[Bob Tanner]

Bob is confused; can someone clarify something for me? The following was lifted from an article posted on Jayski. It is, in part, a release from Team Red Bull and Toyota:

"And mum's the word with Gaunt (Toyota NASCAR Competition Director). When will he name drivers? "We haven't put a timetable on it, though obviously we'd rather do it sooner than later. When the time is right, we'll do it," Gaunt said. "We're going to run three races near the end of the year; hopefully we can clarify which three soon. And we'll be doing some testing throughout the year.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-21-2006)"

I didn't think the Camry was approved for competition this season, but starting with the first Daytona tests of 2007? Is Toyota going to run three races with Chev, Ford or MOPAR, just for drill? Or <gasp!!> is NASCAR going to give special consideration to Toyota and let them compete in a yet-to-be-approve car? They refused to do it for Penske back in 1992 when he had three sleek Lincoln Mark IV's ready for Rusty. Would NA$CAR allow Toyota special treatment, especially if Brian France were involved? Naaaaaw! Not Brian, our favourite bean-counter. <choke and gag>

[WVGrandma4Kasey]

To Bob
I don't know when or where, but I think I heard something about their running. Maybe it's just test. I get to many of those senior moments too.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Bob is confused; can someone clarify something for me? The following was lifted from an article posted on Jayski. It is, in part, a release from Team Red Bull and Toyota:

"And mum's the word with Gaunt (Toyota NASCAR Competition Director). When will he name drivers? "We haven't put a timetable on it, though obviously we'd rather do it sooner than later. When the time is right, we'll do it," Gaunt said. "We're going to run three races near the end of the year; hopefully we can clarify which three soon. And we'll be doing some testing throughout the year.(Winston Salem Journal)(5-21-2006)"

I didn't think the Camry was approved for competition this season, but starting with the first Daytona tests of 2007? Is Toyota going to run three races with Chev, Ford or MOPAR, just for drill? Or <gasp!!> is NASCAR going to give special consideration to Toyota and let them compete in a yet-to-be-approve car? They refused to do it for Penske back in 1992 when he had three sleek Lincoln Mark IV's ready for Rusty. Would NA$CAR allow Toyota special treatment, especially if Brian France were involved? Naaaaaw! Not Brian, our favourite bean-counter. <choke and gag>

Okay Bob, I got you. Bill Elliot has been driving Chevy's with Yota engines in them, testing for Waltrip. Waltrip has already said he will be switching to Chevy's later in the season. It could be a way to get a jump on the engine program for next season.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Okay Bob, I got you. Bill Elliot has been driving Chevy's with Yota engines in them, testing for Waltrip. Waltrip has already said he will be switching to Chevy's later in the season. It could be a way to get a jump on the engine program for next season.

OK... That's an answer, EXCEPT... Somewhere I do believe it is etched in stone that an engine used in NASCAR competition MUST match the <symbolic> make of car entered.

If I'm not mistaked (and I easily could be) this rule dates back to 1952 when some Plymouth owners tried to put Dodge, DeSoto, or Chrysler Fire Dome V-8's in their cars.

Of Course it was "etched in stone" (since 1956, of this I'm positive) that no team owner could have more than two teams entered in a race. It was also "etched in stone" that no model auto could be approved for competition unless it had at least five hundred units of the exact model sold to the public. (I never saw any of those five hundred 2-door Taurus coupes which the public must have bought??)

Like any politician NASCAR will, I'm sure, do anything to accomadate its most generous contributors.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

Like any politician NASCAR will, I'm sure, do anything to accomadate its most generous contributors.

You've hit the nail on the head there Bob.

[Quality88]

Bob, question for you. You seem to have a vast knowledge of the sport..... Is it true that Chevy is the only Manufacturer to have not pulled out of Nascar at some point? My cousin said this to me the other day. I'm not sure on this. Although it would explain some things.

[Bob Tanner]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Bob, question for you. You seem to have a vast knowledge of the sport..... Is it true that Chevy is the only Manufacturer to have not pulled out of Nascar at some point? My cousin said this to me the other day. I'm not sure on this. Although it would explain some things.

To my limited knowledge, Neither Chev or Ford has ever offically "pulled out" of NASCAR. Chev was disallusioned until Junior Johnson really made the the small block Chevie engine work. Then Chev made no bones that they though it was funny that Ford spent millions chasing one Chevie driver from SC.
I'm a bit in the dark as to Ford leaving. I don't remember them completely leaving but they cut way back on support when all manufacturors chopped "offical" factory support in ??? 1974?? They also threatened a pullout when NASCAR wouldn't approve their OHV racing engine.
As I stated, I'm a way bit fuzzy on this. Someone with less Teflon on their brain than I have will be able to answer the question better, in more detail and exactness.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

To my limited knowledge, Neither Chev or Ford has ever offically "pulled out" of NASCAR. Chev was disallusioned until Junior Johnson really made the the small block Chevie engine work. Then Chev made no bones that they though it was funny that Ford spent millions chasing one Chevie driver from SC.
I'm a bit in the dark as to Ford leaving. I don't remember them completely leaving but they cut way back on support when all manufacturors chopped "offical" factory support in ??? 1974?? They also threatened a pullout when NASCAR wouldn't approve their OHV racing engine.
As I stated, I'm a way bit fuzzy on this. Someone with less Teflon on their brain than I have will be able to answer the question better, in more detail and exactness.

AH.... anyone else have any info on this matter... I would appreciate it.

[Nevadastars]

From what I understand, the Toyota engine is based on the Ford Cleveland powerplant which is run by the Ford teams now. Why Waltrip would run a Chevy towards the end of the season is beyond me.

I really dont know if Chevy ever actually pulled out of competition, but I do know they didn't do squat until they lowered the cubic inch limit back in the late 70s and was able to use their small blocks. Their big blocks were no match for the Dodge/Plymouth 426 Hemis and the 427 and 429 Fords back in the day.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by Nevadastars

From what I understand, the Toyota engine is based on the Ford Cleveland powerplant which is run by the Ford teams now. Why Waltrip would run a Chevy towards the end of the season is beyond me.

huh.... oh, no what I'm talking about is they have been testing Yota engines in Chevy cars... It might be a way to get a jumpstart on the engine programs. That is interesting on the engines though... Where did you find that out?

[WVGrandma4Kasey]

Posted on Wed, May. 31, 2006

Two of Toyota's NASCAR Truck teams eyeing Cup races

By MIKE HARRIS
The Associated Press


Toyota might have more than three teams in its debut year in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series after all.
Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that two of its current teams in the Craftsman Truck Series are hoping to run some races in 2007 with the new Car of Tomorrow that NASCAR plans to launch at Bristol next spring.
Germain Racing, which fields trucks for Todd Bodine and Ted Musgrave, and Wyler Racing, which has Jack Sprague as its truck driver, have told Aust they are looking for sponsorship to run a limited Car of Tomorrow schedule next season.
The Car of Tomorrow is a bigger, boxier vehicle with a front-end splitter that NASCAR has designed to eventually replace the slick aerodynamic models that manufacturers spent the past 10 years developing. The Car of Tomorrow is scheduled to run in 15 races next season in a phase-in process that will be complete by 2009.
NASCAR officials held the latest Car of Tomorrow test on Tuesday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Only Chevrolet and Dodge took part. Ford teams didn’t participate because they are waiting for NASCAR to approve a final car design before they begin building another model, and Toyota didn’t have a car at the test because its Car of Tomorrow is not yet completed.
The next test is Aug. 21 at Michigan International Speedway.
Aust said it was something of a surprise when the Germain and Wyler teams approached him about competing in Cup next year.
“We had planned on only running three teams and six cars next year, but these guys came forward and said they’d like to look into running some races with the Car of Tomorrow to test the water,” Aust said. “This just came up in the last couple of weeks.
“Both teams have said they would like to eventually come up into the (Cup) series sometime in the next couple of years and this could be a good test for them.”
Aust said the teams are uncertain at this time how many races they would run in Cup in 2007 but that their schedules would definitely not include any races with the current cars.
“It doesn’t make any sense for them to invest in current cars and run only a part of the season,” Aust said.
He said each team is looking at running just one car, with Bodine, a former Cup driver, in the Germain entry. Aust said the Wyler team has not decided who would drive its car.
Toyota announced in January that it would run six cars in Cup in 2007 – two each with the new Michael Waltrip Racing and Red Bull teams, and two with the Bill Davis Racing organization that now races Dodges. So far, the only drivers confirmed for any of those teams are Waltrip and former Cup champion Dale Jarrett, who will drive for him. Asked if any of its other truck teams might step forward with Cup plans, Aust said, “I don’t think there will be any more than that.”

[Quality88]

Here's my question... If the "cars of tomorrow" are meant to replace the more aerodynamic ones of today... then WTH are they debuting them at tracks where aerodynamics do not come into play. IE.. BRISTOL. Makes no sense.

[LSC9901]

If it made sense it wouldn't be called NASCAR, or at the very least NASCAR wouldn't be doing it.

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

If it made sense it wouldn't be called NASCAR, or at the very least NASCAR wouldn't be doing it.

Not the answer I was expecting.... good though, and very true.

[LSC9901]

I would also suspect that the overall feel of the car will be different and that may be why they will be testing them at the small tracks.