Toyota Grand National car

[Sparky]

Anybody heard any more about this?

[Heeltoe6]

The Toyota rumors go back and fourth. They were supposed to be in the Dash series as early as 98, but nobody ran them, but I think someone may actually be running one this year (not sure); they are legal. This was supposed to be thier stepping stone into cts for 2001 (not happening) and that in turn would go towrads a cup program,. Another rumored entry way is/was via the France not-so grand-am series, which is supposed to have a trouing cars series with it, but I don't know when that's getting started.

[Lee]

Sparky,
If that is one of the pictures from an article in last months "Motor Trend" magazine, it is a Goody's Dash car. Toyoda has an effort going on in that series. I believe they use the Celica, or however you spell it. They have some road racer driving it, and to date he hasn't been too impressive. Don't know if he's even made a race yet. IMO it would be a mistake to allow foreign cars into the highest levels of NASCAR, Winston Cup and Busch. Nothing against the foreign manufactors, its just that one of the reasons that NASCAR is so popular is because it is an All-American series. Winston Cup is not an international series, if it tries to become one it will dilute itself and hurt the popularity it has built. Fans want to see Ford beat Chevy beat Pontiac, beat Dodge (next year). Now, alot of you are going to say that there is no such thing as an American car anymore. I have to disagree. Ford, Chevy, Dodge (I know that Damlier-Benz bought the Chrysler Corp, but it is still a domestic name with a domestic heritage) are as American as baseball and apple pie. Honda, Toyoda etc are not domestic even though they have factories that produce the products here. They are not American. The large of the American fans will not accept the foreign cars. NASCAR would loose 2 or more older fans for every 1 new fan (of the foreign manufactors) that they gain. A better situation might be to establish a series for foreign cars simmilar to what NASCAR did with the pick-up trucks with the Craftsman Truck Series. They could make it "international" like I proposed in my thread about NASCAR racing in Europe. The biggest winners would be the fans, because it would give us that many more NASCAR races to watch.

Lee

[Heeltoe6]

Lee, I don't consider any of the US amkes American anymore; DC espeically. Chrysler really got rooked on that one, all decisions come form Germany now. (I'm wiht Buchanan on this one, we bailed out Chrysler then they defect) GM is busy building Buick plants in China (for domestic Asian markets...yeah right, how long til the jobs get shipped over there) and Ford considers itself a gloabl corporation. I agree, though, that Toyota, Honda, et al, are also not American. Don't really care either way though, the cars have lost all meaning for anyhow since the tbrd/rwd left. Although the heriatage the three domestic amkes have does give them a slight edge; it's just since the late 70s, that hertiage hasnt been anything to brag about If a foreign make did come in, however, that woould (or should) force one of the others out, cuase with about 45 teams, you want to mkae sure you have about at least 10 of each mkae to prevent bona fide factory efforts dominanting while giving limited to support to independents.