Toyota executive says NASCAR providing value for company
By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Toyota drivers Marcos Ambrose (47) and Kyle Busch navigate the chicane area of the track at Watkins Glen International earlier this season.
David Griffin
NASCAR Scene
Toyota’s presence in NASCAR has had a little different purpose than other manufacturers in the sport. Sure, the company wants to sell vehicles. But before Toyota could get NASCAR fans to buy its vehicles, the manufacturer had to get NASCAR fans to consider buying its vehicles.
That’s where NASCAR came in – just to be in the mind of a potential car-buyer to look up a Toyota vehicle on the Web site or come into the dealership.
To that end, NASCAR is producing results, said Bob Carter, a Toyota vice president who oversees Toyota Racing Development as the general manager for Toyota Motor Sales USA.
Toyota had dabbled in the NASCAR Dash Series before joining the Truck series in 2004 and then moving into Cup in 2007. It became the first foreign-based manufacturer to make a foray into NASCAR’s top series.
“NASCAR continues to deliver what our goals were when we entered the sport,” Carter said. “We’ve been involved in racing for 30 years. NASCAR has certainly positioned itself as the premier series within the U.S.
“It has a huge fan base. In 2004, for many of the NASCAR fans, we weren’t necessarily on the short list when it came to buying a car. In fact, compared to Chevy and Ford among the [NASCAR] people who were shopping, we were 20 points behind Chevy and Ford. In our third year of Sprint Cup, we’re virtually identical with Ford and Chevy.”
Carter was at Bristol Motor Speedway last week as the company celebrated hitting the 20 million mark in vehicles built in the United States. Awareness of the product and sales has grown because of the NASCAR program, Carter said.
“[NASCAR] has delivered more benefits quicker than we had originally had hoped for,” Carter said. “Our goal being at the race track is to be top of mind among all these race fans when they’re considering their next car purchase. This was a push on a market that we saw an opportunity to expose the product.”
Carter said the organization is happy with its teams and drivers, including the winning but controversial Kyle Busch.
“The teams that we’re associated with have done a great job,” Carter said. “[Kyle] is fun. He’s got a persona, and he does an outstanding job on the track.”
Toyota would welcome other manufacturers to come into the sport, Carter said.
“I’m not aware of any at this point [looking to enter], … but we would love to see them,” Carter said. “It would be healthy for the sport.”
Carter walked around Bristol Motor Speedway with a Toyota shirt, and he said it would have been different if he walked around Bristol with a Toyota shirt when Toyota first entered the Truck series.
“Five years ago, walk around through fan zones with a Toyota shirt on, and you got a lot of different contact – and a lot of it wasn’t real positive,” Carter said. “Today, it’s all positive. We’ve legitimized ourselves in the eyes of many fans, and we’re seeing that in the showroom.”
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11 responses to "Toyota executive says NASCAR providing value for company". Post a Comment.
t-shick said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 3:00 PMIt should pay dividends. The JAPS pad NASCRAP's pockets enough. That is the reason NASCRAP lets the JAPS win.
Report as AbuseIt is all about money and all fixed.
Just another fixed show
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrairheart said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 4:21 PMT-Shick needs a glass belly button because his head is so far up his a-- he needs it to be able to see what's going on in the world. I am not a Toyota fan, Chevy forever, but come on, what an idiot....
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» Confirm Abuse Reporttk2105 said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 4:41 PMHave you ever looked around and paid attention to who are driving Toyota's. They are all in there 60's or driving the go-kart they call a Prius. I think you get a free AARP membership when you buy a Toyota. Toyota is paying off Nascar, just ask ole DW. The leader of the gravy train.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportteema said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 5:02 PMAnd a friend in the United States tried to tell me bigotry was on the wane....HAH!!
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» Confirm Abuse Reportsugar-pie said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 6:21 PMTo TK2105; sorry, not "all" Toyota drivers are as you say. I drive a 4Runner and I'm decades away from being in my 60's. What do you drive?
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» Confirm Abuse Reportgalvan18244 said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 6:36 PMIdk what the rave about toyota is?? ALL there cars really are not that good, they all have crappy designs and just suck. and there trucks, omgg the worst looking trucks EVER!!!
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» Confirm Abuse ReportBILLFAN50 said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 7:18 PMTK2105, I'm over 65 and drive a american SUV and a american pick-up. I did have a AARP card,but I just tore it up. I agree with you about DW.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Aug 29, 2009 at 8:27 PMdon't blame NASCAR, blame the American public...i for one don't care...this nation is a melting pot of people and products...the old ways are gone...the new ways are a worls economy...some act like we don't build cars in other countries...GM builds cars in China...it's a global ecomony...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportdale-jr-is-the-greatest-driver-alive said:
Aug 30, 2009 at 1:49 AMi wonder how china feels about having chevy dominate over their lol i dont know about them i feel great knowing chevy is the best world wide racing ORG yea babyyy (in my opinion of course lol)
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» Confirm Abuse ReportWerner said:
Aug 30, 2009 at 9:37 AMheard yesterday due to Pontiac's demise, the the Pontiac being used in the ROLEX GT series will be replaced by the Camaro...
Report as AbuseChina loves Buicks!...and FORD has invested 58 million in China with it's FORD-Mazda venture...so just as we have foreign makes here...our mfgs are also building cars in other countries...
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» Confirm Abuse Reportkahnefan said:
Aug 30, 2009 at 9:38 AMTwo words...GO DODGE!!!!!
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