by richard teague tinynascars@yahoo.com
Are there two new contenders? It sure seems like there will be this NA$CAR season with Toyota bringing Joe Gibbs Racing on line with their other teams. This may be the year Toyota takes over because so far it looks to me that all the Toys are running good. Let’s look who’s been the top ten for the first races of the 2008 season? In the Bud Shootout there where 3 Toyotas, 2 Dodges and 5 Chevys with not a single Ford finishing in the upper ten, which is weird. Now for the duels, Ford did do somewhat better and the Toyotas faded in the first of the 150s, but heck, there were only 3 of them racing in the dang thing. Then in the second one, with much more back up and all the big names, T drivers showed them what for with Hamlin and Stewart at first and second.
Don’t you know that the people at Toyota Racing Development sure were happy with Gibbs’ drivers finishing like that. I mentioned last week how I wondered what Toyota did to get JGR out of Chevrolets and into rice burners and it would appear now that whatever it was, it was worth every bit of it. Just how does a manufacturer convince a team that has won races and championships in one car brand to switch over to their cars? Isn’t that like leaving your wife after years of marriage with all the good times y’all had and hook up with some foreign floozy? Did Toyota promise JGR the moon AND the stars? The year before last, when Toyota talked about coming to Cup, the drivers, owners and everybody said that the money would be flowing and Toyota denied that would ever happen. They said “no way,” which is apparently Japanese for “yes.”
Well perhaps last year it wasn’t, but Bubbas and Bubba-ettes, this season is a new ball game, or rather a race game. Money has got to be gushing and the streams are overflowing their banks and whatever other superlative you can use. Toyota is handing out signed blank checks and Brinks trucks have been seen driving through the Carolinas in large numbers for the past several months. I bet that Brian France is absolutely jealous with the amount of money Toyota has put into teams but he really shouldn’t be because ya know he got his up front by letting them into Cup. I wonder if he makes them pay more to NA$CAR each year?
Okay, back to how they’re doing in NA$CAR in general. The Craftsman Truck Series had Toyota in the top four finishing spots for that series’ first race but that’s not really anything new. Then in the first Nationwide (formerly Busch) Series race, again it’s Toyota with the top two spots and guess what? For this season it looks as if the Toyotas will be one of my contenders. Not just JGR, but Michael Waltrip Racing showed they have improved from last year and didn’t even have to cheat. Michael on the outside pole for the 500 and his other two cars making it along with a hole bunch of Toyotas getting into the 50th Daytona 500, sounds kind of strange don’t it? I mean, so many foreign cars in “The Great American Race.“ Will there be other brands in the 51st 500?
My other contender is none other that Dale Earnhardt Jr. who won the Bud Shootout and then the first of the Duals and the words Three-Peat were mentioned in a couple of places, suggesting he might win himself another 500. I really didn’t think that was a real possibility, but ya’ just never know do ya’? I still get this strange feeling when I see him on a track and think about how he’s Jeff’s teammate. I remember the beer cans from last year and just a bunch of other stuff, but like they say. “water under the bridge” I guess.
I was reading an article about how Jimmie Johnson is not after Jr.’s fans and wants to cultivate his own fans from the “New Wave Fans” and how he’s not a “Good Ole Boy” racer. Y’all know I used to like Jimmie and he WAS one of my drivers, but I’m dropping him. Since I can have at least 4 or 5 favorites, I’m picking up Kyle Busch. Now here is the new list of “My Drivers” for this season and if you’ve been keeping up for the past few years you will notice a few changes. Number One driver: Jeff Gordon, then in order of favorites, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, and the new addition Kyle Busch. Now, who don’t y’all see on that list? Could it be you-know-who? Yes it is, it’s Junior and I’m sorry but enough is enough and even if I have dropped him, I still want him to win a championship for Rick. With the way he started in his first two races, this may be the year
Now I have to explain something here before I continue. My column has to be into the paper by Monday morning, so I write it on Sunday, sometimes in the afternoon if the race is a bore, but most often after the race. That way I can talk about the race or just whatever I want. I wrote most of this before the race late this afternoon. Why did the race start at 3:30 pm? I mean damn sam, didn’t they use ta’ start at 12:30 or 1 o’clock? Please give me a break. I asked one friend about it and I think he had the best answer: West coast, church services, TV ratings and, the best part, MONEY!
Anyway, back to the 500 and Dale Jr. and a 3 peat, well it didn’t happen but he dang sure tried. Those Toyotas were real strong and in the end I got to ask this: where did all them Dodges come from? Six of ‘em in the top ten with teammates first and second with teammate Toyotas at 3rd and 4th and Junior getting shuffled back to ninth place. I loved Flyin Fryin Ryan Newman winning a race and for it to be the Daytona 50th 500, it has got to be real sweet. After such a long drought, what almost three years? Ole Roger must be tickled too, with the team’s first plate win and a one-two finish in a Cup race.
Then again those Toyotas were up front all day and Tony and Kyle seemed like they had the thing locked in for most of the race. Heck, 3rd and 4th is giving TRD something for their money, aren’t they? With all the Dodges and T’s in the top ten, that left only one Chevrolet and one Ford. I wonder, is this a trend or a fluke? Will more teams be switching to Toyotas next year, or even during this season? All the new cars this season are also showing us they are more controllable and less likely to be damaged in minor incidents.
The cars have showed they are doing what NA$CAR designed them to do and, I really hate to say this, but the racing was kind of enjoyable, at least so far. I still haven’t warmed up to Toyota being in Cup. I’m also adjusting to the new name for Cup Series. Sprint, heck I was trying to get use to Nextel! And that ole ghost Winston is still around too. Well I had better end this week’s about now before I write too many words, Willie Boy cut me back big time last week because of the picture of Kev & Kenny. John and me took 150 or more pictures at Media Day 2008 and some of them are pretty good. I finally got them listed on the worldwide web for my friends to look at. OK Willie, I’m done, but one more thing: if y’all feel the need do it, contact me at my email addy and also remember, If it ain’t NA$CAR, It ain’t s**t!!
Article Published in the 2-21-08 Issue of EU Jacksonville
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