Motorsports

Toyota banking on Cup'sVickers

By Brant Jamesautos
Published June 27, 2006

Toyota won't be able to sneak into the Nextel Cup series next year, not with its well-earned reputation of spending, winning and leaving in other series.

But the three Camry-driving teams set to launch the program next season might allay the fears of Dodge, Ford and General Motors outfits bracing for utter domination. On the other hand, if Bill Davis Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull win races immediately with the driver lineup they will collectively trot out, Toyota is truly to be feared.

Seven drivers will compete full time in Camrys at the Cup level next season - if Michael Waltrip indeed fields three teams - and Red Bull's first signee, winless former Hendrick Motorsports fourth wheel Brian Vickers may be Toyota's best hope.

In fairness, Vickers became the youngest - at age 20 - to win a top-series NASCAR title in 2003 when he won the Busch crown, but he is winless in Cup at a top-flight organization.

When Kevin Harvick re-signed with Richard Childress Racing and with Elliott Sadler apparently staying loyal to Robert Yates Racing, a thin market for drivers leaves Vickers arguably with the best chance to win among his Toyota mates. Waltrip and Dale Jarrett have a combined one win the last two seasons; Bill Davis has not named a driver but has Dave Blaney (winless in Cup) under a one-year contract for this season.

BAD SCARE: Two-time defending Champ Car series champion Sebastien Bourdais was scheduled to take his commercial flight home to St. Petersburg on Monday after being released from a Cleveland hospital. Bourdais nearly lost consciousness and underwent CT scans after a bizarre accident in which Paul Tracy's car went airborne, landed on his roll bar and drove over him early in the race Sunday.

Bourdais was credited with an 18th-place finish and maintained a 26-point lead over Justin Wilson atop the standings.

"I was slowly fading away (passing out) as the pressure (from the bottom of Tracy's race car) was increasing," said Bourdais. "Maybe his tire hit me when he came up but it was the bottom of his car that was on top of my head. I probably lost a little consciousness because by the time the whole thing stopped I didn't know if it was a dream or where I was, what happened. I couldn't put everything together.

"I know I didn't change my line but don't know how Tracy got on my head. That's what can happen when you race wheel to wheel. I got turned around and the next thing I knew was that there was a car on top of my head.... I was the shock absorber for him. "

UP FRONT TROUBLE: Qualifying on the front row is supposed to help drivers stay out of trouble, especially on a street or road course. Not so for Jamie McMurray in the Nextel Cup race on Sunday at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. First the Roush Racing driver lost control of his No. 26 Ford on the first lap, then he was involved in two bumps - one giving, one getting - before finishing 18th.

DOMINANCE: Michael Schumacher, somewhere deep down, must be able to appreciate how dominant Fernando Alonso is now after winning his sixth Formula One race Sunday at Montreal. Alonso and his Renault could fail to score a point - by finishing outside the eight cars - in the next two races and Schumacher, a seven-time champion, would still not be able to overcome the 25-point gap from second place.

[Last modified June 27, 2006, 01:06:24]