Toyota raises dust in NASCAR; Boo if you must, but automaker covets circuit's fan base.(Toyota Motor Corp., National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing 's Nextel Cup)

Automotive News, February, 2007 by Rechtin, Mark

Byline: Mark Rechtin

Toyota never set out to wear the black hat in NASCAR, but things have sure worked out that way.

NASCAR's good ol' boys are up in arms about the juggernaut from Japan. One of them - Jack Roush, who heads Ford-powered Roush Racing - says he is ready to "go to war'' with Toyota.

"I'm definitely preparing myself for siege,'' says Roush. "Toyota will not find that the established teams and manufacturers will wither in their path.''

To raise a war chest, Roush plans to sell as much as 50 percent of his operation to Fenway Sports Group, a sports marketing company.

Toyota will find out what it means to be the villain this Sunday, when it enters the Daytona 500 for the first time. Although Toyota has raced in...

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