LONG POND, Pa. — Toyota Racing Development has had the kind of success most manufacturers would love to boast about in the Sprint Cup garage.
Five wins and eight poles in the first 13 races should have TRD riding high. Instead, a few high-profile engine failures has drivers frustrated and TRD looking for answers in time for Sunday’s race at Pocono Raceway.
So it was time for a team meeting.
David Wilson, named this week acting president and general manager of TRD, called drivers, crew chiefs and competition directors from Joe Gibbs Racing and Michael Waltrip Racing together on Friday morning to discuss the changes ahead and plans to boost the engine’s durability.
That started with fine-tuning engines already in the cars headed to Pocono.
“It means it’s going to be a little bit of a step back in performance,” Wilson said. “Just getting them on board and being transparent with them has been helpful. The last thing we want is for them not to feel like a part of this.”
TRD is struggling with durability, beginning with the Daytona 500 when Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch suffered engine failures within minutes of each other. Most recently, Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. both suffered engine failures in Sunday’s race at Dover. Wilson said the valve train has been the main culprit for the engine woes.
Wilson said the key was to keep the season in perspective. Even if six failures have been unacceptable, there are enough checkered flags piling up to prove TRD has an overall grasp on handling its engines.
“Our drivers love the performance they’re getting with the cars,” Wilson said. “Crew chiefs are just killing it this year and the engines are strong. We’re certainly happy about that.”
But in order to win a championship, TRD has to have durability, and drivers can’t be racing wondering if their engine is the next to blow.
“I’d much rather be in this position of saying, ‘We’ve got the performance, now we need to focus on the durability,’” he said. “We’ve got a little bit of security with a couple of our drivers having notched a couple of wins.”
Toyota drivers Clint Bowyer, Kenseth, and Busch are all in the top 10 in the points standings. Denny Hamlin, in 26th and in danger of missing the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, was encouraged by the meeting.
“They identified issues and talked about our short- and long-term plan to fix it,” Hamlin said. “They’re going to do everything they can to fix it.”
Wilson was promoted this week after Lee White stepped down to tend to family health care needs. White joined Toyota in 1997 and took over the top job following Jim Aust’s retirement in July 2008. He was responsible for all TRD North American motorsports activities in NASCAR, USAC, NHRA, Grand-Am and off-road competitions.
White was with teams that won approximately 1,000 races and 250 championships.
“The role that he played in helping bring our company into NASCAR was one of his biggest achievements,” Wilson said. “He built a very robust organization around him.”
It’s the kind of organization Wilson would like to keep leading well into the future.
“I certainly hope I’m afforded that opportunity long term,” he said. “If I do my job, I’m confident I will be.”
Rain washes out Pocono qualifying
LONG POND, Pa. — Rain has washed out Friday’s Sprint Cup qualifying at Pocono Raceway.
Points leader Jimmie Johnson will automatically sit on the pole for the start of Sunday’s 400-mile race.
It rained all day and cars never got on the track. There are only 43 entries for the race so no driver will miss the field.
Sprint Cup Lineup
After Friday qualifying; race Sunday
At Pocono Raceway
Long Pond, Pa.
Lap length: 2.5 miles
(Car number in parentheses)
1. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, owner points.
2. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, owner points.
3. (15) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, owner points.
4. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, owner points.
5. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, owner points.
6. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, owner points.
7. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, owner points.
8. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, owner points.
9. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, owner points.
10. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, owner points.
11. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, owner points.
12. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, owner points.
13. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, owner points.
14. (55) Mark Martin, Toyota, owner points.
15. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, owner points.
16. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, owner points.
17. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, owner points.
18. (51) A J Allmendinger, Chevrolet, owner points.
19. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, owner points.
20. (78) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, owner points.
21. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, owner points.
22. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, owner points.
23. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, owner points.
24. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, owner points.
25. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, owner points.
26. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, owner points.
27. (13) Casey Mears, Ford, owner points.
28. (34) David Ragan, Ford, owner points.
29. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, owner points.
30. (10) Danica Patrick, Chevrolet, owner points.
31. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, owner points.
32. (7) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, owner points.
33. (30) David Stremme, Toyota, owner points.
34. (83) David Reutimann, Toyota, owner points.
35. (36) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, owner points.
36. (35) Josh Wise, Ford, owner points.
37. (33) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, attempts.
38. (32) Timmy Hill, Ford, attempts.
39. (93) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, attempts.
40. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, attempts.
41. (98) Michael McDowell, Ford, attempts.
42. (19) Jason Leffler, Toyota, attempts.
43. (44) Scott Riggs, Ford, attempts.