DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – David Wilson wants to believe.
While the “percentage swings day-to-day” and the “highs and lows” of the situation have been “remarkable,” the president of Toyota Racing Development is keeping the faith.
During an impromptu media session Saturday evening (Aug. 27) in Daytona International Speedway’s media center, as storm clouds swirled over the track, Wilson declared that Toyota was “still in the mix” when it comes to the future of Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series.
This came weeks after he told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio there was still a “chance” Toyota could keep the winner of 60 NASCAR Cup Series races.
“Our intent is still the same,” Wilson said Saturday as the chances of running the Cup Series’ regular season finale as scheduled dwindled due to rain. “Kyle Busch is our 60-home-run hitter, and we’d be foolish not to put everything in play to keep him in the family. And that’s what we continue to do.”
Well, everything may be a strong word.
Wilson was pressed on why Toyota, which has been in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2007, hasn’t stepped forward to help make up the financial disparity that would keep Busch with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Wilson said to do so would go against Toyota’s “role” in the sport.
“From the time that we came in here (and) we started racing here at the beach in 2007 in the Cup Series, we have respected this sport, and we respected the position and the responsibility that we have in the sport, and it is not a responsibility wherein we are puppeteers and own drivers or racing teams,” Wilson said. “Joe Gibbs Racing has a contract with the driver.
“We do have relationships with every one of our drivers. It’s called a personal services agreement. That is because they are all ambassadors for us. But it is not our role as a manufacturer to backstop. That’s just not what we do. It’s not what we do.”
Due to this, JGR and Toyota may lose Busch to another team and manufacturer. Because they’d prefer doing things the way they always have.
Why is this so hard?
Why can’t the only active NASCAR Cup driver with multiple titles and 60 career Cup wins land a new sponsor to keep him with the team he’s raced for since 2008?
Wilson acknowledged that Busch’s volatile personality for the last 18 years “absolutely” has played a part in the difficulties.
He then laid out another harsh truth.
“It’s…
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