Toyota entering NASCAR Nextel Cup
By Mike D in SC Posted in NASCAR — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
While listening to Fox News this morning, I heard them discussing the entry of Toyota into the NASCAR Nextel Cup, and the reaction Toyota might get from red blooded American NASCAR fans. I haven't yet found anything online from Fox News on the subject, but here is a related MSNBC article. (Sorry, I know that MSNBC is about the most politically biased "news" source on the net, but I'm leading up to a point made by Fox on the air, but not by MSNBC.)
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Predictably, Fox was able to find NASCAR fans opposed to the entry of a Japanese car into their all-American sport. MSNBC alluded toward the possibility of a hostile response from the fans as well:
There may be a hostile response from all-American racing fans upset by the downturn in Detroit’s car-making fortunes at the expense of Toyota, or those concerned with maintaining support for struggling U.S. automakers.
However, Fox made an ironic point that MSNBC did not include in their article. I was able to find corroboration of the point at Wikipedia. (I know, it's Wikipedia, but the pages I will link to are completely non-political and non-controversial.)
There are currently four car models used in the Nextel Cup Series: the Chevrolet Monte Carlo (to be replaced by the Impala in 2007), the Dodge Charger, the Ford Fusion, and the Pontiac Grand Prix. in 2007, the Toyota Camry will become the fifth. Below is the ironic point, about the production versions of those cars.
The reason I linked to Wiki rather than the manufacturers' official websites is that Wiki makes the following information easily accessible (quotes taken from the associated linked pages):
Current plans call for the Monte Carlo to be produced at [Ontario Canada] Oshawa Car Assembly Plant #1 until December 2007. At that time Plant #1 will be closed for one month to allow movement of all equipment to Plant #2. Once the move is complete, only the Impala and the Lacrosse / Allure will begin production again, thus ending production of the Monte Carlo and Grand Prix
The Impala name was resurrected for the 2000 model year to replace the Lumina. It was built at the Oshawa Car Assembly in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Production of the Impala continues to this day at the same plant. - MD)
This Charger is a four-door sedan, disappointing many fans of the previous two-door Chargers. It is built at Brampton Assembly in Canada.
The Fusion is manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The Grand Prix was made in the Fairfax plant in Kansas City, Kansas until 2003, when production was shifted to Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Toyota Camry is a mid-size car assembled by Toyota in Georgetown, Kentucky, USA, as well as Altona, Victoria, Australia, and in Japan.
So, if anyone asks which is the only American built car model that will be represented in the NASCAR Nextel Cup series from 2007 on, the answer is the Toyota Camry.
UPDATE: Jayski says that Dodge will run the Avenger beginning in 2007. The first generation Avenger was produced in Normal, Illinois. (My Mom was also produced in Normal, Illinois, so the Avenger can't be all bad.) Apparently, Chrysler has yet to confirm that the Avenger will begin production again, but dealers are expecting them on the lots in February.
That's really beside the point
by Mike D in SC
It's all promotion. You can't watch three seconds of a Nextel Cup race without seeing hoards of logos. Note what the MSNBC article says:
“These events draw 200,000 people and they are incredibly loyal,” said Rebecca Lindland, an automotive analyst at consultancy Global Insight.
“If the car you’re following is sponsored by Tide, you’ll only buy Tide — it’s just the NASCAR way. This is a driver-driven sport, and so if Michael Waltrip is driving a Toyota car you’re going to support Toyota, and it’s going to bring a lot of people into a Toyota dealership that don’t normally go in there,” Lindland said.
The thrust of the Fox report and the MSNBC article was speculation on how well NASCAR fans - a group reported to be heavily patriotic and pro-America - will accept the entry of a Japanese car into their sport. Speculation that they will tend to remain loyal to American cars (manufactured in Canada and Mexico) rather than a Japanese car (manufactured in the US).
And a car that wins frequently attracts more fans. It doesn't make any difference if the cars are all the same underneath. If a car carrying your company's logo is winning races and attracting more fans who, according to the article, will be loyal to your company, it makes sense for your company to sink more money into that team to help them to win more races. The question is, will that work for a Japanese car company? Or will the "buy American" attitude presumably prevalent among NASCAR fans prevent it? If it does prevent it, it will, ironically, ultimately harm workers in Kentucky (and other states where Toyota's suppliers reside), and help workers in Canada and Mexico.
Retire Lindsey Graham. Support Thomas Ravenel for Senate 2008
I think the fans will come around
by Neil Stevens
I mean, if a German-owned corporation can count as having American cars, then...
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
well
by Darin H
Toyota has already been racing in the truck series, and I don't recall reading about any backlash against them there (although not nearly as many people follow the trucks).
And Jr. is my favorite driver, but I won't let that p*sswater 'beer' that sponsors his race car touch my lips (and I drive a Ford, heh).
That's not true
by Leon H Wolf
There are small, but noticeable differences between car manufacturers already - for instance, Chevys (depending on the size of the fuel cell) can typically go an extra 3-6 miles on the same amount of fuel. It's difficult to evaluate Dodge as a manufacturer because Evernham tends to build the engines for all the good Dodge teams, so any shortcomings/strengths might well be attributable to him personally rather than Dodge as a manufacturer, but virtually all drivers will confess that Dodges are a whole different animal than either Ford or Chevy (a point about which Ryan Newman has had a lot to say).
"We could find a speck of dust and scribble down our life stories..." - The Refreshments
Gotta agree
by Darin H
We have 2 American made cars in our household. I drive an F-150 made in MO and my wife's Honda was made in Ohio :)
And I agree with Eric MN, it's not like they are taking these cars off the assembly line and sticking them on the track.
Sounds like NASCAR needs a competitor
by Neil Stevens
Since the SC isn't really true anymore, someone ought to start a racing circuit with actual stock cars...
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If you're seeing shades of gray, it's because you're not looking close enough to see the black and white dots.
I could go for that.
by CJB68
I often long for a day when full tapes can be re-aired of some of the classic 1970s and 1980s races where Buicks, Oldsmobiles, AMCs and Mercuries were running alongside the "Big Three". Get the danged air dams and spoilers off the things and let's see how the real cars would perform in a NASCAR-style race. No 800-horsepower engines, no special tires or chassis set-ups. Just the necessary safety changes needed to protect the driver and keep the car from becoming a fireball (roll cages, HANS devices, fuel cells). Let 'em loose and see racing not unlike what we used to get.
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"Straight Talk Express"? My bum feet! -- Me, on Senator McCain and other "moderates"
the only thing is, all the cars are the same. Starting next year, they will use, "The Car Of Tomorrow." The chassis will be the same from one car to the next. Slapping a Toyota logo and making the outside of the car look like a Toyota doesnt do anything.
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What i have in my heart , I'll take to my grave - Hatebreed