Toyota sees its first checkered flag as sign NASCAR's paying off.(News)(Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc.)(National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing)(Brief article)

Automotive News, March, 2008 by Connelly, Mary

Byline: Mary Connelly

Toyota's first victory in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race is the payoff of a long-term plan to build brand awareness through stock car racing, the company says.

Toyota cars took first and second place in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 9. Before that, no import brand had won a Cup race in more than a half-century.

Les Unger, national motorsports manager of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., says the company seeks to "expand our brand impact, particularly in the full-sized truck market in the Midwest, the Southeast and Southwest.''

"And quite a few NASCAR races fall in those geographic areas,'' Unger told Automotive News.

Toyota entered NASCAR stock car racing last year. Toyota also...

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