Toyota confident of improvement in 2008
By SceneDaily Staff Report
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
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Todd Warshaw / Todd Warshaw / Getty Images for NASCAR
Michael Waltrip (left) and Dale Jarrett are more confident entering 2008.
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Toyota's top American racing executive is highly optimistic entering the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup season, a year after it struggled through its debut effort in stock car racing's top tier.
Lee White, senior vice president and general manager, Toyota Racing Development, USA, said during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday that the manufacturer is working particularly hard with Joe Gibbs Racing for 2008 and is committed to having its Cup teams work more closely together throughout the year.
In fact, White has high hopes heading into the season-opening Daytona 500.
"I'm optimistic that we have a shot to compete for the pole, win one or both of the 150s [qualifying races] and have a couple of guys contend to win the race," White said. "That's why we're here - to contend, to compete and have a shot. We'll see how it turns out."
Some of Toyota Racing Development engineers are currently working in the Gibbs shop as the team prepares for its debut with the manufacturer this season. Gibbs' engine builder Mark Cronquist has been spearheading development of the engine that JGR drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch will race. Toyota officials hope that someday all of its teams will be using the same engine.
"There are three or four people based in their shop, helping them get over the hump and helping to get them going," White said. "We are working very closely on specifications of engines. At some point, because we are supplementing their parts acquisition activity so they can spend more time developing and working on the engine, we would hope that the two shops - TRD and Joe Gibbs - will build the same engine so all of our teams can race an engine that's assembled from the same components."
That philosophy of togetherness is something that White wants for all the teams competing under the Toyota banner - Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing, Red Bull Racing, Hall of Fame Racing and JGR. Not that it's been missing in the past, but White wants the teams to sit down and discuss changes and nuances of those changes on a regular basis.
That's how the manufacturer moved into the elite ranks in the Craftsman Truck Series. That's what White sees as the key to improving this season.
"It's working as a group," White said. "In our truck program, it's a complete open book. After every practice, our crew chiefs get together and open the book. They show tire pressures and they show chassis settings - they show everything. That's probably very optimistic to think that will happen in the Cup Series because there's too much at stake.
"There are a lot of projects that can be done as a group that can better prevent everyone from spending the same dollars and doing the same projects. That's where we think our role as a company, with our engineering support, can help Joe Gibbs, Michael Waltrip, Bill Davis and Red Bull spend their money more wisely, so they can get more out of it."
The group certainly knows how difficult it is to gain ground in the Cup ranks. Toyota ended the 2007 season with only one team - Bill Davis Racing's No. 22 with Dave Blaney - in the top 35 in owners points. All four teams that were added for 2008 (three JGR entries and Hall of Fame) are also locked in, but those teams outside that group face another uphill battle.
White understands the challenge. Asked if he thinks that Toyota can avoid having to qualify most of its cars for most of the season, he responded: "Absolutely not. As long as the top-35 condition is set, anyone who is outside that group is going to be faced with that. You're faced with building qualifying cars, period - because that's what it takes to get your sponsor in the race, and qualifying cars don't race well. Consequently, it's a coin toss as to what your chances are to elevate yourself into the top-35 group.
"As long we have 12 to 16 guys competing on a regular basis that are funded with good people and good drivers, that condition really isn't going to change."
While he believes that the Toyota teams overall performance will improve, it might be a stretch to say they could improve enough to have all 11 Toyota teams locked into the field.
- Mentioned Drivers:
- Dave Blaney
Comments
1 response to "Toyota confident of improvement in 2008"
Vincent Farino said:
Oct 1, 2008 at 2:29 PMYa Toyota did a lot better. it's called Kyle Busch and team. The other teams still need a lot of work
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