Both are big, big issues. One may be bigger than the other, depending on who you ask. So let’s take them in order.
Many folks have reported that people associated with the big three American models currently in the garage — Chevy, Ford and Dodge — are nervously waiting to see how the Toyota story plays out.
Those established folks have an inherent advantage, of course, with years of on-track experience. But what’s worrisome for them is that Toyota has been successful in most every kind of racing it has its hand in: the old CART series, IRL and, most recently, the Craftsman Truck Series.
That in and of itself might not be cause for concern. But TRD has shown it will put resources and money behind its efforts to win; and given the financial state of American automakers, that’s probably where the biggest worry comes in.
Rumors persist, though they’ve often been denied, that one of the Big Three will get out of NASCAR altogether.
TRD may not be a hit right out of the gate in February, but they’ll grow. Think about Dodge’s ascension — and they currently have 10 drivers in the Cup series. By the time the green flag drops at Daytona, Toyota will have around seven.
It may not be next year or even the following year, but TRD will be a force to be dealt with. And that’s why other folks are worried.
Car owners may be worried about the COT too, but for different reasons. They’ll have to phase out their entire fleet of cars to make room for the COT. NASCAR maintains that the new cars will be safer for the drivers, and it’s hard to argue with that.
It’s also hard to argue with owners’ complaints, which have been vocal and ongoing. But NASCAR took a hard line, determined to get the COT on the track. It’s been tested several times this year, with mixed reviews from the drivers.
To NASCAR’s credit, they’re taking things slowly. The COT is set to run 16 races next year, less than half of the schedule. And the places it will run are tracks where aerodynamics are of little concern — the three short tracks, the two road courses, Phoenix, Dover, New Hampshire and Darlington. One key marker will be next fall, when the COT runs at Talladega. In 2008, the superspeedways come on board.
This is going to be the overarching story of next season, particularly as the series closes in on the first Bristol race. There’s going to be a lot of fallout, and not just on the track. Some drivers have already complained that they’ll feel like they’re running two different series.
And there is merit to that. I think a lot of folks appreciate NASCAR’s cautiousness with the COT, and the only other option was to get everything going in one fell swoop. Looking at both sides, if NASCAR was committed to doing this, they’re doing it the right way.
Sure, things will be different for a while, especially for the drivers. But they’ll be different for all the drivers. Maybe NASCAR will find out that the COT doesn’t work as well as hoped; if they decide to scrap the program, at least they can bail out before they and all the owners go all-in.
• YATES A HAPPY MAN: Updating yesterday’s post, Robert Yates said he’s found sponsorship for both of his Cup entries and his Busch entry. Though there’s no driver, the biggest hurdle is out of the way.
Yates wouldn’t reveal who the sponsor is, but only said a contract is all but signed and sealed.
“It’s wonderful,” Yates said in Homestead. “We’re gonna focus on racing and that’s’ really what I know today. We’re gonna run our three cars — our two Cup cars and our 90 car — and things are great.”
Hear, hear.