Latest NASCAR/Toyota news, CTS in 2004? UPDATE: Toyota’s invasion of NASCAR continues to evolve. And Wade Lopez is on the front lines. The Abingdon businessman fields Toyota Celica’s for drivers Tim Nichols (Abingdon) and Reece Milton (Blountville) in the Goody’s Dash Series. While industry insiders speculate when Toyota will make its next move up the NASCAR ladder, Lopez is building and learning with his Bristol-based Highlands Motorsports team. “My goal is to have serious advancement in this sport every year and I feel we can do that through our relationship with Toyota,” Lopez said. “Toyota is hoping to debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. That’s where I want to be.” Toyota has sent a factory representative to each Dash race, including Saturday night’s event at LPR.(Bristol Herald Courier)(5-14-2002) UPDATE: Toyota, which has tested the waters in NASCAR with several entries in the Goody’s Dash Series, is looking at the possibility of competing in the Truck [CTS] series. Lee White, vice president of Toyota Racing Development, said Wednesday, “Toyota is participating in a cooperative study with the NASCAR organization expanding our NASCAR involvement to include the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with our made-in-America full-size Tundra pickup trucks.” NASCAR has traditionally limited participation in its premier series to American-made vehicles. White, participating in a panel discussion during the Open-Wheel Racing Summit at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was asked if TRD would build a new engine for the truck series. “What we end up doing motorwise, I don’t think anyone expects NASCAR to change their rules for us, so you can draw your own conclusions.” Currently Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet compete in the truck series. Several teams are running Toyota Celicas in the six-cylinder Dash Series. “Frankly,” White said, “it’s given us good exposure for the Celica throughout the Southeast in addition to being a venue and a vehicle for developing relationships with the NASCAR organization.”(ThatsRacin.comAP), see my NASCAR Past News page for more on this.(5-23-2002)
