NASCAR to clip Toyota’s wings further

UPDATE This rumor is upgraded to 'fact' today. Toyota officials are less than pleased about NASCAR's latest rule change to its motors, this one aimed at cutting back horsepower in the Truck Series engines. NASCAR in July throttled the horsepower in Toyota's Nationwide Series engines, which also incensed the manufacturer.

Toyota Racing Development president Lee White said Friday both NASCAR moves were aimed at evening the competition in series in which Toyota dominates.

"Without a question, this latest one is a direct result of winning four straight races and finishing 1-2-3-4 at Bristol," White said. "I just don't swallow the technical argument."

Johnny Benson won Kentucky, Indianapolis and Nashville in a Toyota, and Kyle Busch, Todd Bodine, Scott Speed and Benson gave the Tundra the top four positions at Bristol.

NASCAR believes Toyota's engine program is so advanced over the other manufacturers, that it has built an unfair advantage over the competition. NASCAR has stressed that Toyota has played within the rules, but it's technology has given it an edge.

White is upset Toyota is being punished for working hard.

"In our opinion, there is no technical justification for this unjustly choke," he said. ThatsRacin

[Editor's Note: Too funny. Did Lee White really think NASCAR was going to let Toyota dominate even though they are doing it fair and square? How long will it be before Toyota tells NASCAR to go pound sand and pulls the plug…..especially on the Truck Series where sales of the Tundra have tanked and NASCAR is doing nothing for them? With news that Dodge has pulled the plug on their Truck program, and with truck sales worldwide down due to high fuel prices, and with race attendance soft at best, how much longer before NASCAR shuts down the Truck series?]

08/21/08 NASCAR impounded eight truck engines for routine testing after the O’Reilly 200 Wednesday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. NASCAR will take the engines to its facility in Concord, N.C., to check horsepower numbers. NASCAR uses that data to help determine whether the rules encourage balanced competition. Look for the Toyota teams to get restrictor plates to slow them down. This isn't F1 or CART Toyota, this is 'managed racing' where gaining an advantage through hard work and skill is frowned upon.

Bill Davis Racing’s Johnny Benson, the series points leader, had his engine taken, as did fellow Toyota driver Todd Bodine (Germain Racing). NASCAR also took the Circle Bar Racing Ford engines from Brendan Gaughan and Rick Crawford, the Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia Dodge engine from Dennis Setzer and the Chevrolet engines from T.J. Bell (TRG Motorsports), Jack Sprague (Kevin Harvick Inc.) and Jimmie Johnson (Randy Moss Motorsports).