[doug]

toyota announced they are racing in busch and nextel cup starting in 2007.

with a camry.

http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/01/23/toyota.cup/index.html

i wonder if toyota is going to sink another billion into this race program to win a title, like they tried in f1.

does this even look like a camry? does toyota even make a 2 door v8 camry?

 

[mosquito]

Does chevrolet make a v8 rear drive monte carlo?

 

[REVELATIONS]

.... with carburetors?

Why do they even bother with vinyl stickers in place of headlights? Just forget the whole thing!


If they had actual "stock" vehicles racing each other in a windy course, rather than a highspeed left turning traffic jam, I might consider watching it.

 

[Desperado]

well toyotas proven that they can win at that level in the truck series so why not the cars? Nissan is even rumored to be entering the truck series as well........

 

[Jaybo]

Just keep laughing at Nascrap.

 

[pgdsm]

I like the looks of the paint scheme on the font end of the car

 

[doug]

Does chevrolet make a v8 rear drive monte carlo?

chev offers a 5.3 l v8 on the monte SS, but it's a fwd auto. the race body looks like the showroom body.

the dodge charger is a 4 door at the dealer. all previous dodge race cars were based on 4 door cars. intrepid r/t?

ford's taurus was 4 door. thunderbird was 2.

chev and pontiac at least based their race cars on 2 door cars. the lumina euro was a 2 door, which was the model used before the monte. the pontiacs were based on the grand prix, which was 2 door.

 

[elevation]

None of the Nascars are even close to there real counterparts. They just paint on the headlights and tailights of there most popular model to make the consumers feel like they have something from Nascar. Marketing at its best!

 

[bafflebrain]

Be funny in a few years when Toyota and Nissan dominate Nascar. The Japanese manufacturers like to hit them home where it hurts.

Maybe then the American ******** would get tired of it and we finally get more motorcycle racing coverage on Speed.

 

[Driftland]

ill tell you though, if they do make a v8 tube framed body camry with lexan windows ill buy it ^___________^

 

[doug]

None of the Nascars are even close to there real counterparts. They just paint on the headlights and tailights of there most popular model to make the consumers feel like they have something from Nascar. Marketing at its best!

it's a little bit more involved than that.

the car each manufacturer chooses to run has to be made in america. they have to have a certain production run.

there are still certain (albeit not many) parts of the car that have to come from the production line apparently. trunk lids and roofs i think.

 

[SpideRider]

The day a Japanese manufacturer beats out the Americans in NASCAR is the day I could officially die a happy man.

 

[dhouldsw]

...rather than a highspeed left turning traffic jam...

:lolup

;D

 

[doug]

The day a Japanese manufacturer beats out the Americans in NASCAR is the day I could officially die a happy man.

i think it's going to take them a long long time to do it. or, it will take a major defection of a top ranked driver to do it. we're talking tony stewart or jeff gordon calibre. front row joe nemechek isn't gonna win a championship with them. jimmy "mr. excitement" spencer certainly won't either.

 

[Jester666]

just out of curiosity(I don't know nascar):

do they ONLY turn left, or do they switch it back and forth and go the other way too?

 

[doug]

nascar runs counter clockwise on all tracks. just read this is because they ran originally on horse racing tracks, and horse racing is counter clockwise.

they run 2 road courses a year, at sears point and watkins glen. so they do turn right occasionally.

at one of the road courses the pits are on the wrong side of the pit lane, so the gas fillers have to be put on the opposite side of the car. normally they are on the driver's side.

 

[mikeelliot]

The roofs and deck lids are the same on all models.

The noses and the rear quarters are the only differences between the different makes.

It will be funny seeing all the Japanese engineers walking around the pits side by side with the "Good ol Boys" haha.

Nissan is interested into getting into the trucks, and I saw Honda has sent a car to Nascar to evaluate, they might try for 08 or 09.

Theres big bucks in Nascar, the 2nd most popular sport 2nd to Football in America.

Im one of the few if any on here that are fans.

 

[PUREVIL]

For the record I dont care for nascar at all.

You guys laugh all you want about Nascar, but truth is its huge. Nascar is so big in the us, thats probably why Toyota is getting in there. I'll bet they will win right out the gate too, just like their trucks did in that series. F1 is a lil harder Im sure since Benz, BMW, Ferrari etc have been in the series for so many years, Im sure they will be in competition form soon though. Im more suprised that Nascar let an Import name into the series at all. The loyal nascar fans I'll bet hate it, but nascar did admit a few years ago they were trying to reach other ethnic demographics, hence why the spokesman was black for a while or still is, I dunno. I will give Nascar credit if your a fan they sure give you a shit load of races to watch during their season.

 

[SpideRider]

i think it's going to take them a long long time to do it. or, it will take a major defection of a top ranked driver to do it.

Didn't the pundits say the same thing when Honda entered Indy car racing? A few years later and Hondas were proven competitors.

 

[doug]

Didn't the pundits say the same thing when Honda entered Indy car racing? A few years later and Hondas were proven competitors.

but asscar is 43 cars on the grid. massive teams. ford's rousch racing has 5 cars. all 5 made the "playoffs", only to be outrun by a chev.

you have to crack the 43 car grid first. lots of decent teams go home on any given sunday, although, the qualifying format has changed a lot. the top 35 cars in owners points are guaranteed a spot on the grid. the rest have to qualify, or take provisionals. didn't qualify? no provisionals? go home.

toyota will spend its first year qualifying every race, unless they get a team owner willing to swap cars and put their same numbers on them. the numbers carry the owner's points. bill davis racing will probably be the first to bolt, as they run toyota trucks, and are running unsupported dodges in cup (because he runs toyotas in trucks).

yes, i am probably a bit above the average asscar fan. when you like racing, you gotta like it all.