There is no more fear and loathing of Toyota in Nextel Cup. Well, at least there's no fear. Some loathing probably still exists.
Two months into the automaker's first season as part of NASCAR's premier circuit, Toyota has failed to make a major impact on the track. After six races, none of its teams was in the top 35 in points.
There are two ways to look at this. One, Toyota's debut has been a huge disaster. It may have plants in the U.S., but can it truly be considered an American car company if it isn't competitive in NASCAR's top series? Especially considering the money and technology it's supposedly throwing at it.
The other view is that Toyota is an expansion manufacturer competing with two expansion teams (Michael Waltrip Racing and Team Red Bull) and one team that has had few great days (Bill Davis Racing), so some growing pains are inevitable.
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