Honda to enter NASCAR

[Invader]

Just a thought.
What would the reaction of the fans be?

[John B]

It certainly would be stronger than, say, when they entered CART - NASCAR is much more strongly rooted as the "All-American" series - all American makes, drivers, owners, which obviously is quite different than CART. I'd guess many would root against the team on nationality alone.

I'd be curious to see which owners would jump on that venture.

It would also make a good marketing opportunity, something NASCAR's done well at in recent years!

[Lee Roy]

Actually, I think Honda would be well received. There would be some nationalistic ranting, but these people would be a vocal minority.

Did you know that Toyota will be in NASCAR next year?? They will have cars competing in the Dash series.

The problem would be that Honda would not want to compete using the NASCAR formula for racing. They prefer using the European formula.

NASCAR wants all of the parts to be pretty much standard and available to all who want to compete. In Europe, the teams are true factory efforts, with huge budgets and exclusive technology. Great while it lasts, but if the factories pull out, the race promoters and fans are left with just memories.

Honda, and other manufacturers, may eventually be forced to get into NASCAR. It was the Dodge car dealerships that were the driving force behind Dodge reentering NASCAR.

You can bet that they noticed the drop off in business when the Earnhardt show car was at the Chevy dealership down the street.

[kmchow]

Lee Roy wrote:

>The problem would be that Honda would not >want to compete using the NASCAR formula >for racing. They prefer using the European >formula.
>
That's what Dodge said as up until last year. Now, they're racing in 2001. The fact that Toyota is racing should get the attention of Honda execs. I wonder how many new fans would be drawn to Nascar because of Toyota or Honda. Only time will tell...

[Megatron]

I think many of the "American original" fans would hate it. I know about a year ago, many fans thought about throwing a protest at Bill France when there were rumors Toyota would field a team.

I would like to see it, but except for POSSIBLY Toyota, I can't see Honda or any other manufactur over seas getting in NASCAR.

[Lee Roy]

There would be a vocal group who would be against "foriegn" makes in NASCAR, and I'm sure that the media would give them a lot of attention. But megatron, I don't know if you ever go to NASCAR races, but at Dover this year, for both races, I was parked next to a Mercedes, and in June, across from a Jaguar. Also, you would be surprised to see the number of Toyota pick-ups with a #3 sticker in the back window.

Most people aren't so nationalistic about car makes as they used to be. There are the idiots who say that only 'muirca makes a good car, but they are offset by the flip side of the same coin, the idiots who say that the only good cars are built overseas. But most of the rest of us got over it years ago.

[Joe Fan]

Megatron, I have never heard of any protest by fans about Toyota entering NASCAR. They assemble Toyotas and Hondas in the United States so it is not like these Japanese corporations are taking the food off Americans tables. Americans are not stupid. Ford and GM build cars overseas that have taken jobs away from Americans. And there are plenty of foreign parts on American cars built in the U.S.. It is a global economy and the majority of Americans want the best car for the best price. They could care less who makes it. While there may be some anti-Japanese sentiment here in the U.S., it hasn't affected the sales of Honda, Toyota or any other Japanese nameplate.

When it all comes down to it, GM is probably the biggest driving force in NASCAR about keeping out Honda or other foreign nameplates out of the series--not Bill France or the fans. GM has a relationship with Toyota (ie the Chevrolet Prism is basicaly a Toyota Corolla) so it was a logical progression for Toyota to be the first foreign nameplate to re-enter the series.

[PDA]

The NASCAR rules specifically state that Winston Cup is only open to US owned manufacturers, and then only to models approved by NASCAR. Don't expect to see Honda ot Toyota anytime soon.

[Joe Fan]

PDA, Toyota is already in NASCAR. They are in NASCAR's Goody's Dash series. Bill France has said that he doesn't have a problem with foreign nameplates since even some Japanese cars are more American than some of our American cars and that we are now a global economy. I doubt that we will see "real" foreign cars in the series like Jaguar in the immediate future (but who knows since Ford now owns them) but I do see foreign nameplates entering the series as long as some of the models are assembled in the U.S. like quite a few Honda's and Toyotas are.

[PDA]

A second problem for Honda is that they do not make an antiquated pushrod 6 litre V8.

[kmchow]

PDA wrote:

>A second problem for Honda is that they do >not make an antiquated pushrod 6 litre V8.
>
I read several articles a year or two ago about the big debate within Nascar whether or not to move to OHC or OHV engines. Some within Nascar say they should move with "the times" and switch to newer engines. Of course, the "old guard" say that this will decrease reliability and increase costs of racing (due to more mechanical brakedowns and costs of designing/maintaining) OHC/OHV engines.

If a switch was made, then Honda/etc... can then immediately join Nascar?

I suspect Toyota's involvement/success in the goody dash series will be closely watched. Bet on it!!

[Invader]

Mr Chow, I assume you are referring to a switch to current multivalve DOHC engine design as opposed to OHV engines which are the current norm.
Not being picky, I just thought it may confuse.

[This message has been edited by Invader (edited 09 January 2000).]

[kmchow]

Yep, you got me Invader. I got mixed up with all the different terms. Supposedly, the Good Dash series is allowing multivalve engines, but has weight and intake restrictions???

What do people think? Will multi-valve engines increase costs while decrease reliability of the teams? It would be logical earlier on, but they should quickly reduce DNS?? I guess they have mastered pushrod reliability practically 99.9%??

[This message has been edited by kmchow (edited 12 January 2000).]