![]() That’s the angle to emerge after our call. So, not Toyota, but ‘Toyota’ by another name? Absolutely. As Wilson made clear, Toyota has no plans to return to Ind圜ar, but what if the big parent company in Japan sees value in promoting one of its smaller brands through American open-wheel racing? ![]() In the days and weeks following our call, I began to hear of a strategy shift that confirms everything Wilson said about Toyota and Ind圜ar as being 100 percent factual and true. ![]() So, Toyota’s out, and Ind圜ar’s stuck yet again with the same two manufacturers bearing a heavy and costly load. We have our hands full with our current engagements in in motorsport.” One of these days, I’d love to help take our company back, and we are certainly monitoring what’s going on in Ind圜ar racing, but right now, we have no plans to go. “I still have the picture of us in the Indy 500 in 2003, winning with Roger and Gil de Ferran, and there’s nothing I think that we’ve achieved globally that can really match up with that. And with Roger being one of our biggest Toyota dealers in the world, we’ve talked to them about it and they would love for Toyota to take another swing at it, of course. “We can already see the progress, the momentum, the positive trends that Ind圜ar have going for them. “I’ll start by qualifying the obvious that with Roger Penske engaged in terms of ownership of Ind圜ar and ownership of the Speedway, we certainly know that he will be successful,” Wilson said. Thanks to a conversation I had with Toyota Racing Development boss Dave Wilson ahead of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, we have a clear answer on where the auto giant stands on the subject. It’s here where Chevy, Honda, and Ind圜ar have been waiting for those prayers to be answered in the affirmative by Toyota, which is said to be looking at a 2024 launch. And yet the urgent need remains for a third manufacturer to join in, spread the load, and equip a number of teams with its power units. To set the scene, Chevy and Honda have committed to new supply contracts for the upcoming 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 hybrid formula that debuts in 2023. Joining a few dots, and putting two and two together to hopefully get four, here’s where the trail might be leading… But since then, getting a solid answer on the brand’s intent with Ind圜ar has been a challenge. As RACER revealed last summer, hints, rumors, and solid intel have all pointed to an undeniable interest being shown by Toyota. Many prayers have been said to the racing gods since Toyota’s name emerged last year as a possible NTT Ind圜ar Series engine provider.
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