Sports Execs Debate Points On Toyota’s NASCAR Foray

By Josh Rosen, Assistant Managing Editor

Panel Discusses Toyota’s Entrance Into NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series

Sports business execs at the Int’l Conference on Sport & Entertainment Business in Columbia, South Carolina, Thursday had different takes on how NASCAR will grow internationally. In The Groove Racing President Doug Ames, during a panel discussion, said spurred by Toyota’s entry into NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and Busch series, NASCAR vehicles, within five years, “are going to be loaded on ships and airplanes and they’re going to be going all over the world.” But during an earlier session, NASCAR Dir of Business Communications Andrew Giangola said the “near-term goal [for NASCAR] is the U.S.,” and then growing in Canada and Mexico. Giangola: “Our cars don’t travel well. F1, you can box it up and go overseas.” Giangola added, “You’re not going to see NASCAR go to Japan or the U.K. Now that said, there could be some franchising relationships or a series that starts up overseas.” Giangola did note NASCAR, like most everyone, is keeping an eye on China.

ADVANTAGE TOYOTA? While many believe Toyota teams will have an unfair advantage over their competitors as the company’s racing investments have led to dominance in other racing series, Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning noted, “The groups that govern those series don’t do as good a job at controlling the competition as NASCAR does. NASCAR is not afraid to make a rule change to get them back in line with everybody else, and I think that’s going to be the big difference between the other series and the domination they’ve had in other series.” Ames told attendees not to be surprised in the next five years if some drivers jump to Toyota when their contracts with Ford or Chevrolet are up. Ames: “It’s the most amazing thing to me. If Dale Earnhardt is driving a Chevrolet, that guy driving a Chevrolet is his fan. So when those guys start leaving and going to Toyota, that Chevrolet is gone that day. They’re going to buy a Toyota.” GMR Marketing VP Mike Boykin said if Toyota does well on the track and increases sales, “Do you think Nissan and Honda are just going to sit there and say, ‘Yeah, you go ahead and take all of America?’ I would bet that would not be the case. So it could be more than just Toyota.”

EVERYONE LOVES A WINNER: Noting the anti-Toyota sentiment from fans, the panelists were asked whether it will be harder for Toyota to win races or win fan loyalty. Ames: “The first win Toyota gets, you’ll probably see a lot of those fans taking those [anti-Toyota] signs down. It’s going to be all about winning.”