What a year it has been for Toyota in NASCAR this season. After a tough start in their first season in 2007, Toyota has surged to the front as NASCAR's best manufacturer.
In 2007, Hendrick Motorsports dominated the Sprint Cup season mainly with two drivers: Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. The two combined for sixteen wins and finished first and second in the standings with Johnson bringing home the title.
Hendrick's other two drivers, Kyle Busch and Casey Mears, both had decent seasons. Busch won the Spring Bristol event while Mears won the 600 at Charlotte.
Going into the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Hendrick looked to continue their dominance with newly added Dale Earnhardt Jr. Earnhardt filled Busch's seat after he announced he would leave D.E.I. Then Busch left Hendrick to go to Joe Gibb's Racing.
In 2007, Joe Gibb's Racing announced they would switch manufacturers for the 2008 season. After a long relationship with General Motors, Gibb's left for Toyota. Many questioned the move on whether the change would help them or hurt them.
Halfway through the season, the change has definitely helped them. At Daytona, Denny Hamlin posted Toyota's first win in a non-points event in the second Gatorade Duel race. Hamlin has one win this season at Martinsville and sits seventh in the Sprint Cup Standings.
Gibb's newly acquired driver, Kyle Busch, won Toyota's first points event at Atlanta in the spring. He then has backed that up with wins at Talladega, Darlington, Dover, and most recently, Sonoma. Busch is also the points leader and shows no signs of giving that up as the season grows closer to the chase.
Tony Stewart hasn't had a bad year, he's had bad luck. Stewart has no wins this year so far. In the Daytona 500, Stewart looked as if he had it won until Ryan Newman made a move on the final lap to take the win away from Stewart.
He had great run in the 600 at Charlotte until a flat tire with four laps to go ended his chance of victory. At Bristol, Stewart had a chance to win until Kevin Harvick took him out with three laps to go. If not for the bad luck, the 20 team should have a couple of checks in the win column. He sits ninth in the standings.
Seventeen races into the Sprint Cup Season, there is no letting up for Toyota and Joe Gibb's Racing.2008 is their year not only in Cup but in the Nationwide Series. Joey Logano won in his third start and Hamlin, Stewart, and Busch have combined to win twelve races.
All you can say is pure domination.
Chevy, Ford, and Dodge have their homework to do. Chevy and Dodge have four wins, Ford has three. Toyota has six leading the charge.
2008 may have been the start of the "Toyota Takeover."
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3 months ago
Nice article, but I think it has more to do with the COT than any other factor in the sport. It seems that JGR seems to have the COT figured out while the others have some ground to make up. The other Toyota teams are getting stronger, but aren't having the success that JGR is having.
3 months ago
It's more JGR's dominance than Toyota's. Daniel's right about their COT program being better than other teams. But they could do this in a Chevy, Ford and Dodge COT car.
3 months ago
Speaking of Toyota dominence... Rowdy wins again.
3 months ago
Yea, maybe i should have waited till Sunday to write this.
3 months ago
you have to remember toyata has spent more time developing the cot cars as from the time announced they were coming to nascar they had no old notes or anything from the cars of yesterday. as chevy ford and dodge are trying to much to use the set ups that once worked for them once they find the right combination as toyata has they will run much better. but you can tell childress, roush, evernham have all stepped up there game and will be more of a contender in the second half of the season leading into the chase
3 months ago
None of the other Toyota teams have been worht a damn. JGR and KYLE BUSCH have been the only Toyotas that have been anygood.
3 months ago
it is only a matter of time and a matter of millions before everyone gets ahold of the cot. who know really how long it will take
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