Rusty Wallace Racing to run Toyotas next season

By SceneDaily Staff
Thursday, November 19, 2009

Related story: Sponsorship issues may reduce Rusty Wallace Racing to one Nationwide team

Officials from Rusty Wallace Racing and Toyota Racing Development announced Thursday that the organization will switch from Chevrolets to Toyotas for the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season.

RWR plans to once again compete full time in NASCAR’s No. 2 series with drivers Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan.

In a separate agreement, team owner Rusty Wallace, the former NASCAR Cup champion and current NASCAR analyst for ESPN, will represent the Toyota brand on a national basis.

"I'm very proud to have the opportunity for the team and I to represent the Toyota brand,” Wallace said. “Our team's decision on manufacturers involved input from a lot of people within the organization. We decided that at the end of the day, our goal as a race team is simple: To win races and championships. Thus, we all had to take a long look at which manufacturer partner could best help us reach that goal.”

Steve Wallace and Gaughan are seventh and ninth, respectively, in the Nationwide standings, but neither has won this season.

"I'm a Toyota dealer already, so I knew the high levels of support and dedication they provide to their partners,” Rusty Wallace said. “After touring the TRD [Toyota Racing Development] facility in North Carolina, I was completely convinced. Toyota is the manufacturer to beat in the Nationwide Series right now, and after seeing the level of engineering support they provide their teams, I understand why - their level of support is second to none.

“We're really excited about the opportunity to partner with Toyota for 2010 and beyond."

RWR's move to Toyota follows a two-year stint with manufacturer support from Chevrolet. Toyota will enter the 2010 season looking for its new affiliation with RWR to aid in securing the automaker’s third consecutive NASCAR Nationwide Series manufacturers' championship.

“We are looking forward to our partnership and working together with Rusty Wallace Racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series," said Lee White, president and general manager, Toyota Racing Development. "As a former Cup Series champion who is now a team owner, Rusty knows what is required - in terms of equipment and people - to win races and compete for championships. The team is a first-class organization, and we are proud that they will be a part of the Toyota Camry roster.”

Financial terms of the manufacturer agreement with RWR were not disclosed.

Comments

21 responses to "Rusty Wallace Racing to run Toyotas next season ". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    Phoenix987 said:
    Nov 19, 2009 at 5:00 PM

    I'm really surprised, if only because Rusty seemed pretty content with Chevy. Hell, didn't he just enter into a deal with KHI?

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  2. 2
    SS396Chevelle said:
    Nov 19, 2009 at 5:13 PM

    With Steve Wallace and Gaughan they might as well run Indy cars, then maybe they will win.

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  3. 3
    jwill8 said:
    Nov 19, 2009 at 5:16 PM

    I'm surprised too Phoenix...KHI was supplying them with cars and engineering support...I wonder if this is a pre-cursor to what Mr. Harvick will be running in 2011...kinda makes you sit back and go hmmmm.

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  4. 4
    SBeau said:
    Nov 19, 2009 at 8:39 PM

    Interesting, now all the talking heads on Fox and ESPN who own rides are now tied in with TRD....

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  5. 5
    xbrownsx said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 2:12 AM

    Looks like Toyota won't stop until it becomes the "National Association For Toyota Stock Car Auto Racing".
    Only in America...

    Rusty Wallace is a sell-out.

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  6. 6
    psdf250 said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 9:50 AM

    Jack Roush called it when Toyota entered NASCAR and everyone said he was crying wolf. Now look at whats happening.

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  7. 7
    88_20_42_Fan said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 12:00 PM

    When Toyota came to NASCAR wasn't Rusty one of the people crying about them? Pretty ironic that he's going to field Toyotas now.. Oh well, guess they ran out of Chevy parts to put on the cars that Stevie wrecks.

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  8. 8
    nascarnutsheeler said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 4:54 PM

    Hey Rusty you sure like burning your bridges don't you? What happened GM dumped you huh and after you dumped Ford for Dodge, Ford didn't want anything to do with you. Dodge can't take on any new teams, so you have to grovel to Toyoto. Looks good on you. I was a strong fan of yours untill you dumped Ford. Now I have very little respect for you. Watch those bridges.

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  9. 9
    johnyd said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 5:13 PM

    I wonder how much Toyota paid RWR and Wallace himself to switch. You know it has to be the TOYney (money). Toyota wants to turn NASCAR into TOYSCAR. It almost seems they already own the Frances and everybody else in the upper echelon at NASCAR.

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  10. 10
    Werner said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 6:50 PM

    of course it's the money...there's not enuff money at GM anymore...if you want to continue in the sport you have to do what you need to do survive...very simple...

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  11. 11
    andee said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 6:51 PM

    Sooner or later all of them will go to Toyoto if NASCAR does not insist on parity.

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  12. 12
    zebsdad said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 7:04 PM

    Seems as though Rusty learned about all the switching from Roger Penske. Remember many years ago that Rusty drove a Pontiac. Then switched to Ford and then Dodge. I believe this was all under Penske. You know Roger was only interested in his own pocketbook. So, is it a surprise that RWR is going to be with Toyota? Not to me!

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  13. 13
    SS396Chevelle said:
    Nov 20, 2009 at 8:38 PM

    When no one shows up at a NW race maybe then Nascar will get the message, however if Rusty thinks he will get the same support as JGR he is dead wrong. #6 You are so right. Before long it will the Asian Series and loads of empty seats.

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  14. 14
    Werner said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 12:12 PM

    SS396...don't blame NASCAR...blame the people who buy the foreign cars...the top selling cars are foreign and there's plenty of fans who can support the sport...look in the parking lots at the races, at Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart...

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  15. 15
    nascarnutsheeler said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 12:35 PM

    Werner I'm with you on that one the same person that is complaining about all the foriegn cars on the track are the same ones that have one in thier garage. h--l will freeze over before that happens in this household.

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  16. 16
    jdxenterprises said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 3:23 PM

    I hear what you are all saying, but my American truck was built in mexico...and my foreign car was built in the USA. To think that the badge on your vehicle determines where the money goes is ridiculous.

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  17. 17
    Werner said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 5:08 PM

    JDX...i'll agree with you...in these times the world economy has become more global...and that's something we should learn to live with...quite a few of the Cup drivers have car dealerships...go take a look and see what they sell...

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  18. 18
    sctp502 said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 6:13 PM

    No Surprise as GM cut thier sponsorship in the NW series. But I wonder how many team Toyota would want to take on ? If you follow the industry they are not a company with unlimited funds like a couple years ago. Even though some people still think that they do.

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  19. 19
    Old_school_fan said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 6:35 PM

    Rusty needs to find sponsorship for the 62, if he loses Gaughan, he's going to lose South Point sponsorship, too.

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  20. 20
    loumar206 said:
    Nov 21, 2009 at 8:51 PM

    #16 it's not where the car is built, it's where the money for the sale of that car goes. Foreign cars built in Japan 80% of the money goes there. If built in the USA about 20% goes to Japan. I hope you and rusty wallace enjoy your rice burners. Rusty is a sell out, I hope Ford took his dealership away.

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  21. 21
    Werner said:
    Nov 22, 2009 at 11:41 AM

    LOUMAR206...you also have to realize that American car companies are building cars outside of North and Central America...GM for sure is building cars in China and that money is coming back to the USA...it's a 2-way street...and remember the wages paid to the workers here are spent here...yup...on foreign products...LOL

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