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NASCAR cuts Toyota horsepower for Nationwide Series engines

By Lee Montgomery - Associate Editor

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Article Rating: 5.0
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Jason Smith / Getty Images

Jason Smith / Getty Images

Toyota has set the pace in the Nationwide Series this season, winning 14 of the 21 races in 2008.

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NASCAR officials issued a technical bulletin to Nationwide Series teams Tuesday night aimed at evening the horsepower among manufacturers in the series.
 
The bulletin requires the Toyota engine to use a tapered spacer with openings smaller than the three other manufacturers’ engines. NASCAR took 10 engines from teams after the race at Chicagoland Speedway to test power numbers.
 
Toyota has won 14 of the 21 Nationwide races this year, and competitors have claimed Toyota has an advantage of 20 to 25 horsepower.
 
According to the technical bulletin, engines with a cylinder bore spacing of 4.470 inches or more must use a tapered spacer that is smaller than engines with a cylinder bore of 4.470 inches or less.
 
A NASCAR spokesman confirmed that Toyota’s is the only engine with a cylinder bore of 4.470 inches or more.

NASCAR required a tapered spacer for all engines this season. The spacer acts like a restrictor plate to rob engines of the air/fuel mixture, which decreases horsepower. Previously, all engines had a spacer with the same size holes.
 
The Toyota engine is the newest of the four manufacturers, as Toyota came into the Nationwide Series last year.
 
“Eventually, all teams that upgrade to new engine packages will be subject to this rule modification,” NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said in a news release. “Over the years in our sport, we’ve taken steps on numerous occasions to help maintain a level playing field among our competitors and we will continue to do so.”
 
Chevrolet has introduced its new R07 to the Sprint Cup Series but is using the older SB2 version in the Nationwide Series. Chevy wants to have the R07 approved for Nationwide competition.
 
Dodge and Ford are also working on a new engine for Sprint Cup, as all four manufacturers will have new powerplants by 2010.

Average Rating: 5.0

Comments

15 responses to "NASCAR cuts Toyota horsepower for Nationwide Series engines "
  1. 1
    Anonymous said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 2:16 PM

    Why not tie one of kyle and joey arm behind their back. This should satisfied NASCAR, chevy drivers and Rusty Wallace. Rusty used his position on TV to launch an attacked againest Toyota. NASCAR went for it. Rusty, penalizing Toyota will not help Steve. He does not have the driving ability or the head. It's a shame on NASCAR to fall for this scheme. (Written not edit)

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  2. 2
    Rebecca Rae said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 2:27 PM

    DW has always promoted Toyota. It didn't help Mikey, either.

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  3. 3
    scott raymond said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 4:24 PM

    i thought this was 2009 just because all the so called american teams are being beat by gibbs toyotas now its time to take away horse power? well this is so backwards redneck thinking. im proud of toyota for coming in this yr and winning, last yr when they were horrible , no one cared. so give it a rest nascar , instead of taking away from toyota, make the others catch up. grow up ford ,chevy, dodge, and do your homework.

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  4. 4
    Jim Teats said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 4:25 PM

    n ole time race fan.

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  5. 5
    Julie Moll said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 4:32 PM

    I think that if so many other factors are made to be exactly the same, (i.e. car bodies must fit templates, tires used are the same for all, etc.) then why not even up the horsepower. No matter who the manufacturer is.The sooner NASCAR does this in the cup races, this will put an end to the "advantage" questions.

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  6. 6
    Anonymous said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 7:25 PM

    Gibbs might have won everything regardless of which manufactor's decals were on the car, As long as JGR have a car in NW, we're liable to continue to see the domination.

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  7. 7
    Worm Dirt said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 10:57 PM

    I'm ASHAMED and EMBARASSED to be a racefan today! My apologies to all the hard working folks at JGR. Honest hard work and determination took a hit today, but this story is far from over! Honestly, HOW do Clint Bowyer and the rest of the WHINERS look themselves in the mirror now? Knowing that their competition had to be handicapped so that they can keep up? What a very REVEALING glimpse into the competitive spirit of some of these drivers and owners that complained and campaigned for this! Sad!!!! And what about all the ignorant conspiracy theorists out there who said Toyota was in Nascars back-pocket? I'm sure you are thrilled that you got your way, but what do you have to say about your crackpot accusations that nascar allowed toyota to have an advantage now?

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  8. 8
    Peggy Thacker said:
    Jul 23, 2008 at 11:18 PM

    well...I personally dont think Toyota cars should be out there on the track in the first place! An American sport, and they put a foreign car out there! And then most of the money going Overseas to line their pockets!

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  9. 9
    Anonymous said:
    Jul 24, 2008 at 9:00 AM

    wants cry baby clint bowyer going to said wen toyota wins

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  10. 10
    anonymous said:
    Jul 24, 2008 at 10:38 AM

    Clint bowyer is probably going to tell post #9 to spell check and grammar check before adding comment. Now lets see who becomes the criers and whiners. Hey wormy dirt, told ya so. All your mindless, spineless, conspiratory, lunatic whiney rants got you NOWHERE. Ha Ha, wah, wah, wah. You should be ashamed and embarrassed. You aren't a fan, you are a fanatic. Can't wait to see how you rip ESPN's coverage of the races. Crawl back in your dirt. Your posts are a joke.

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  11. 11
    Worm Dirt said:
    Jul 24, 2008 at 12:55 PM

    Is that really the best you can do, Mrs. Anonymous? I hesitate to even respond because you obviously don't understand a word I write, BUT I would DEFINITELY DISAGREE with you that my "rants" have gotten me "nowhere". I'd call sticking by MY OWN principles and standing up for what I believe in a pretty good place to be!!!!! As for your side of the Toyota argument, just keep giving in to that weak tendency to blame others for your shortcomings..... and keep denying someone else's hard-earned success to suite your own agenda...... AND keep me posted on where that gets YOU my friend!

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  12. 12
    Chrissie Bennett said:
    Jul 24, 2008 at 6:01 PM

    You that are saying that worm dirt is right are as bad as him. Worm Dirt is not right about anything that I have read he has said yet. He's pathetic because he has not and does not say anything nice about anyone or anything. If he think NASCAR is so bad why does he even watch it.

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  13. 13
    emily bagwell said:
    Jul 24, 2008 at 10:02 PM

    Worm, Worm, Worm---NASCAR has done nothing where it really counts---in Sprint---I guess they think that they can appease race fans with changes in Nationwide, but I hope this is not the case--NASCAR has favored Toyota, Worm---and you really know it.I just can't understand people like you who want to trumpet Toyotas, and don't spout the bull about all their hard work and research---that's an absolute bunch of bull As you Toyota, Kyle Busch lovers are always responding---Get over it!!! Yes, I love it!!! Now, fix Sprint!!!!

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  14. 14
    Worm Dirt said:
    Jul 25, 2008 at 7:46 AM

    Emily, I'm not sure what you do for a living, but.... I sincerely hope that your boss doesn't come up to you this afternoon to inform you that BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN DOING YOUR JOB SO EXCEEDINGLY WELL so far this year, that he has decided to take away 15% of your salary.... and increase the hours you are required to work!!!!......all because some of the other less-productive employees were complaining because they can't keep up with you!!! I mean.... that just wouldn't be FAIR now would it Emily?????

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  15. 15
    anonymous said:
    Jul 25, 2008 at 9:40 AM

    Nobody can understand a word wormy dirt writes because it's just all mindless spittle. You are in a good place with your rants, as the other anonymous says, you are nowehere which is where you should be. You are so confused by all the "anonymous" commenters, you don't know who you are responding too. You just assume "we" are all giving in to a weak tendency to blame others. Is that the best you can do wormy? As for your response to Emily, that makes no sense either. Any intelligent human being knows that a "spacer" doesnn't earn a salary. Just as you say others have a weak tendency to cast blame, you do a pretty good job yourself of shoveling it.

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