A few years ago before Toyota was added, and before Dodge came back, Nascar parted ways with Pontiac. Why did Nascar do this? Dodge has been ok....but IMO Toyota has been a complete joke. If anyone has any info on why the change was made, I'd love to know.
Please, no stupid or flaming remarks. Thanks
2007-05-29 16:40:30 · 14 answers · asked by viperdk28 4 in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ NASCAR
Pontiac pulled out of nascar, not NASCAR dropping Pontiac. If you look around you'll find Pontiac involved in other forms of racing, they're VERY big into drag racing. General Motors is just spreading their money around for the most exposure. If you remember Buick was also involved in NASCAR, they too have pulled out. If memory serves me correctly, it was because racing was not the image G.M. wanted to convey for Buick. For the record, I too can't get behind Toyota being involved in NASCAR just because they have no history in American stock car racing. I just can't get beyond that old '69 Toyota Carolla P.O.S. I bought used for a good gas mileage commuter car. Toyota didn't even have a V-8 until the last few years in their truck. Ford has made V-8's since 1932 & Chevvy since 1955. Then there's Dodge and Plymouth with all there history with big V-8's. Who do you think bought their way into NASCAR ?
2007-05-29 18:48:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
More like Pontiac dropped NASCAR. Manufacturers have to have a production vehicle that meets certain guidelines. Most of the time NASCAR will bend the rules so that it will have more types of automobile manufactures. Some examples are the early edition Lumina and Ford Taurus. NASCAR allowed variations in the rules so as to allow them to race.
2007-05-30 02:01:52 · answer #2 · answered by Kevin P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone already answered why Pontiac is gone. I only want to correct some inaccuracies in previous posts. Although I'm not a fan of the Toyota teams, saying they don't belong in an American racing league is silly. There isn't a truly American made vehicle any longer. Chevy isn't, Ford isn't, Dodge isn't. Living 38 years in the past will skew your vision to the reality of today.
If you're sore that companies like Toyota and Nissan don't make V8's, you're wrong. They do make them, but they don't sell them in the US. If you don't believe me, do a search for vehicles like the Nissan Cima - V8 with 340hp. The US market is/was flooded with V8s in heavy vehicles, so it made perfect sense for them to fill the void of small vehicles in the States. That is why the 1969 Toyota you owned was so small and had such a small engine - you couldn't get a similar Chevy, Ford, or Dodge.
Also, Toyota HAS finished better than 10th. 5th this last week at Lowes.
I do agree that Toyota has not performed as many expected though.
2007-05-29 20:42:54 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
NASCAR didn't drop Pontiac, Pontiac dropped NASCAR. Basically because the number of Pontiacs was dropping rapidly. And with JGR switching to Chevy the next year(and after Tony won his first championship that year) and complaints about the Grand Prix, it was dropped.
2007-05-29 18:36:08 · answer #4 · answered by Wedge_Antilles_72 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Sorry if this is stupid or flaming, but they dropped it for Chevy. And Toyota IS a COMPLETE joke!!!! Why spoil an American sport with a foreign car?? And the highest one has finished in the Nextel Series is 10th. Let's bring Pontiac back and screw Toyota for good!
2007-05-29 18:23:23 · answer #5 · answered by Jr. ROCKS!!! 1 · 2⤊ 2⤋
I can't see how you think Toyota is a complete joke. They've been apart of Nextel exactly 1/3 of a season. Is there any sport out there where an 'expansion' team comes in and wins right away? No. They usually suck for a while. Toyota sucked in truck racing at first, now they dominate. I guess it's the microwave popcorn era, everything has to happen in 3 minutes or less, or it sucks.
2007-05-29 17:05:44 · answer #6 · answered by roger b 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Actually NA$CAR didnt drop Pontiac, Pontiac aka GM dropped NA$CAR. The biggest reasons was because there were hardly any Pontiac teams left. BDR and Petty were two of very few.
2007-05-29 17:16:21 · answer #7 · answered by Slam The Wall 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋
The powers that be at GM decided that the R&D and focus of "stockcar" racing be at Chevrolet division,so Poniac and Buick were dropped from GM racing program.Both Poniac and Buick are active in the Rolex/American LeMans series.
2007-05-30 01:19:28 · answer #8 · answered by blakree 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NASCAR did not drop Pontiac, Pontiac dropped their racing program.
2007-05-30 02:13:42 · answer #9 · answered by tarry47 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nascar didn't drop pontiac,GM pulled them out .
2007-05-30 00:17:41 · answer #10 · answered by Shawn G 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋