Toyota documentary to air before Daytona 500

Torrance, Calif., – Get a behind-the-wall look at history-in-the-making as the first new automaker in nearly 50 years races the clock to make it to the Great American Race. After three years in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Toyota is taking on a historic challenge – the Nextel Cup Series. It all begins with the granddaddy of them all – the 2007 Daytona 500. “Chasing Sunday: The Race to Cup," airs Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST on Fox, giving racing fans a first-time view of the sweat, grit and dedication it really takes to start Cup racing.

Three Toyota teams are determined to prove they’re ready to take the green. Among those featured in this hour-long documentary are Michael Waltrip, Dale Jarrett and David Reutimann of Michael Waltrip Racing, Jeremy Mayfield and Dave Blaney of Bill Davis Racing and Brian Vickers and AJ Allmendinger of Team Red Bull. Supporting all the teams will be the people of Toyota Racing Development. The documentary was produced by Toyota agency of record Saatchi & Saatchi LA and NASCAR Productions.

And as if the monumental task of building a Cup team in less than a year weren’t dramatic enough, there are also intriguing subplots as Toyota enters its inaugural season. Can Cup veterans Waltrip and Jarrett recapture their former glory that saw them win multiple Daytona 500s? Then there are the young upstarts like Allmendinger. He's shown the world he can drive a Champ car, but can he succeed in the land of tradin’ paint and bump drafting? Meanwhile, the clock continues to tick as the weeks, days and hours melt away in the relentless countdown to Daytona. Adding to the drama, only two of the seven Toyota drivers are guaranteed a spot in the starting grid – Jarrett with the champion’s provisional and Blaney with team owner points. The rest? Well, they’ll just have push themselves and their cars to the limit, and race their way into the Superbowl of NASCAR.

500 miles. 3 teams. One shot at history. “Chasing Sunday: The Race to Cup." SUNDAY, FEB. 18, 2007, 10 a.m. PST / 1 p.m. EST, ON FOX.