Ok … here we go, trying to insert dispassionate rationale into NASCAR racing again — why do these people do this?
The uber popular (divisive, but yes popular) driver of the 20 car has just three races left in a Chevrolet. Texas, Phoenix and Miami then presto — [Tony Stewart is] a Toyota man. Normally, this manufacturer switch would mean less to me than the latest update on Britney Spears’ custody battle. However, one of the pure pleasures of being a NASCAR writer is the access to unvarnished opinions from the fans. This is especially entertaining and enlightening when the word Toyota is contained in the subject line of correspondence. I actually get excited, and perhaps a bit frightened, when I come across one of these notes.
To paraphrase (because if I didn’t I’d be fired and unceremoniously dispatched to Myanmar) the notes go something like this: “I hate Toyota. Did you know they were made in Japan?” Surely you jest! “I hope they never win a race in America.”
This gets me to my most important question. What are these fans so afraid of? Do they think that Tony and Denny are going to win each and every race next year? For my money I think the Chevys, Fords and Dodges of the world can handle the competition. I don’t think they need to somehow be protected from Toyota like they are the junior varsity and racing against the likes of a foreign automaker will expose this to the world at large.
Our manufacturers are at their best when presented with stiff competition and in the end everyone gets a better product. So whether it’s Tony Stewart heading to Toyota, or a Toyota Prius pushing the edge of technology and presenting us with the Chevy Volt — I’m confident the home team is fully capable of answering the call. Estes’ Column
Well, here’s another “unvarnished” opinion of a “fan” (though I detest that term when used in reference to me) of NASCAR racing, Smoke and Chevy:
Did it not occur to Estes that it’s not that we think Chevy can’t kick Toyota’s ass in every arena — from two-tracks to racetracks? Or, that any American manufacturer needs to be “protected” from any foreign manufacturer? But, instead — that we simply don’t like Toyota? That we don’t want to see them in, much less winning, NASCAR Cup races? (Let ‘em have NCTS and Busch … but Cup? Not Cup.)
Some Chevy/Stewart fans would take equal issue if Smoke was to drive for Ford or Dodge next year. Still others, like me, are a bit more serious about it: we don’t care how many “jobs Toyota brings to the US” (neither/nor about every other well-conceived pro-foreign-investment-in-America argument out there) — we’re loyal to US automakers, (even if they’re mergin’ with foreign automakers by the dozen). Their mere emblems represent America to some of us. Period.
You know … hot dogs, apple pie … etc. It doesn’t matter that we might be deluding ourselves about some parts of this issue — when we’re watching racing, of all things, we don’t want to have to think about the socio-political ramifications of the wholescale foreign economic invasion of … yada yada. Sigh … for God’s sake — we just wanna’ watch a bunch of American cars run like the wind in an American race.
Or, something like that, grin …
Bottom-line: I’m in love with the Bugatti Veyron, but I’d be just as bummed about the issue if that rocket someday ran a Cup race. Even if Smoke was behind the wheel.
So, in my myopic opinion, Estes missed the mark here; because, for a large percentage of NASCAR fans who hold an anti-Toyota position — it’s not about a global (pardon pun, lol) rationale. It’s about sentiment … and brand loyalty. Ironically enough, two of the reasons NASCAR/ISC (and Gibbs) enjoy the remarkable success (and profit-margins) that they do. (Hell … I’m gonna’ hafta’ start shoppin’ at Lowes next year … ick.)
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