Killer! It's gonna be really interesting in 2008 as TRD ramps up their Cup presence and makes steady strides. I think the names here will help thaw anti-Japanese sentiments some. I wonder if the Joe Gibb's Tahoe/Suburban/pickup editions with avail. Magnacharger blowers will be abandoned in favor of Gibb's edition Tundras/Sequoias. Toyota invests impressively into American labor and unlike the serious friction in biz collaborations between German and American (with Germans looking down on us), they work smoothly with us and therefore I think they deserve a huge stake in Americana.
Joe Gibbs Racing (Tony Stewart) switches to Toyota in 08
As expected, Joe Gibbs Racing announced Wednesday that it will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota for 2008, marking the first time since the team’s inception in 1991 that it will campaign cars from a manufacturer other than General Motors.
As recently as 5 p.m. Monday, team spokesman Mike Arning said a decision had not yet been made on which manufacturer to go with, but on Wednesday, team President J.D. Gibbs confirmed that Toyota was the winner.
“We have 420-plus families that are our No. 1 priority, and taking care of them for the future is very important to us,” said Gibbs. “Our people have made us as successful as we are today, and it’s those same people who will ensure our success in the future. When our teams win, those families win. We’re thrilled for everyone at JGR who will benefit from this.”
“What we’re here for is to win races,” said Tony Stewart, who has won two championships with the team. “ … At the end of the day, it’s about winning races and championships.”
The move is both bold and risky. With General Motors, Gibbs would never be more than No. 2 in the pecking order behind Hendrick Motorsports, despite winning three of the first seven NASCAR Nextel Cup championships this decade. At Toyota, Gibbs has the opportunity to become the clear-cut No. 1 team, something J.D. Gibbs stressed was a key part of making the decision. “For us, this is the right partner,” he said.
The three current Toyota Nextel Cup teams – Red Bull Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Bill Davis Racing – include two start-ups and an established team, BDR, which has had top-10 points finishes but no championships.
Of the seven full-time Toyota drivers in Nextel Cup, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield and A.J. Allmendinger have failed to qualify for more than half the races this season and in the races that Toyotas did make, there have been at least 10 engine failures since the start of the season. The best finish by any Toyota Nextel Cup driver this season was the fifth-placed scored by Brian Vickers in the Coca-Cola 600.
Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, USA, said all three of the current Toyota teams will remain with the manufacturer next year and additional teams could be added in the future. Hall of Fame Racing, which is a Gibbs satellite team, may switch to Toyota as well.
“Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the most respected teams in NASCAR, a championship-caliber race team and a first-class organization,” said Aust. “We are confident that partnering with the Gibbs team will raise the level of our entire Toyota NASCAR program, and will be beneficial to all of our current teams racing the Toyota Camry.”
The addition of JGR gives Toyota a powerhouse, championship-level team and increases its presence to roughly one-fourth of the NASCAR Nextel Cup field. The move is a huge step up for the manufacturer, without question. The short-term challenge will be for the team.
With the Car of Tomorrow mandated for all 36 races next year, there will be virtually no issues for the team changing over to Toyota in terms of bodies and chassis. The chassis won’t change and the bodies are aerodynamically equal, so they aren’t an issue. The challenge for Gibbs will be ramping up their motor program to adapt to an all-new motor.
Mark Cronquist, who heads the team’s engine shop, said he expects the changeover will go smoothly. The team already had to adopt to an all-new GM engine this season – the R07, which replaced the SB2 – and Cronquist said he expected it would be easier to change from the R07 GM motor to the Toyota engine, which the current Toyota teams are using this year, then it was to changeover from the SB2 to R07.
Another issue is just timing. Because the team is under contract with GM until the last day of the 2007 season, it cannot start building Toyota engines or cars now, while all other top-line teams are already working on their 2008 cars, something that could potentially handicap the Gibbs effort early next season.
It also could result in Gibbs getting less support from GM than Hendrick, Richard Childress Racing or Dale Earnhardt, Inc. during the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Chevrolets have won 18 of 25 races so far this season, including four victories by Gibbs drivers Stewart and Denny Hamlin.
Still, the team said it’s the right move. “This decision was made by all of the key leadership at JGR,” said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing operations for JGR. “It was a decision made by the people in our competition department, who live by the one question whenever a decision is made regarding Joe Gibbs Racing: ‘Will this make us more competitive on the race track?’ The consensus answer was yes.”
General Motors issued the following statement after the announcement: “General Motors has been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing for 16 years working together winning races and championships. While we understand the business nature of racing, we are disappointed in J.D.'s decision and announcement today. With our long-standing relationship and record of winning with them, we hoped they would remain with Chevrolet. We will continue to support our JGR drivers in this year's Chase for the Championship. We wish JGR well as they go forward, and Chevrolet will compete against them on the track next year to defend its title as the winningest name in racing.”
As recently as 5 p.m. Monday, team spokesman Mike Arning said a decision had not yet been made on which manufacturer to go with, but on Wednesday, team President J.D. Gibbs confirmed that Toyota was the winner.
“We have 420-plus families that are our No. 1 priority, and taking care of them for the future is very important to us,” said Gibbs. “Our people have made us as successful as we are today, and it’s those same people who will ensure our success in the future. When our teams win, those families win. We’re thrilled for everyone at JGR who will benefit from this.”
“What we’re here for is to win races,” said Tony Stewart, who has won two championships with the team. “ … At the end of the day, it’s about winning races and championships.”
The move is both bold and risky. With General Motors, Gibbs would never be more than No. 2 in the pecking order behind Hendrick Motorsports, despite winning three of the first seven NASCAR Nextel Cup championships this decade. At Toyota, Gibbs has the opportunity to become the clear-cut No. 1 team, something J.D. Gibbs stressed was a key part of making the decision. “For us, this is the right partner,” he said.
The three current Toyota Nextel Cup teams – Red Bull Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Bill Davis Racing – include two start-ups and an established team, BDR, which has had top-10 points finishes but no championships.
Of the seven full-time Toyota drivers in Nextel Cup, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield and A.J. Allmendinger have failed to qualify for more than half the races this season and in the races that Toyotas did make, there have been at least 10 engine failures since the start of the season. The best finish by any Toyota Nextel Cup driver this season was the fifth-placed scored by Brian Vickers in the Coca-Cola 600.
Jim Aust, vice president of Toyota Motorsports and president and CEO of Toyota Racing Development, USA, said all three of the current Toyota teams will remain with the manufacturer next year and additional teams could be added in the future. Hall of Fame Racing, which is a Gibbs satellite team, may switch to Toyota as well.
“Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the most respected teams in NASCAR, a championship-caliber race team and a first-class organization,” said Aust. “We are confident that partnering with the Gibbs team will raise the level of our entire Toyota NASCAR program, and will be beneficial to all of our current teams racing the Toyota Camry.”
The addition of JGR gives Toyota a powerhouse, championship-level team and increases its presence to roughly one-fourth of the NASCAR Nextel Cup field. The move is a huge step up for the manufacturer, without question. The short-term challenge will be for the team.
With the Car of Tomorrow mandated for all 36 races next year, there will be virtually no issues for the team changing over to Toyota in terms of bodies and chassis. The chassis won’t change and the bodies are aerodynamically equal, so they aren’t an issue. The challenge for Gibbs will be ramping up their motor program to adapt to an all-new motor.
Mark Cronquist, who heads the team’s engine shop, said he expects the changeover will go smoothly. The team already had to adopt to an all-new GM engine this season – the R07, which replaced the SB2 – and Cronquist said he expected it would be easier to change from the R07 GM motor to the Toyota engine, which the current Toyota teams are using this year, then it was to changeover from the SB2 to R07.
Another issue is just timing. Because the team is under contract with GM until the last day of the 2007 season, it cannot start building Toyota engines or cars now, while all other top-line teams are already working on their 2008 cars, something that could potentially handicap the Gibbs effort early next season.
It also could result in Gibbs getting less support from GM than Hendrick, Richard Childress Racing or Dale Earnhardt, Inc. during the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Chevrolets have won 18 of 25 races so far this season, including four victories by Gibbs drivers Stewart and Denny Hamlin.
Still, the team said it’s the right move. “This decision was made by all of the key leadership at JGR,” said Jimmy Makar, senior vice president of racing operations for JGR. “It was a decision made by the people in our competition department, who live by the one question whenever a decision is made regarding Joe Gibbs Racing: ‘Will this make us more competitive on the race track?’ The consensus answer was yes.”
General Motors issued the following statement after the announcement: “General Motors has been associated with Joe Gibbs Racing for 16 years working together winning races and championships. While we understand the business nature of racing, we are disappointed in J.D.'s decision and announcement today. With our long-standing relationship and record of winning with them, we hoped they would remain with Chevrolet. We will continue to support our JGR drivers in this year's Chase for the Championship. We wish JGR well as they go forward, and Chevrolet will compete against them on the track next year to defend its title as the winningest name in racing.”
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
They might have a chance next year to win.
Wow...that is a big deal! 
Hey, I like Tony Stewart and I love Toyota. Shit, I might watch a damned NASCAR race next season!
YEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! :fruit:
YEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! :fruit:
HAHA! I admit I watch some Nascar races. There's definitely more passing than any other racing series and the wrecks can be fun to watchHey, I like Tony Stewart and I love Toyota. Shit, I might watch a damned NASCAR race next season!
YEEEEEEEEEEEHAWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!! :fruit:
They dont get dizzy driving in circles for hours?
I agree. This response cannot be bad to NASCAR's image and viewership. Lead changes can happen more than once per lap and cars can run 3-4 cars wide around a bend a 180+ mph.HAHA! I admit I watch some Nascar races. There's definitely more passing than any other racing series and the wrecks can be fun to watch
In other Toyota Motor Sales news, Jim Press is leaving Toyota from Chrysler.
http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8rg09rg3&.html
I thought Chrysler was on the rocks. But Bob Nardelli (formerly from Home Depot and General Electric) and Jim Press combined may mean that Chrysler is not messing around. As I said in a previous post about the *initially* technology-deficient Americans in WWII or the space race, never doubt the insane resilience of Americans in comeback roles.
Toyota is invariant to any one person I'm sure since it's their system that delivers success so it's likely not a big loss even for Toyota though Press contributed a lot.
I don't agree with the last sentence, this IS a big loss for Toyota. I'm sure they will do just fine without him and continue to grow but he is one of the top auto executives in the US (the reason Chrysler would go after him) and will be a great addition to Chrysler.I agree. This response cannot be bad to NASCAR's image and viewership. Lead changes can happen more than once per lap and cars can run 3-4 cars wide around a bend a 180+ mph.
In other Toyota Motor Sales news, Jim Press is leaving Toyota from Chrysler.
http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt_top.jsp?news_id=ap-d8rg09rg3&.html
I thought Chrysler was on the rocks. But Bob Nardelli (formerly from Home Depot and General Electric) and Jim Press combined may mean that Chrysler is not messing around. As I said in a previous post about the *initially* technology-deficient Americans in WWII or the space race, never doubt the insane resilience of Americans in comeback roles.
Toyota is invariant to any one person I'm sure since it's their system that delivers success so it's likely not a big loss even for Toyota though Press contributed a lot.
Quotes about the JGR swtich, this one is very telling:
“With the Car of Tomorrow, I simply do not see Joe Gibbs Racing struggling one bit because each team’s car bodies are the same and everyone knows that Toyota is coming with a whole bunch of horsepower. Jack Roush told us to beware because Toyota will outrun everybody eventually and I do see that coming."
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/nextel/40013/
Wendy Venturini, reporter for NASCAR RaceDay:
“I don’t think this move will hurt Joe Gibbs Racing at all. Gibbs is pretty strong in every department. Going into it, Mark Cronquist, the head engine builder at Gibbs, wanted to make sure the team would be just as strong under the hood with Toyota, and he and everyone at Gibbs is confident with the motor package with Toyota. I certainly don’t think Joe Gibbs Racing is going to show up at Daytona next year and fall on its face. I still expect all three drivers to be in The Chase next year.
“Joe Gibbs Racing has definitely positioned themselves as the top team for Toyota, whereas they weren’t necessarily the premier organization with Chevrolet. I talked with JD Gibbs and Jimmy Makar at Joe Gibbs Racing and Lee White of Toyota for more than an hour today for Saturday’s NASCAR RaceDay segment. Everyone at Gibbs said that everything was going to change over anyway with the new Car of Tomorrow, as they were going to have to rebuild all the car bodies for next year, so it isn’t that big of a deal to switch manufacturers. Toyota is looking at their acquisition of Joe Gibbs Racing as a huge jump for them, a jump that is changing their expectations of themselves, which I thought was pretty cool. In the long run, both Gibbs and Toyota are looking at this switch as beneficial for both companies as a whole.
“Chevrolet will definitely keep on going without Gibbs and be just as successful. With Hendrick, RCR and DEI, I don’t think we’ll see a falloff in performance from Chevy. The chassis and bodies aren’t going to be much different from manufacturer to manufacturer. The key lies in what’s under the hood – the horsepower will really make the difference.”
Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED:
“This is the logical and inevitable next step for Toyota in the evolution of its NASCAR program. There was never any question whether Toyota would sign a big team -- the only questions was when and which one. We now know the answer to that.
“With Joe Gibbs Racing switching to Toyota, the manufacturer will do a lot better next year than it did this year but for Gibbs, that remains to be seen. Logic will tell you that in the short term, it’s probably a step back for Gibbs but apparently the team believes that in the long-term, this switch is going to be beneficial for them. Joe Gibbs Racing believes Toyota will be a very powerful presence in NASCAR in the long haul and by being the first big team to sign with Toyota, Gibbs will have the opportunity to lead that charge.”
John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED:
“I think Toyota is really the big winner in this whole deal. If Joe Gibbs Racing raced Yugos, they would be eventually prevail and be back on top of the heap again because NASCAR is a people-oriented business these days. It’s not necessarily the manufacturer that equals success. Of course, Gibbs will have growing pains but those growing pains will not be that bad. The team has three of the best drivers and one of the best engine builders in the business. Toyota is really going to be the big beneficiary in the long run and anyone worried about Gibbs losing a step might be surprised.
“I don’t think that losing Gibbs will hurt Chevrolet nearly as much as it would have hurt another manufacturer. Chevy has been on top for so long because their teams are so strong and Chevy will still have some very strong teams.”
Krista Voda, host of NCTS Setup on SPEED:
“This is a huge feather in Toyota's cap. Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are three drivers who are contenders each and every week. To have those three representing Toyota in 2008 speaks volumes for the manufacturer. In addition, the learning curve just shortened drastically ... because if Tony Stewart can't figure out how to win in a car ... nobody can!”
Kenny Wallace, analyst on NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED:
“I really think that Joe Gibbs Racing is trying to position itself to be the number one team in what they do. As the sport becomes more and more competitive, it is hard for teams to share information anymore. The more Joe Gibbs Racing can separate itself from the other teams, the more of an advantage they will have on some of the tougher competitors.
“I see Toyota’s acquiring Gibbs as a steppingstone to bringing Toyota up to par. In my opinion, Gibbs and its driver line-up and sponsors will do more for Toyota than Toyota will do for them.
“With the Car of Tomorrow, I simply do not see Joe Gibbs Racing struggling one bit because each team’s car bodies are the same and everyone knows that Toyota is coming with a whole bunch of horsepower. Jack Roush told us to beware because Toyota will outrun everybody eventually and I do see that coming.
“Chevrolet has a really strong team lineup and I don’t think losing Gibbs will hurt or help them. I know that Gibbs has a lot of victories but when you look at Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, I don’t think this will take down Chevrolet because they’re too strong. I think history repeats itself and this reminds me of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and the sport is becoming more and more of a manufacturer war now. It will be really interesting to watch.”
“With the Car of Tomorrow, I simply do not see Joe Gibbs Racing struggling one bit because each team’s car bodies are the same and everyone knows that Toyota is coming with a whole bunch of horsepower. Jack Roush told us to beware because Toyota will outrun everybody eventually and I do see that coming."
http://www.speedtv.com/articles/nascar/nextel/40013/
Wendy Venturini, reporter for NASCAR RaceDay:
“I don’t think this move will hurt Joe Gibbs Racing at all. Gibbs is pretty strong in every department. Going into it, Mark Cronquist, the head engine builder at Gibbs, wanted to make sure the team would be just as strong under the hood with Toyota, and he and everyone at Gibbs is confident with the motor package with Toyota. I certainly don’t think Joe Gibbs Racing is going to show up at Daytona next year and fall on its face. I still expect all three drivers to be in The Chase next year.
“Joe Gibbs Racing has definitely positioned themselves as the top team for Toyota, whereas they weren’t necessarily the premier organization with Chevrolet. I talked with JD Gibbs and Jimmy Makar at Joe Gibbs Racing and Lee White of Toyota for more than an hour today for Saturday’s NASCAR RaceDay segment. Everyone at Gibbs said that everything was going to change over anyway with the new Car of Tomorrow, as they were going to have to rebuild all the car bodies for next year, so it isn’t that big of a deal to switch manufacturers. Toyota is looking at their acquisition of Joe Gibbs Racing as a huge jump for them, a jump that is changing their expectations of themselves, which I thought was pretty cool. In the long run, both Gibbs and Toyota are looking at this switch as beneficial for both companies as a whole.
“Chevrolet will definitely keep on going without Gibbs and be just as successful. With Hendrick, RCR and DEI, I don’t think we’ll see a falloff in performance from Chevy. The chassis and bodies aren’t going to be much different from manufacturer to manufacturer. The key lies in what’s under the hood – the horsepower will really make the difference.”
Dave Despain, host of Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain on SPEED:
“This is the logical and inevitable next step for Toyota in the evolution of its NASCAR program. There was never any question whether Toyota would sign a big team -- the only questions was when and which one. We now know the answer to that.
“With Joe Gibbs Racing switching to Toyota, the manufacturer will do a lot better next year than it did this year but for Gibbs, that remains to be seen. Logic will tell you that in the short term, it’s probably a step back for Gibbs but apparently the team believes that in the long-term, this switch is going to be beneficial for them. Joe Gibbs Racing believes Toyota will be a very powerful presence in NASCAR in the long haul and by being the first big team to sign with Toyota, Gibbs will have the opportunity to lead that charge.”
John Roberts, host of NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED:
“I think Toyota is really the big winner in this whole deal. If Joe Gibbs Racing raced Yugos, they would be eventually prevail and be back on top of the heap again because NASCAR is a people-oriented business these days. It’s not necessarily the manufacturer that equals success. Of course, Gibbs will have growing pains but those growing pains will not be that bad. The team has three of the best drivers and one of the best engine builders in the business. Toyota is really going to be the big beneficiary in the long run and anyone worried about Gibbs losing a step might be surprised.
“I don’t think that losing Gibbs will hurt Chevrolet nearly as much as it would have hurt another manufacturer. Chevy has been on top for so long because their teams are so strong and Chevy will still have some very strong teams.”
Krista Voda, host of NCTS Setup on SPEED:
“This is a huge feather in Toyota's cap. Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Busch are three drivers who are contenders each and every week. To have those three representing Toyota in 2008 speaks volumes for the manufacturer. In addition, the learning curve just shortened drastically ... because if Tony Stewart can't figure out how to win in a car ... nobody can!”
Kenny Wallace, analyst on NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED:
“I really think that Joe Gibbs Racing is trying to position itself to be the number one team in what they do. As the sport becomes more and more competitive, it is hard for teams to share information anymore. The more Joe Gibbs Racing can separate itself from the other teams, the more of an advantage they will have on some of the tougher competitors.
“I see Toyota’s acquiring Gibbs as a steppingstone to bringing Toyota up to par. In my opinion, Gibbs and its driver line-up and sponsors will do more for Toyota than Toyota will do for them.
“With the Car of Tomorrow, I simply do not see Joe Gibbs Racing struggling one bit because each team’s car bodies are the same and everyone knows that Toyota is coming with a whole bunch of horsepower. Jack Roush told us to beware because Toyota will outrun everybody eventually and I do see that coming.
“Chevrolet has a really strong team lineup and I don’t think losing Gibbs will hurt or help them. I know that Gibbs has a lot of victories but when you look at Hendrick Motorsports and Richard Childress Racing, I don’t think this will take down Chevrolet because they’re too strong. I think history repeats itself and this reminds me of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s and the sport is becoming more and more of a manufacturer war now. It will be really interesting to watch.”
I can't argue it's a big loss for Toyota. But I believe Chrysler gains more than Toyota loses. This is because I think the Toyota Way or system of doing things is much bigger than any one person (like many good organizations from sports to business).I don't agree with the last sentence, this IS a big loss for Toyota. I'm sure they will do just fine without him and continue to grow but he is one of the top auto executives in the US (the reason Chrysler would go after him) and will be a great addition to Chrysler.
http://www.amazon.com/Product-Devel...3218347?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189088243&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Way-Fi...1447079-3218347?ie=UTF8&qid=1189088243&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Way-Je...3218347?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189088243&sr=1-3
http://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Produc...3218347?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189088243&sr=1-5 <-- from the originator of the manufacturing system
If a person from Toyota jumps ship, I'm sure the acquiring firm wants more than just Jim Press' skillsets, but for Jim Press to be the kernel of a better culture and way of doing things (more than what any book can convey).
If one is a Toyota fan like me, it'd be spun the way I said it and that the Toyota system is bigger than any one person and this flux of Jim Press is recognition of other firms wanting a piece of it with no long-term setback to Toyota at all. This is why the company grows fiercely through the generations across many different people that come, stay, and occasionally go.
Having said all that I believe JGR is more than any one person but a healthy way of doing things. It's a great complement to Toyota.
I agree 100%. This is great news for Chrysler and shows that Cerberus is making sure they have the right talent to turn the company around!I can't argue it's a big loss for Toyota. But I believe Chrysler gains more than Toyota loses. This is because I think the Toyota Way or system of doing things is much bigger than any one person (like many good organizations from sports to business).
Agree 100% with Dan. This is excellent for Toyota.
Now we'll see Toyota dominate on the circle tracks and road course with Tony driving.
Now we'll see Toyota dominate on the circle tracks and road course with Tony driving.
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
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