Meet Team Toyota
Thursday April 5, 2007
Toyota's entry into NEXTEL Cup racing has been rough. Currently only two of the seven drivers have started all six 2007 races. None of the seven Toyota drivers are currently in the top 35 in points and only once has a Toyota driver managed a top ten finish. The Toyota drivers have not been making waves yet, but they will.
Who has Toyota's best finish to date? Which driver is most likely to score Toyota's breakthrough win? Here are the three teams and seven drivers that make up Team Toyota.
Comments
IT MAY TAKE A WHILE BUT YOU KNOW THAT TOYOTA HAS A LOT OF MONEY TO SPEND AND THEY WILL PUT A COMPETITIVE TEAM ON THE TRACK SOONER OR LATER. WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND IS THAT WITH ALL THERE EXPERIENCE IN TRUCKS THAT THEY ARE HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME GETTING UP TO SPEED IN THE CARS.
The biggest problem has been Michael Waltrip racing, he has been more concerned about putting together his carnival like race shop than his race teams.His new shop is suppose to be the Disney World of Nascar, with his sponcers having fast food outlets and all that kind of glitter, they will even have and admission charge, he is just as greedy as nascar.Get your race teams up and running then start your showboating.
YOU HAVE A MARGINAL RACE CAR DRIVER WHO IS NOW AN OWNER OF A MARGINAL RACE TEAM! WHATS THE CONFUSION! I LIKE MIKEY BUT HE IS NOT WHAT TOYOTA NEEDED TO GET ON THE BOARD EARLY.
If you have not notice, and if you ask a toyrice race team. I be willing to bet that Toyrice has not put the money in the cars as they did in the trucks. Why? don’t know. If they did do you think they would have the problems they are having? Waltrip is not the only team has toyrice cars. When the trucks came out they made sure they did good, now? well look.
John your not really up on the english language are you! Toyota, well there just a waste. Anyone who would side with Michael Waltrip is not serious about racing. The man has a history of not winning, not finishing a race, consistantly out of the top 35, why would you side with him?
Zeke, Well that comment was not one of my brightest moments. Then again, I am not criticizing others for their mistakes while making my own mistakes. Therefore, I hope you were not referring to me on siding with Waltrip. Although, if you would look up his stats his worst average besides this year was last year it was 30. From 2005 to 1985 is average finish was 20.9. Therefore, that rather blows your statement. I also notice concerning Toyrice cars you did not mention the other team’s that use Toyrice cars. So what is your theory of that? I do not think that Toyrice racing division is not putting the $$$’s in to the cars as they did with the trucks. Now you have a good day!!
what engine does Toyota use
NAPA will soon pull out
Gene, they use their own engines. Toyrice had to develope an engine (race) V8 when they started the trucks race. That was I was thinking about NAPA. I don’t think they paid all of that money, so mike don’t even quailfy to race.
As long we are talking about waltrip, He did fairly well in the standings until he bought his own team. If you can remember his brother Darrel did the very same thing, he did pretty well untill he bought his own team. Darrell said that wasn’t the best for him he found out owner/driver. Mike should have learn from his older brother. Exspensive mistake.
Very few people wanted Toyota (not toyrice) in NASCAR to begin with so I’m sure there are some happy people with the horrendous start Toyota is experiencing. My feelings run another way. I feel bad for Michael Waltrip for putting everything on the line to start this team and try something different. This has to be one of the most difficult periods of his career. Why don’t you meanies try having a little compassion? Remember, you might have to eat your words someday.
kim, meanies? lol I don’t have any thing against waltrip. I like the guy, I don’t like the way he go on TV on monday night and suck up to nascar. No matter what nascar does he says ok. but thats him. TOYRICE, no I don’t think they should be in nascar, then again they let Dodge race. Dodge? yes it’s a german company now, for what 6-8 years now, remember? If toy put the $$$ in to these cars as they did the trucks then do some good. sign meaney LOL
Mikey needs to realize this is the real world, last year he bought his way into a race to keep his string alive and look good for the sponsers, now he need to take a page out of Richard Childress book and fire hisself and hire a seasoned driver like Mike Wallace to drive the 55 car, he always Qualifies well and could win races with a good car than Waltrip could spend all his doing what he needs to be doing. Childress hired Dale Earnhardt to replace hisself and look what happened to that team, give it up Mickey you are only and average driver at best.
Well yes, mike waltrip did buy his way into a race last year, and once again he was not the first to do that. He start to have problems when he bought his own team just like his older brother have done. Both had problems then, he should have learn from him. Before that he had no problems getting into the race. Mike Wallace? bad choice, he’s not called a relief driver for nothing.
If you can bash Michael Waltrip then there is really no stopping point for your bashing. Michael is struggling just the same as all of the Toyota teams are. I for one dont like to see him struggling as bad as he is. I have met the guy at numerous races and he is genuinely one of the good guys.
It may take a few years, but Toyota will do to the Nextel series exactly what they did to the trucks….Dominate. I dont like the idea, but you better get used to it.
roundman I think you need to do a little research Mikey has been racing a long time I guess you just started watching now go get you head out of your a…………..
I am seeing if I can post on this article. I keep trying to post an apoligy on the story about Stewart getting waxed. I cant get it to post there. So I was going to see if I could post on this one.
hey john..you complain that dodge is made in germany..so what..the chevy is made in canada..the ford in mexico..toyota comes from kentucky..
dave p, where did I said dodge was made in Germany? I said dodge is a German own company. Yes I know chevy’s and Fords made in canada, and mexico, korea plus in other countries, and have been for decades. However “dave p” GM, and ford is a American co. so the profits go to america where as toyrice (some made in america) profits go to japan. dodge as in when they were sold about I think 7,8,9 or so years ago, (parent company) goes to germany. Understand? Try read what it is wriiten, next time.
Umm…
It’s sponser not sponcer…
It’s they’re not there (So don’t complain about someone else’s grammer when you can’t write yourself.)…
Toyota (toyrice???) builds more cars in the U.S. than Ford, GM, or Chrysler…
And if you’re watching the news, Daimler just sold Chrysler, so Chrysler is once again an “American” company, as much as that’s possible in today’s world economy.
The COT Dodge Avenger is made in Sterling Heights Michigan BY UNION LABOR, with …yes even minoritys and yep, even women (full time)… unlike any Toyota built in the farm belts by non UNION labor & few minorities or women. Check the facts. Oh, ya, the profits ALL go to Japan! Nothing is decided here. The Toyoa-Dodges Bill Davis Racing developed last year with Dodge engines while the “skunk works” in California developed the first ever push rod engine for Toyota. Oh ya, they keep a lot of secretes about that engine – even form the teams (and presumably NASCAR)as they get a “sealed” engine from our As1an friends. Didn’t anyone notice that all last season Mikey’s (Bill Davis) Dodge cars NEVER had Dodge decals on them, he never mentioned what he was driving & his uniform was devoid of Dodge logo’s… all the while he crashed as many of them as he could just to get “air time”! Hope he never NEEDs to come back! For the record folks; Yes Chevy Monto Carlo, Ford Fusion & Dodge Charger are assembled outside the US but are build in NORTH AMERACA & ALL with Union labor – All the Engineering & Design are done here and there are 500 to one more American tax paying employees at GM, Ford & DCX than Toyota. America had better wake up soon – or all of you will be flipping hamburgers! I’m retired after 37 years of DCX engineering service (safety) & have followed the NASCAR circuit for 35 years. It sadens me to see where it is going just to please a “new” demographic that seems to be unknowledgable about cars in general – and HISTORY in spicific & care more about personalities. Our roots in this sport are being eroded quickly. Nissan will be next with Honda right behind. So much for the all American Sport. For that matter with each boat load of containers from China … so goes America. Sad! I’m keepig a LARGE carbon foot print with my 400HP CAT diesel & yes visiting a few of the “good ole boy tracks”.
The Union Labor is the main reason that the American auto makers are in the pickle they currently find themselves. While I dont think we should expect people to work for peanuts like other countries do, we cant simply expect to overprice our outdated vehicles and hope to keep up with foreign comapnies. I have never, and probably never will own one, but the market is set by the buying public…not labor unions that have their heads buried in the sand.
Eric, Without trying to doubt you, But only thing I seen where some guy offered 4.5 billion to buy it. I have not seen where it was sold. So let me know where I can find it. That be good have it a American Company again. I really don’t care if toyrice (toyota-rice burner) make 40 million more cars here than GM, Ford in America. Toyrice, Honda, Nissan is JAPAN company and that is where the profits go. Again, I don’t care if they make millions of cars here it’s still a japan company. Why can’t people understand that? Unions? I was a Teamsters for years. However I don’t think just because if a company is union they make a better prouduct. Unions have good points and bad just like anything else in this world. However, I do find a lot when people like the one above gripe on how the unions are bad and ruining companies they also have their head in the sand. Because of the unions, the people not in unions have benifit what the unions have done. I also know the unions (NOT ALL) have made it bad, Look at Boeing for an Example every four years they go on strike, for more $$$. Then they get a sign on bounse when the strike is over. That is wrong. I also find the ones that gripe the most (lack of a better word) is jealous of the benifits and wages they offer. Yes they fight for their jobs, wages, benifits. Can you blame them? I really don’t think tlabonte fan if your employer come up to you and say, hey we decided to take X amount of && away from you you would like it, or would turn down the wages either.
dave p do you still have that car?
I guess we are all tird of bashing Mikey so now we will bash the Labor Unions, I don’t think so I am retired after working 50 years and my union made it possible for me and my family to go anywhere we want and live very well with plenty, God Bless The Labor Unions.
hey john..yes i do..ive had that rod for 31 years…
john…i wasnt really trying to get on your case on where anything was made or belongs to whom…i just put in that comment to see what kind of fire it would draw…(lol)sorry
Well this is sure a wide varity of conversation. I really dont know what to think. About Mikey I like him. I think he is genuine. About toyota I dont really know. I know that they are doing well in the truck series so in time I think they will do well here too. About Union labors. I hate unions. My husband was a union worker for a long time and besides really good health insurance we paid them alot of money to do nothing for him in his 25 yrs in a union. I am glad to be away from them. Just my opinion. I dont want hate mail. I know alot people live for unions. I just do get what they are suppose to accomplish. I know that union that my husband belonged to got a felon her job back when she could not be trusted and was completely in the worng because the company could not fight the union. Crappy hu?
thats suppose to be do not get
dave p, I didn’t mean to come across as an smart A**. I too say things on here to get an response if I agree with what I said or not. Make things interesting at times. LOL That is a cool car.
anita, funny this about nascar, and some how someone brings up unions, i am suprise somebody has not brought up politcs. LOL. Unions they have their good and bad points. You are right about about getting peoples jobs back or keeping a job. That too have it good points and bad. I have known people should have been fired but the unions. When I lived in the Seattle area I was in the teamsters, yes we paid them, then again our retirement comes from the teamsters, so I don’t think money waisted. However under the breath (they won’t admit, but heard things) our union didn’t not care for the unions that boeing had. That union abused Boeing, strike every 4 years, then boeing pay them a sign on bonus to come back, you don’t think the union have that in mind? Oh well, I like the union but they do have their faults.
john,i agree with 99.9% of what you say,i think we are both from the old school,the union, i can take it or leave it.been there, done that.i really dont know why i even argue this nascar stuff with you all,im not really in to it that much anymore,i just liked it better back when my HERO,KING RICHARD,was putting his skills up against his foe ,david pearson,you could tell who was where just from the STOCK CARS they were driving…..but, i guess that was just the good old days
In my 37 years – I was never in a union – I was just (attempting) making a point that the Toyota teams & Company are not on a level playing field. No Union, No health care expenses, No retirement burdon – yet still rapeing the USA & with plenty of surplus $’s for racing. Yes, I too saw many union abuses, yet J.D. Powers quality ratings are so close now that there is not much difference in quality between all NORTH American makes – domestic or “transplants. Fact: Last year the # 1 Manufacturer for recals was Toyota… Of course they sold a butt load of vehicles. Ford GM & Chrysler could let Toyota have the ball & leave ala Craftsman Truck… How many fans would NASCAR have then? Anyone notice the empty stands at the truck races lately? The never ending expanding costs of racing & corporate support may well force some drastic support reductions. Truck racing is a good example. The Major “domestic” guys have reduced $ support & Dodge has pulled out. The racing is competative between only the Toyota teams. Maybe that thrills some of you, but I long for the full mix.
kidjk- If you have a problem in reading these, maybe you should not get on here. Then again, they are always people such as you Criticize others about their spelling, well if you would have used yours it would have told you “spellcheck” is two words and not one, and it would have told you turn off your caps, so you do not look so foolish in your comment by criticizing others from your own mistakes.
It’s kinda like the frying pan calling the kettle black!!!!!!!!!!
Why the hell has this became such an argument??Toyota=misery!! Promising drivers are trying to make a name for themselves by driving the Toyotas;as for Micheal Waltrip…cut some slack! He wants to be part of this new set of teams,and what they MAY do in Nascar.If they make it .. more power to them.If they don’t …we can’t say that they didn’t at least try.As for what is union and what is not;GIVE IT A REST!! I live near 2 of the Toyota plants,and the bottom line is they pay as well as union plants with a lot more perks!! I work for a Toyota,Dodge,Ford and Chevy supplier:as well as we manufacture the rotors for Nascar(for superspeedways)Don’t try to say that we don’t,cause I met Bill France during a tour of our ^ plants.. We are not union either!! So lets give this trash a rest…Give toyota its due,and credit to all that are involved
Who cares you met France, Don’t try to say what? Stewart fan
John I agree that the union did have some good things mostly the awesome health insurance. And they helped my husband get paid at the time an insane amount of money to stand in a cash register and ring up groceries. I think that all unions are a little different but I dont know for sure. I do know that they usually try to help with benifits…. I cant wait untill next week I need a race.
baseball-hotdogs-applepie&toyota[?]just don’t cut it in my book.i think this is still AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!and i DO give a DAMN.