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

http://insiderracingnews.com/dt060403.html ^

[samuel_adams_us]

If you go to the Toyota website and register your car or truck Toyota will send you freebies as your vehicle racks up the miles. I have over 400k on my 1994 Toyota 4X4 pickup, V6, and I still am running the original brakes, exhaust system, everything. The only thing I do is change oil every 3k, put in new plugs every 72k miles, new tires every 70k and a little gas here and there. I have yet to own a vehicle, other than Toyota, that could ever run like this.

[j_tull]

As far as "American" cars, it's impossible for me to track just what part of them are American anymore.

Exactly, my wife's Outback was assembled in Indiana and my big block Suburban was assembled in Mexico. What is an American car?

[B Knotts]

My Ford pickup was assembled in Canada.

If you really want to boycott NASCAR for something, do it for how they paid off Jesse Jackson.

[IowaHawk]

I love F1 because the technology and driving skill are second to none. The only downside is the lack of competition outside the top 3 constructors.

I love drag racing for the technology, noise and speed; plus its relationship to, and derivation from, real street racing. A NHRA fuel engine churns 6000+ horsepower, more output in one cylinder than an entire Winston Cup car. You cannot fathom 0-100mph in 0.8 seconds, 0-325mph in 4.6 seconds unless you've witnessed it up close. The driving skill may not be world-class, but the tech is incredible.

NASCAR? Boring technology (pushrod carbureted V8s), mediocre drivers.

[samuel_adams_us]

Don't you find it interesting that all American Companies farm their labor out all over the world, build crap for vehicles, get paid like God, and yet the Japanese build their vehicles with American Labor, build great cars that outlast American brands 100 to 1 and get paid like real people. What does that say about the management running our car companies and all of our companies for that matter? Can you say idiots?

[B Knotts]

Agreed. I also like the racing where they turn different directions sometimes.

[pikachu]

Toyota is having big problems. First is that they are having a hard time finding a foundery to make cast iron engine blocks. Second is that none of their enginners have ever worked on a carburator. Both those technologies went away with 8-tracks for Toyota. Their early US race engines for CART and IMSA were known to have a short fuse and were finicky when they did run. Look at their effort in F1 and their past history in US racing and it will probably take them several years to be competitive.

[tacticalogic]

I love drag racing for the technology, noise and speed; plus its relationship to, and derivation from, real street racing. A NHRA fuel engine churns 6000+ horsepower, more output in one cylinder than an entire Winston Cup car.

Granted, the fuelie will put out 10x the HP, but the WC engine has to stay together 2000x longer.

[samuel_adams_us]

What's real interesting is that if you compare CART with F1, the F1 cars are much faster. Check out the times for the cars where they race on the same tracks. F1 cars run on high octane gasoline and the CART cars run methanol but they don't produce the horsepower or have the technology of the F1 cars.

[mhking]

Oh, please. Spare me the "redneck pride."

There's no such thing as a 'Mericun car anymore.

Between Ford's marriage to Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Volvo & Mazda, Chrysler's marriage to Daimler, GM jumping in bed with Saab; and let's not forget the numbers of "foreign" cars that are built with American labor on American soil - from Honda to Nissan to Subaru to Toyota...

And finally, if NASCAR fans can't handle any competition from overseas, how can anyone take their claims about competition on the oval seriously?

You want to be best in the world? And are you serious about it? Then, go out on the oval and compete head to head and prove it.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

No longer will NASCAR be an American sport.

Perhaps the author can now sympathize with the way the Europeans felt about an American team in the World Cup tournament.

[doodad]

Well I guess it is Hummer for you.

[longtermmemmory]

It NOT about where the cars are made. Its about where the profits go. Toyota's may be made in the US but their parts suppliers are all from japan.

Has anyone gone to a new car search engine and looked for an "american" car category? They don't even offer the option.

I am grateful I don't live in a country where trebi is the only option. I DO want to see a USA only match.

(I am still in mourning because Lincoln made the towncar look like a large melted marshmellow)

[eBelasco]

World Cup NEQ National

[brewcrew]

Toyota produces quality product and stands behind it.

That used to be the American way - until the UAW became just another corrupt, money-grubbing front for organized crime.

I don't see why so many around here have such a huge problem with good, old-fashioned capitalism: make a good product at a competitive price, with enough value added to convince the consumer that yours is worth the extra money, then let the consumer decide.

The ones making these cars and trucks (my Tacoma was actually made in California), and the ones profitting from the sale of same are the ones who were LIBERATED during WWII.

[MineralMan]

"Very true. How about a 1982 Chevette league?
"

I think Yugos would more fun. They're cheap, don't go fast enough to be dangerous to amateurs, and you can just throw them away when their engines blow up and get another one.

[IowaHawk]

And the best drivers in the world - bar none - are the boys who race in the motorcycle Grand Prix. The only sport besides bowling that requires 16 pound balls.

[samuel_adams_us]

They were smart enough to listen to us, our politicians and heads of business don't listen to anyone other than themselves.

[KansasConservative1]

I love my FORD. It took Asian imports in the late 80's to snap the American cars into shape. I welcome the chance to put American engines head-to-head with those of other countries. If we are the best, we should welcome it.

[IowaHawk]

Granted, the fuelie will put out 10x the HP, but the WC engine has to stay together 2000x longer.

And an irrigator engine has to run for 30 straight days. A NASCAR race is like a baseball game. A top fuel race is like an orgasm.