Can Camry Corner Cup In 2007?
THE THREE AMIEGOS
Toyota names three teams for 2007 debut
By Greg Engle - Cup Scene Daily
When the Toyota Camry hits the track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit in 2007, there will be a total of 3 teams and six cars.
Toyota made the announcement during a dinner hosted by them during Tuesday night’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Media tour hosted by Lowes Motor Speedway.
There had been widespread speculation of the teams for weeks, but that came to end Tuesday night when Toyota executives introduced Bill Davis, Michael Waltrip and Team Red Bull.
"Based on our motorsports experience, we know the importance of working with experienced teams and partners," said Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A.
"We have developed excellent relationships with Bill Davis and the Waltrip family and look forward to developing a similar relationship with the Red Bull team as Toyota joins one of the world's most competitive racing series."
Each team will field two cars in 2007, with Waltrip driving his own team, Dave Blaney for Bill Davis and drivers to be named later for Red Bull headed up by Marty Gaunt and the vacant seats at Waltrip, Red Bull and BDR.
Toyota restated that it will not have factory-based teams, like Ray Evernham has with the UAW Dodge Dealers, a worry for some who like Evernham feel that Toyota could become a dominate force in the series based on their past history.
Evernham's biggest worry is that Toyota huge influx of cash could lure the best people from current teams.
"You could go out and start a team and buy my years of experience, my money that's invested five or six years in the people, and there are no controls over that," Evernham said during the media tours visit Monday night. "If I had an unlimited budget, you'd go after the best drivers and best people."
Toyota seemed to demonstrate that fiscal ability as the also announced Tuesday that the Camry will be the official car of Lowes Motor Speedway.
On the flip side, Speedway Motorsports President Bruton Smith, who owns several sports’ biggest tracks, including Lowes Motor Speedway, and who also owns Toyota dealerships, said earlier Tuesday that Toyota would be good for NASCAR.
"Toyota has enough cash - cash - to buy General Motors and Ford Motor Company," Smith said.
"Toyota has more money than God. Toyota is sometimes referred to as the Bank of Japan. A lot of people working in this sport will be making more money next year, because Toyota is coming in."
NAPA will continue as the primary sponsor for Waltrip's entry and Caterpillar, which sponsored Davis' No. 22 last season, will continue its association with BDR.
"I never thought I would be a car owner in the Cup series," Waltrip said. "But then I thought, if I can plug into this, I can go race with these guys. ... Now I've got cars. I can race these people."
Waltrip also announced the hiring of Larry Carter, Rusty Wallace's former crew chief who will serve in the same role. Carter will stay in his current role this season as a consultant for BDR.
In addition Waltrip also said he’s hired former Dale Earnhardt Inc. vice president Ty Norris as vice president and GM of Michael Waltrip Racing. He’ll built 125,000-square-foot shop for the team's operation in Cornelius, N.C. to be called “Waltrip’s Racing World”. The building will be an interactive high-tech race shop designed for the ultimate fan experience.
“Since 1996, we have operated Michael Waltrip Racing out of our backyard,” Waltrip said. “I have always dreamed of constructing the perfect building for a race team. Waltrip Racing World will be just that.”
Waltrip said he and Toyota had been in negotiations since August. Late last season DEI and Waltrip announced they would go their separate ways after 2005.
The surprise of the teams was Red Bull Racing, which owns and operates Formula One teams and has been a major sponsor in the Indy Racing League, but is new to NASCAR as a major player.
Red Bull, which has no drivers yet, will be managed by former Penske Racing South executive Marty Gaunt and take over the old Penske South shop in the Lakeside Business park in Mooresville N.C.
The Busch series rosters will be filled later in 2006.
For Waltrip, who like his older brother Darrell before him, will become master of his own destiny in 2007 he certainly seems upbeat about the first race of 2007 in his Camry, the Daytona 500.
"I'm not going to bring a mule to the Kentucky Derby," he said. "I'm bringing a race car to the Daytona 500."
Toyota names three teams for 2007 debut
By Greg Engle - Cup Scene Daily
When the Toyota Camry hits the track on the NASCAR Nextel Cup circuit in 2007, there will be a total of 3 teams and six cars.
Toyota made the announcement during a dinner hosted by them during Tuesday night’s NASCAR Nextel Cup Media tour hosted by Lowes Motor Speedway.
There had been widespread speculation of the teams for weeks, but that came to end Tuesday night when Toyota executives introduced Bill Davis, Michael Waltrip and Team Red Bull.
"Based on our motorsports experience, we know the importance of working with experienced teams and partners," said Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, U.S.A.
"We have developed excellent relationships with Bill Davis and the Waltrip family and look forward to developing a similar relationship with the Red Bull team as Toyota joins one of the world's most competitive racing series."
Each team will field two cars in 2007, with Waltrip driving his own team, Dave Blaney for Bill Davis and drivers to be named later for Red Bull headed up by Marty Gaunt and the vacant seats at Waltrip, Red Bull and BDR.
Toyota restated that it will not have factory-based teams, like Ray Evernham has with the UAW Dodge Dealers, a worry for some who like Evernham feel that Toyota could become a dominate force in the series based on their past history.
Evernham's biggest worry is that Toyota huge influx of cash could lure the best people from current teams.
"You could go out and start a team and buy my years of experience, my money that's invested five or six years in the people, and there are no controls over that," Evernham said during the media tours visit Monday night. "If I had an unlimited budget, you'd go after the best drivers and best people."
Toyota seemed to demonstrate that fiscal ability as the also announced Tuesday that the Camry will be the official car of Lowes Motor Speedway.
On the flip side, Speedway Motorsports President Bruton Smith, who owns several sports’ biggest tracks, including Lowes Motor Speedway, and who also owns Toyota dealerships, said earlier Tuesday that Toyota would be good for NASCAR.
"Toyota has enough cash - cash - to buy General Motors and Ford Motor Company," Smith said.
"Toyota has more money than God. Toyota is sometimes referred to as the Bank of Japan. A lot of people working in this sport will be making more money next year, because Toyota is coming in."
NAPA will continue as the primary sponsor for Waltrip's entry and Caterpillar, which sponsored Davis' No. 22 last season, will continue its association with BDR.
"I never thought I would be a car owner in the Cup series," Waltrip said. "But then I thought, if I can plug into this, I can go race with these guys. ... Now I've got cars. I can race these people."
Waltrip also announced the hiring of Larry Carter, Rusty Wallace's former crew chief who will serve in the same role. Carter will stay in his current role this season as a consultant for BDR.
In addition Waltrip also said he’s hired former Dale Earnhardt Inc. vice president Ty Norris as vice president and GM of Michael Waltrip Racing. He’ll built 125,000-square-foot shop for the team's operation in Cornelius, N.C. to be called “Waltrip’s Racing World”. The building will be an interactive high-tech race shop designed for the ultimate fan experience.
“Since 1996, we have operated Michael Waltrip Racing out of our backyard,” Waltrip said. “I have always dreamed of constructing the perfect building for a race team. Waltrip Racing World will be just that.”
Waltrip said he and Toyota had been in negotiations since August. Late last season DEI and Waltrip announced they would go their separate ways after 2005.
The surprise of the teams was Red Bull Racing, which owns and operates Formula One teams and has been a major sponsor in the Indy Racing League, but is new to NASCAR as a major player.
Red Bull, which has no drivers yet, will be managed by former Penske Racing South executive Marty Gaunt and take over the old Penske South shop in the Lakeside Business park in Mooresville N.C.
The Busch series rosters will be filled later in 2006.
For Waltrip, who like his older brother Darrell before him, will become master of his own destiny in 2007 he certainly seems upbeat about the first race of 2007 in his Camry, the Daytona 500.
"I'm not going to bring a mule to the Kentucky Derby," he said. "I'm bringing a race car to the Daytona 500."
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