Toyota News..in 2006? Lee White, general manager of Toyota Racing Development [TRD] said a lengthy feasible study is nearing an end and he should know before the end of the year whether Toyota will be entering NASCAR via the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004. If it follows the Dodge model, Toyota would use the trucks as a rolling laboratory to prepare for a move into Winston Cup a few years later. Toyota already is building the engines to meet NASCAR specifications and has conducted wind-tunnel testing of truck bodies. “TRD has to treat this like it’s a done deal,” White said. “We can’t wait till senior management and NASCAR make a deal before we get started on it.” White said it’s a daunting task given that no new manufacturer has tried to enter NASCAR in its 50-year history. All that have competed at one time or another, including the current four, were there at the beginning in some form. The soon-to-be-completed study is as much about the marketing aspects as it is the logistics. NASCAR wants to know how bringing a Japanese company on board is going to sit with its fan base. Toyota wants to be sure it can grow its clientele through NASCAR. To White, the second half of that equation is a no-brainer.(Indianapolis Star)(11-8-2002) (11-7-2002)
