Toyota disappointed in NASCAR ruling
Toyota have expressed their disappointment in NASCAR's decision to reduce the horsepower on their Nationwide series engines after dyno tests carried out recently revealed their superiority
Lee White, President and General Manager for Toyota Racing Development, said there is no technical justification for NASCAR to introduce changes in the engine rules that will ultimately penalise their teams for the success they have achieved this season.
Following Toyota's fourteenth win of the season two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway, NASCAR impounded and tested engines from the four different manufacturers competing in the second-level series.
As a result, they have now mandated that all Toyota engines must race with a smaller restrictor that cuts between 10 and 20 horsepower, supposedly putting them on a par with the current generation of engines run by Chevrolet, Ford and Dodge.
"We're extremely disappointed in NASCAR's decision," White said in a statement. "In our opinion, there is no technical justification to penalise the Toyota engine utilised in the Nationwide Series.
"Toyota always has, and will continue to, abide by all NASCAR-mandated engine specifications and the Nationwide engine was built strictly to NASCAR specifications.
"The success of the Toyota Camry this year in the Nationwide Series is the result of hard work and achievement by all of our race teams - Braun Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing, Germain Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing - working in conjunction with TRD U.S.A.
"All the tireless efforts by our teams, TRD and Triad during the off-season, at pre-season testing and during the first half of the year, combined with extremely talented drivers, have produced exceptional results."
White vowed to bounce back from this setback but claimed that NASCAR's decision is set to affect all the Toyota teams beyond this season, as they will have to put more resources and effort towards regainning their competitiveness under the new rule scenario.
"Despite this setback, we will continue to work diligently to keep our Nationwide teams competitive. Our hope remains that a Toyota team or driver will be rewarded with a championship at the conclusion of this year.
"Unfortunately, the decision by NASCAR could be more far-reaching than simply mandating Toyota to adjust its Nationwide engine. The real impact will be felt by the Toyota teams as they adjust to the change, work to remain competitive for the remainder of this season and attempt to line up their sponsorships for next year."
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