It's Time To Tell NASCAR How We Feel About Toyota

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[Provost-Marshal]

It's Time To Tell NASCAR How We Feel About Toyota

By Denise Thompson

June 4, 2003

I cannot believe what I have been hearing, and reading.

Much to the dismay of some fans, it looks like Toyota is going to get the chance to compete in the American sport of NASCAR.

I belong to several NASCAR fans private groups online and can honestly say that the majority of these fans are not just in shock at this news, but are as mad as Tony Stewart and his crew chief, Greg Zippadeli, were when NASCAR confiscated Stewart's Home Depot Chevrolet at Texas Motor Speedway earlier in April. Now it's come to light that NASCAR has given that car to the Japanese to help them produce a Toyota race car.

However, NASCAR has denied that Stewart's car was ever given to anyone and stated that the car is still in the R & D shop. If what NASCAR says is true, then why is Stewart and Zippadeli upset with NASCAR?

There are two reasons why most of the fans don't want to see Toyota in NASCAR.

The first reason: During World War II, not only did some of these fans lose a grandfather, husband, dad, uncle, brother, cousin and or a dear friend, while other fans may have a loved one that is or was permanently injured, as losing their eye sight or even a limb if not two, during the sneak attack on our American troops, that fateful day on December 7, 1941 known as "The Attack at Pearl Harbor." The Japanese brutally killed our boys on the march to Bataan, on Mount Suribachi in Iwo Jima, as well as the P.O.W. camps, our American soldiers were brutally murdered and dismembered. It's not that we Americans hold a grudge, it's just the Japanese have never apologized to the United States for any of these cowardly acts.

Don't get me wrong, we realize that the Dodge's are now a German vehicle (Daimler owns 51% while Chrysler owns 49%), and we don't mind having foreign cars in NASCAR such as the Dodge, but it was first an American manufactured vehicle. The fans just don't want to see any foreign made cars in NASCAR.

Secondly: Traditionally this sport was based in the south and has traveled throughout the United States. Drivers like Ned Jarrett, Lee Petty, Ralph Earnhardt and Curtis Turner, just to mention a few, began this sport on the beaches of Florida and North Carolina, as well as dirt tracks in North Carolina. This sport has been passed from generation to generations of American families. What happened to the tradition of this sport? This is what the fans are asking. Why does Mike Helton or even Bill France have the right to change that? Looking at the whole picture, if Toyota is allowed to race in NASCAR, what's next? Are we going to open the door to Italy, France, Russia, China, or the rest of the world. Where does it end? Does this sport go International? Will we be actively looking for foreign drivers? Will NASCAR be building tracks in other countries?

No longer will NASCAR be an American sport. Like so many other things we have lost, it's time for the fans to stand up and fight for this by letting NASCAR know how we feel about it.

I am speaking on behalf of the majority of the NASCAR fans, We do not want Toyota or any other foreign made car in the sport of NASCAR. We want to keep the tradition and we want to keep NASCAR the way it is right now, today.

Many fans have fallen in love with the sport. Don't let NASCAR or anyone else take it away from us. You can contact NASCAR at the following address:

NASCAR 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd. Daytona Beach, Florida 32114

[MineralMan]

"some people were surprised by what sort of car autocrossed well. Miatas are incredible, as are Si versions of Civics and CRXs. "

Even back then, there were a lot of surprises. In that same autocross the Mini won, there was a guy in a 62 'Vette that turned in a great time, despite all the wheel spinning.

But, the most impressive car I saw that day was a '55 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. It beat the 'Vette by a bunch, and did it with the smoothest sound, no spinning tires, and just a perfect run around the course. I can't imagine anyone autocrossing that car, but back in 1964, you could buy a used one for around $5K.

I've never gotten over hearing and seeing that Mercedes run the course. The sound of it was just amazing and it had virtually no body roll at all. It just went.

Of course, now, it's a totally unattainable goal to own one. There aren't many around, and the price for one is completely off the chart.

[eBelasco]

If either of them had Schumacher equipment, they would have been even greater than they were.
THere's a few guys in the field today who would whup him if they even had Rubens' car.

[Guillermo]

Glad to see the vast majority of posts on this thread are not anything like yours.

[Palmetto]

F1 does run oval tracks during the year,

Care to name one?

Hint: Half or quarter-oval don't count.

[samuel_adams_us]

You got me on the half and quarter oval but in all truth NASCAR is backwards when compared to F1. F1 is the king of car racing, it's the ultimate, NASCAR doesn't compare in technology, speed, etc.

[Guillermo]

Judging by the replies on this thread, those "offended" by Toyota are a small minority.

What's better for NASCAR...to lose one out of 50 fans in the United States and replace each one lost with 10 foreign fans, or keep the status quo?

There is a reason why F1 is the most popular sport on earth and why Shumacher is the highest paid athlete on earth.

[biblewonk]

It's all about jobs.

How about if we just destroy the rail industry and replace it with millions of trucks and truckers. Now that's a labor intensive, job intensive, expensive way to move things around a hugh country like this.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Remember the "Mustang" II? All that fine craftsmanship in American cars from 1976 to about 1984?

[Palmetto]

Do you honestly believe Schumacher to be better than Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost?

Hey chief, I got a pic of Senna dominating Monaco (in the rain, of course) as my desktop! He's my hero, but I dunno how he'd do in a modern Ferrari against Schumi. We can discuss, but there's no question Michael's up there with the best.

Alain is probably the most cerebral driver ever. Not the most talented, but one of the smartest.

[eBelasco]

Why not just turn NASCAR into NAF1AR? How about change the rules of football to make the ball round and replace the qb with a goalie while we're at it?

[graycamel]

First, Who cares about Nascar, it's more boring than golf.
Second, Buying a Japanese car is in some ways more patriotic than buying an American car:
a. Higher gas mileage means less money for the anti-Americans in the middle east.
b. When we buy a Chevy, Ford, or Dodge, we are helping the UAW/Democrat Union.

[billbears]

F1 cars can make it just as far as a NASCAR. You laugh but it would be nice to see you do some research on the subject.

And if you think 43 F1 cars could make it around Bristol very long, you've never seen a Bristol race. They're bumping and banging before the first lap is over

[tacticalogic]

You got me on the half and quarter oval but in all truth NASCAR is backwards when compared to F1. F1 is the king of car racing, it's the ultimate, NASCAR doesn't compare in technology, speed, etc.

To each his own. NASCAR is a different kind of racing than F1, and attracts different kinds of fans. Is it possible they might be able to have an uninterrupted discussion about it?

[eBelasco]

How about if we just destroy the rail industry and replace it with millions of trucks and truckers.

Are you suggesting that the rail (passenger and freight) industry wasn't demolished by free market forces, but that the federal government intervened and propped up the trucking and bus industries by subsidizing the construction of the interstates, and by enforcing draconian anti-trust regulations on the railroads?

[Pukin Dog]

I think you put Senna in Michael's Ferrari, and Michael is toasted. Senna was the latest-braking, crazy SOB ever in a car, and I just dont think anyone could hang with him.

[newgeezer]

Remember the "Mustang" II? All that fine craftsmanship in American cars from 1976 to about 1984?

Definitely. There's a '76 Bonneville in my garage. It's had a very sheltered, pampered life.

[tacticalogic]

And if you think 43 F1 cars could make it around Bristol very long, you've never seen a Bristol race. They're bumping and banging before the first lap is over

43 open wheel cars of any kind at Bristol is a recipe for carnage.

[Spiff]

This is just soooo stupid.

If they only want American-made stock cars, maybe someone should form the National Association for American-Made Stock Car Auto Racing (NAAMSCAR). As it stands right now, the arguments for keeping Toyota out are just plain stupid.

[RussRoberts]

I've had the same experience. My old Toyota car had the distributor fail after the warranty expired. Cost $300 to repair. Later got a letter from Toyota stating they had a bad batch and wanted me to bring it in for checking. They reimbursed me the full $300.

My Chevy pickup had the engine fail at 50k miles. When I called a dealer and asked about cost and if they had replacements in stock, he replied that they had the engine, since they replace a lot of them. I told him that I know, they fail a lot, and will Chevy pay to replace it. He laughed - I didn't.

The difference in service between the Japanese and American companies is huge. But I think it is getting better. Just not good enough.

[samuel_adams_us]

Sure, but F1 attracts more fans, makes more money, has a bigger following, has more technology, faster cars, and better drivers.