Ganassi Going Toyota?

[Glenn81]

Do you guys think that there is any truth to the rumour that Jayski is reporting about Ganassi going to Toyota's in 2005?

[Billydelrio]

Toyota has a better chance to win and sell more T-shirts if they bring in experienced/popular folks, so I expect to see several big names head their direction.

Billy

[dwc43]

It'll never happen.

[sanborn]

When Toyota enters Nascar, they will do it with a vengence! The $$$ spent will dwarf anything that Mopar spent to get started. It will become a matter of national pride for the Japanese nation.

And, Nascar will make concessons to encourage Toyota to get involved. Don't know what the concessions will be; but, I will assure you it will happen. The financial rewards are potentially too great for Nascar. Just look at the efforts Nascar has made to become accepted nationally, with the entrance of Toyota, it gains INTERNATIONAL prominence. It's not a "ole boy" deal, this is business!

I just hope "ussens" just don't get lost in the shuffle!

[Nightri1]

Didn't they say that about drag racing?

[GaryS]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Ganassi run Toyota's truck program, which will be the R&D effort for Winston Cup. That gives him options when his Dodge contract is up with the Cup teams.

Face it guys, most owners and drivers are brand-whores and will eagerly go where the dollars are. The only guy who has made his Mopar preferences clear is Bobby Hamilton. I still say he will eventually field a Dodge in Winston Cup with his son as the driver.

[a.jmilligan@pei]

guess we will have 2 wait and see,strange things happen when u r blinded by dollar signs.

[Loghead]

That's why he runs Dodges now, and that's why he'll run 'Yotas as soon as they're ready to go to 'Cup.
If Sterlin hasn't retired by then, he'll be driving the Curs Lite Toada.

[GS -]

I don' know....Nascar is an American pastime (better than baseball for some). We are changing I know, but to switch from an American brand to anything that reeks of rice is amost sickining to contemplate. I don't care where the hell they are built.

[a.jmilligan@pei]

WITH WINSTON LEAVING AS SPONSOR IN THE NEAR FUTURE MAYBE NASCAR IS GOING 2 OPEN ITS DOORS 2 ALL MAKES AND CHANGE ITS NAME 2 ISCRA (INTERNATIONAL STOCKCAR RACING ASSOCIATION).WHO KNOWS,OR THEY MAY JUST LET THEM IN ,TAKE THEIR MONEY AND CHANGE THE RULES JUST ENOUGH SO THEY ARENT AS GOOD AS THE AMERICAN CARS. THIS WOULD BRING MAJOR $$$$$ IN SPONSORSHIP AND AS WE ALL KNOW MONEY IS THE MAIN FACTOR.

[Nightri1]

Let's see,

Toyota Championship Stock Car Racing Series?

[maynardh]

What do you think about Toyota wanting NASCAR to allow fuel injection?
The article says Fud wants it too.

[dwc43]

So many ways to cheat and add traction control too. I guess they would want it wouldn't they. That's part of the whole problem with cart and f1 today. All the electronics and the driver is just along for a drive unlike Winston Cup where you can still man handle a car to a win that is if they dont let you cheat it up like some of there favs. for the money.

[maynardh]

I agree.
If they want to join the series, they should build the cars/trucks to meet the rules. The rules shouldn't change to make them happy.

If the carb goes, what's next? Will there be just 1 big wheel nut? A fuel hose to fill the car?

If this happens, it will ruin the sport. The mechanics won't matter, it'll be who has the best computer guy.

[attsr]

Gary S, there is at least one other Cup guy that has a preference for the Dodge brand and that is Kyle Petty. The Petty family has been very Mopar oriented since the '50s. Lee Petty drove a Chrysler family car until he died. Richard Petty lobbied the Chrysler execs for years to get back into Nascar. When they finally did with the truck series, Petty Ent. jumped in with a Dodge truck even though they ran a Pontiac in Cup. And although the Petty family kept the media guessing as to whether they would switch to Dodge Cup cars in '01, there was really never any question about it. The Pettys were thrilled to get back into a Dodge Cup car!
But you're correct about Bobby Hamilton. He has a very good relationship with the folks at Dodge.
You're correct about most drivers though. They will drive for any brand that forks over the cash, Toyota included!
I expect Toyota to be in Cup by 2007 and Nissan will follow within a couple of years with their Maxima. I don't necessarily see this as a bad thing, though. I can remember when there were as many as 9 makes competing in Nascar Grand National racing. The increased competition improved the sport I believe.
All of the major auto companies are now global companies. DaimlerChrysler has HQ in Germany as well as Michigan. Ford also has a HQ in Germany. GM has major holdings in Europe and Europe has major holdings in GM. Fiat, for instance, holds 5% of GM's stock. Ford owns Volvo but GM owns a large stake in Volvo trucks. DaimlerChrysler owns most of Mitsubishi but much of Mitsubishi trucks (Fuso) is owned by Volvo. Ford owns Land Rover but Mini Cooper which was part of the same company is owned now by BMW, but the Mini Cooper engine is a joint venture by BMW and DaimlerChrysler. Nissan makes most of its cars for the American market in America now but Nissan is actually owned by the French auto maker, Renault. I could go on and on about how the major auto makers are all global and entertwined but you get my point. With modern technology, the world has become a small place. As a long-time Dodge supporter, I say let the Camry and the Maxima in. The competition will only get better!

[c_95mopar360R/T]

The way it sounds it's probly going to happen,get this I was in INDY a few weeks ago, went to some hobby stores down there, when I came out to my truck there was one of those new BIG Toyota SUV's was parked next to me and it had Chip Ganassi Cart Racing logos on it, it was an actual Ganassi Team owned vehicle, dont forget he owns two teams in the IRL, and they are Toyotas...http://jayski.thatsracin.com/teams/toyota.htm

[c_95mopar360R/T]

Oh, by the way, the Toyota NHRA drag racing Celica, dont be dissapointed cause its powered by MOPAR an aluminum version 426 HEMI http://www.toyota.com/motorsports/drag/specs.html

[pcrmike]

The big picture here is that then, the different makes all ran stock-type cars which caused the engineering qualities of the manufacturers to come to the forefront. These days, the parts of a racecar, if you took the color away, are virtually indistinguishable from one another, and the engines are restricted to cookie-cutter parts and no off the shelf ingenuity. Want to tell us that the racing improves the breed? Put stock blocks with stock (or modified stock) cranks, rods, and whatever pistons, stock-type heads, ported, and sure, limit carb size and whatever exhaust they want! Sure, limit size to 355! Sure, and you will start to see the homogenized versions on the street, with bodies designed for NASCAR racing, and you will tell a difference in the makes for their ENGINEERING! Limit the amount of investment (takes out Toyota's advantage) and watch the Dodges rule! The 5.7 HEMI is it among new motors, and would be a great platform from which to launch the world-leading reputation that the former Chrysler Corporation had. Bring back stock cars, and we mean NOW!!!

[nhdriver]

The NHRA Toyota funny car is now parked . The "gung Ho" Japenese carmaker wouldn't pony up the $ to keep it running . And like every competitive funny car & top fueller it too was powered by an aftermarket version of a MOPAR HEMI!!
What engine will Toyota be running in Nascar? Probably a Chevy.
I say keep them out . Nascar is an american sport

[dwc43]

I agree there nhdriver. Got enough chebby want a be's in there al ready and dont need no foriegn cars in there stinkin up the mix. I'd almost bet money that there engine copies chebby in some ways or anouther. Plus they already got Bill Davis Racing in hot water with Dodge. Dodge cut all ties and is suing BDR for building toyota a truck and going to the wind tunnel and test sesions with a Dodge engine in it. Now how sorry was that. BDR needs suing after that kind of crap. A trader if I ever saw one. Wonder what secrets toyota stole from Dodges engines while they had a holt of one and was allowed to run around in the BDR shop.

[Nightri1]

We know, we know, all about the cars in funny car being powered by a hemi engine. Do you all think we just started watching this stuff last night?

[beenthereb4]

I agree with ATTSR. Let them in. I have enough faith in Mopar that they will remain competitive [if the whole company stays afloat ....recent financial news not good{again}]. I prefer Mopars overall, but I would take Toyota, Honda, ford, Nissan, Mitsu, Subaru, BMW,VW, Volvo, or even Hyundai over anmy GM product.

[pcrmike]

Good post, but there is one difference between Toyota and Dodge, if they come in to this environment, they WILL throw enough money at it as opposed to the NHRA sponsorships. NASCAR sells cars! Toyota knows this. I say keep them out, or if they don't keep them out, limit what they can spend!

[dwc43]

I have faith in mopar being competitive anywhere, but will nascar let them stay that way is the problem. They've already cheated the truck guya and the cup cars too. They are not as quick as they were when they first started back to racing.

[pcrmike]

Unfortunately you are right, as NASCAR, in the interest of equality (B$!) has efffectively tied Dodge's arm behind it's back. This is bad for the sport, bad for enthusiasts, and doesn't let the innovation and differences in the makes come to the forefront. Heck, why doesn't Chevy just go to a v-6, so they will "equalize" everyone else by putting a three-foot spoiler and mud tires? Equalization makes as much sense as a third party coming in to a boxing match and beating the tar out of the one who is winning, so they can be equal! Get Real! Get Mopar! Also, we need to find website info and email Toyota, expressing our feelings, and maybe they will not get in Who knows, if this type of site exists? I bet NASCAR fans of all makes would jump at that chance!

[Nightri1]

if Toyota wants to go racing then they will be the next leader, get used to it! Can't say I agree but that's life. As for whining about Nascar and "equalization" just get over it, watch it for entertainment that's all. No one but the Frances can change that! And for the comment about Toyota parking that Celica funny car, no one goes to a NHRA race to see what car they will be buying next year. Toyota wants to sell cars and trucks, so they will be racing in the truck series and WC.

[GaryS]

Originally posted by Nightri1
if Toyota wants to go racing then they will be the next leader, get used to it! Can't say I agree but that's life. As for whining about Nascar and "equalization" just get over it, watch it for entertainment that's all. No one but the Frances can change that! And for the comment about Toyota parking that Celica funny car, no one goes to a NHRA race to see what car they will be buying next year. Toyota wants to sell cars and trucks, so they will be racing in the truck series and WC.

Aren't you contradicting yourself? If no one goes to a race to see what car they will buy next, then why are manufacturers spending money to make their cars visible at the track?

Either advertising works, or it doesn't.

[Nightri1]

Gary,
No, I am comparing NHRA to Cup. True the ads work or don't. My guess is that they work better in Winston Cup even though the cars are not "stock."

[mastrdrver]

I have faith in mother MOPAR. For some reason I dont see Toyota doing anything but pulling up the rear in NWC and CTS. When was the last time that Toyota used a carb or even a pushrod engine? I dont see NASCAR changing those rules to let Toyota win and I dont see them staying very long in NASCAR. Everyone says that Toyota wins in everything that they get into. I say bcuz of all the tech that is in those series, with NASCAR they will be behind 30yrs compared to the BIG 3.

[pcrmike]

The only thing I disagree with there is that in some of NASCAR's junior divisions, they allow OHC motors, and it is possible that they may allow OHC motors in Winston Cup, perhaps in a smaller displacement. I don't know how hard carburation would be for them, because they use it regularly in their off road racing and in their production cars until a few years ago. Holley and Carter would probably be quite happy to come to their aid to bring in the money! As for pushrods, these engines have to be based on a production block as far as centerlining, and cam location. Who knows?