Trouble in Turn2

Good teams run well, not the manufacturer.
It is not a coincidence that nearly all of Toyota’s success happened after Joe Gibbs Racing aligned with the manufacturer last fall. The knowledge and resources they provided to Toyota is what got all of the Toyota headed in the right direction, not the other way around.

Granted Toyota has a lot of money, which is a big reason why Gibbs decided to leave Chevrolet. But Gibbs is a top organization because they are organized, have lots of engineers and technology and know how to use their resources. The only major difference for Gibbs in 2008 is that they have three cars competing for wins instead of two. Gibbs was a top team with Pontiac, then Chevy and now Toyota. It would be the same thing if Roush-Fenway Racing switched to Toyota. After Jack Roush was done seething, stomping up and down and the steam stopped shooting from his ears, his teams would still run up front and compete for wins.

It’s easy to point to Gibbs’ early success this season and tie it to the manufacturer switch, but all you have to do is look at the other Toyota teams to see the truth. It takes a lot more than a rich manufacturer to succeed at NASCAR’s highest level.

Michael Waltrip Racing is not going to last long in the top 35 without a tighter operation.
Last year was unmitigated disaster for the three car team. The cars couldn’t consistently qualify, were slow once in the races and none of the three cars were close to the top 35. This year all three cars made the first five races and did enough to land on the good side of the top 35. Well, that lasted one week. David Reutimann lost his spot thanks to a bad transmission and Waltrip tried his best to wreck out of the top 35. No MWR driver has a better rating than 56.0 and the team has zero top tens. Bad luck will happen to every team, but it hurts more when the cars aren’t compensating with strong finishes.

Two years ago Bill Davis Racing raced Dodges with no manufacturer support. Blaney not only managed to keep the car inside the top 35, but he also posted a top 5 at Richmond and had several other strong runs for the one car underdog team (Yes, Michael Waltrip was technically a teammate, but he did his own deal). Last year with Toyota backing the year began with a flop, but Blaney again recovered to score some nice results. It looked like Blaney was outperforming the equipment and once the cars caught up, he could really show his skill. That might still be true, but the cars aren’t there yet and Blaney hasn’t exactly sparkled himself. Not only that, but the second BDR team folded after only one start this year.

Brian Vickers and Red Bull Racing are the only other Toyota team with a top ten this season. Not only has Vickers maneuvered his way into a solid top 20 position in the points, he is running consistently well. He has three top fifteens and would have had a fourth last weekend, but he ran out of fuel with less than ten laps left. The second Red Bull car is still struggling, but at least Mike Skinner is three for three in qualifying for races.

In conclusion, Gibbs Racing is good, the other Toyota teams are varying degrees of lousy. For as much paranoia that Toyota endures about ruining the Sprint Cup series, it’s pretty unfounded. Until they are to the point where Toyota can plug any team into their program and compete for wins, it’s time to realize that Toyota isn’t some monster that many fans believe.

Random Thoughts

• How Can Travis Kvapil and Yates Racing not get a sponsor?
  Kvapil is relatively young, has already won a Craftsman Truck Series title and is solidly inside the top 35. He scored a top 10 at Las Vegas and had solid top ten runs at California and Martinsville spoiled by mechanical problems (California) and a pit road crash (Martinsville). There are several cars without the luxury of a guaranteed starting spot that do have full sponsorship. How long will it take companies to realize that a sponsorship has more value if the rolling billboard is actually in the race.

• Where are the “Kyle Busch is so mature” campaigns now?
  In Saturday’s truck race, Kyle Busch sent 2nd place Johnny Benson spinning on the final turn of the final lap. Busch also spun, but his quote was very telling.
  

  I’m not happy with third. I want to go up there to the top. That’s what I’m here to do. To try to get the best possible finish I can for my guys and my team.

  It’s one thing to wreck another driver in the Cup series when you are going for points, but to do it in a series that you don’t run full time is another. It’s like being a guest in someone’s house. Saying you are a racer also does not grant carte blanch for aggressive driving at every turn. After his win at Atlanta, I wondered what would happen when something bad happened. I guess we’ll see this weekend.