NASCAR to clip Toyota’s wings

UPDATE NASCAR officials took 10 engines from Nationwide Series cars after the race Friday night at Chicagoland amid cries from the loser non-Toyota teams claiming they need help engine-wise to compete with the Toyotas. Kyle Busch's Toyota had just finished making a mockery of the field.

It was the third time this year that NASCAR has taken engines for evaluation. It did so at Atlanta in March and Milwaukee two weeks ago.

Just like they dominated the Truck Series the past two years, Toyota has won 14 races in the Nationwide series this year, while Chevrolet has won four and Ford has won two.

“We’re continuing our study on our competitive analysis and trying to balance the competition in the garage, which we’re kind of tasked to do," Nationwide Series Director Joe Balash said following the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. “There’s a lot of rumor in the garage where things are at, and that’s why we want to make sure that we get the actual data."

Dan Deeringhoff, crew chief for series points leader Clint Bowyer of Richard Childress Racing, said he believes the non-Toyota teams need help.

“Hopefully they are trying to come with what’s fairest for the series," Deeringhoff said. “Toyota has got a definite advantage, but they’ve got a lot newer pieces [in their newer engines] than the American manufacturers have.

“The peak number is maybe 20 [horsepower] but I think the average is quite a bit more than what we’ve got." In part from Scenedaily.com

[Editor's Note (Again): Did anyone think for one moment Toyota would not come into NASCAR and destroy the other manufacturers? NASCAR will have to continually slow Toyota down just to give the others a chance. When Toyota grabs one or two more top teams it will be lights out.]

07/06/08 NASCAR may be ready to slap Toyota with an engine-horsepower penalty on the Nationwide tour after yet another win by the Joe Gibbs team Friday night. It was Dave Rogers' ninth tour win as crew chief, this time for Denny Hamlin, in a one-two finish with teammate Kyle Busch. It was Gibbs' 12th Nationwide win in the 18 races so far.

Ford's Jack Roush said the Toyotas have so much more horsepower than Ford and Chevy that Toyota crews can put more downforce in their cars — with a wider front end — for better handling in the corners because the Toyotas have the horsepower to push that extra drag. "A monkey could drive that car," Roush said, referring to the Toyota edge. Winston Salem Journal

[Editor's Note: Did anyone think for one moment Toyota would not come into NASCAR and destroy the other manufacturers? NASCAR will have to continually slow Toyota down just to give the others a chance. When Toyota grabs one or two more top teams it will be lights out.]