“If all the cars in NASCAR
Were off the showroom street cars
Oh what a race that would be
Standing trackside with my mouth wide open
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
If all the cars in NASCAR
Were off the showroom street cars
Oh what a race that would be”
Toyota is starting it’s 2nd year in the NASCAR Cup Series and vowing victory will be theirs this year.
Team Owners, the blog nation and everyone in between went wild last year over a foreign manufacturer racing along side the Chevy’s, Dodge’s and Ford’s.
So ‘what up?’ for 2008 in the National Association for STOCK CAR Auto Racing?
Does anyone really care about the manufacturers anymore…besides the manufacturers? Are they just a race within the race?
My innocence was lost for feelings related to manufacturer loyalty somewhere between the first wave of Blockbuster Video killing off the mom & pop video rentals and Walmart creating vast vacant retail space within a 20-mile radius of their latest Supercenter.
In today’s NASCAR I can’t connect the dots between my favorite driver’s car and car maker showroom reality. Everytime a Roushketeer lauds their Ford Fusion I’m drifting off thinking ‘when was the last time I saw a Ford Fusion?’
If the manufacturers want to create a brand perception I think they should put ‘em on the track right out of the showroom. I shopped them on the manufacturers site and hopped them up as best I could. Which car do you think would win that race?
Toyota Camry
3.5L DOHC 24-valve V6
268 hp @ 6200 rpm
Made it racey with a Custom tape stripe & Rear spoiler!
Ford Fusion
3.0L 24-valve V6
221 hp @ 6250 rpm
Made it racey with Dual chrome exhuast tips & Fog lamps!
Dodge Charger
5.7L Hemi V8
335 hp @ 5000 rpm
It’s already racey!
Chevrolet Impala
5.3L V8
303 hp @ 5600 rpm
Made it racey with Body moulding!”