The Perfect Union: Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota?

Just seven races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup season and Joe Gibbs Racing has already led Toyota to Victory Lane twice. Is this just a coincidence or has Toyota finally got a race team that will prove Toyota’s potential on the track? Is it the car, the organization, or the drivers? Maybe it is the perfect combination of all three, only time will tell if this is a trio made in heaven or one made in hell. They must be doing something right. All three Joe Gibbs Racing teams are in the top 10 in points for the NASCAR Sprint Cup series. One thing is for sure, Kyle Busch has been a perfect fit to the Joe Gibbs Racing team.

Kyle Busch has been the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to beat. He finished third at the Samsung 500 at Texas. A few races earlier he found himself in Victory Lane at the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway at the beginning of March. Tony Stewart finished second giving Joe Gibbs Racing a one, two finish. Denny Hamlin led Toyota and Joe Gibbs Racing to Victory Lane at Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway to close out the month.

In the Nationwide Series, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch started the season with back-to-back one, two finishes Daytona International Speedway and the Auto Club Speedway. Kyle Busch then followed up with a second place finish in Nashville and another trip to victory lane after the O’Reilly 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

With a record like this and just seven races into the season it seems the Toyota-Joe Gibbs Racing union is settling in to perfect harmony. The drivers and crew at Joe Gibbs Racing has been able to take Toyota to a level other teams had not been able too. If the season keeps with this progression Toyota may prove it has what it takes to be a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series contender for the championship. That is the burning question however, does the Joe Gibbs Racing teams and Toyota have what it takes to keep rolling full stream ahead for the rest of the season?

By: Ryanick Paige
Published: 04/07/08

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5 Posted Comments:

Gibbs/Tyotee

@ 10:20 pm 04/07/08 by Bill

What Gibbs and Tyotee shows is that Chevrolet experienced engine builders can make Tyotees go faster than Tyotee engineers. The 2007 Tyotees show Vickers in 18th, the next is 30. It doesn't take a genius to see it. But it does take more than a Tyotee sucking press to figure ot out. Dodge's record when they reentered NASCAR shows much more success than Tyotee's endeavor. The NASCAR press is no different than our overall news media, if it aint American, build it up as much as possible. Lee Smith and possee know they must buy or steal American knowledge to compete. ie Bill Davis supplying Dodge engines. Tyotee will eventually catch up. but it has not happened in concert with spending, stealing and hard work.

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@ 11:16 pm 04/07/08 by Ryanick Paige

I am not sure how you can even compare Dodge's reentry to Toyota's. When Dodge reentered in the series they become part of already first rate teams like Petty Enterprises who had unlimited resources available to them. Toyota had second rate teams at best.

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@ 2:39 pm 04/08/08 by Hank Hill

Please the both of you are wrong...TOYOTA is the the Top team in NASCAR just look at CTS

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Tyotee

@ 9:50 pm 04/08/08 by Bill

Ryanick, Petty Enterprises was not a top team when Dodge came back. Petty has had no success since Dodge reentered. Hank, read it again. Tyotee has Vickers at 18 and the next is 30. It is clear. Gibbs was bought and paid for, Tyotee did not develope the team. Tyotee's developement team remains Mikey, And it is in need of serious further development. I do agree Tyotee is Tops. Tops in spending millions upon millions more than all other manufacturers combined. Yes, I also know they got the millions from Americans buying their cars. They just haven't been successful at buying races--yet.

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