Toyota’s Foreign Invasion of Nascar so far a waste of money
A driver could win the title in a foreign car.
Four drivers can win the title: Joey Logano in a Team Penske Ford, Ryan Newman in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, Kevin Harvick in a Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet, and Denny Hamlin, who'll be at the wheel of a Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.
For three of the last four seasons, a driver in a Toyota has placed second in the standings. This time around, "there's a massive sense of urgency," said Ed Laukes, a Toyota executive who oversees the marketing of its Nascar campaign. "Internally, for our company, it's a massive rallying cry."
Nascar was built as an all American stock car series, capitalizing on the homegrown passion for cars and speed. When "Big Bill" France Sr. founded the series in the late 1940s, the original regulations forbid foreign cars from competing.
"Back in the day, you had Hudsons, Chryslers, Packards in there," said Buz McKim, the Nascar Hall of Fame's official historian. "Over the years there have been glitches in the rules that allowed for a foreign car. They even had a Volkswagen race once at Langhorne [a speedway in Pennsylvania]."
Only American car companies have charioted Sprint Cup drivers to championships: Chevrolet (29 times), Ford (9), Dodge, Plymouth, and Pontiac (5); Oldsmobile and Hudson (4); and Buick and Chrysler (3). Of the top 45 drivers in the current standings, only one is not an American (Australian Marcos Ambrose).
If Hamlin wins the title in his Toyota on Sunday, the victory will come at an opportune time for the Japanese automaker. The 2014 season marks the second of Nascar's Generation Six car, which has sought to bring brand identity back to stock car racing. The previous generation car attempted to level the playing field for the drivers; though the cars were branded with manufacturer logos, they were all essentially the same.
The new cars give more leeway to manufacturers, to tie the looks and technology closer to showroom automobiles. The idea is to get fans rooting not just for a driver, but a manufacturer.
Still, Ford and Chevrolet tee-shirts are de rigor among Nascar fans. Toyota—not so much.
How will the spectators react if a Toyota driver claims the Sprint Cup title? "It will be interesting to see how the fans relate to it," said McKim. "I guess we'll have to wait and see." WSJ.com