Recall won’t slow Toyota’s NASCAR involvement

A Toyota executive said customer service is the priority for the world's No. 1 automaker during its ongoing recall problems, and the company is undergoing a top-to-bottom review of its quality control.

"We have a singular focus today — taking care of the customers on an individual basis. That's everything that we are doing," Toyota group vice president Bob Carter said Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. "Quite frankly, nothing else is important."

Carter was in Florida for today's season-opening Daytona 500, where Toyota has 13 Camrys qualified for the 43-car field.

Carter said Toyota's participation in NASCAR will not be affected by the recall, no matter the financial hit the automaker takes. The company views NASCAR as a valuable marketing tool, particularly at a time it needs to regain consumer confidence.

"If you go back five years ago, before we entered the truck series, you walked through the parking lots and there was very few, if any, Toyotas," Carter said. "If you go today, that has changed dramatically. There is obviously Fords, Chevys and Dodges, but there are also Toyotas.

"NASCAR gave us an opportunity to get in front of an audience that quite frankly had not considered us before." IndyStar