those coming. Bill Davis basically announced it when they took a Toyota truck to the wind tunnel that sent them into a battle with Dodge. Not to mention that DW’s association with Toyota opened the door’s for initial speculation about Michael. Then, once the parting from DEI was official, it was really brought to the front.
In the end, regardless of rumor and speculation, the only safe bet is the bet that we all will look back at the thoughts of today and be pleasantly surprised at Toyota’s line-up once it is fully announced. There will be those that guess right, and those that didn’t.
However, one thing is concrete. Toyota will not fail. When it comes to racing they take it as serious, if not more, than any of the current manufacturers. If that means they have to break out the checkbook, they do it. It wouldn’t be surprising to see their first win next year come before the Pepsi 400 in July, and to see them end it with 2 or maybe even 3 wins under their belt. However, at the same time, a winless first season would not be out of the question either. It’s going to come down to driver talent, and team stability. What it won’t come down to is a lack of resources.
Filed Under: Damn Good Points, Nascar, Nextel Cup, The Soapbox
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