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Peter Olivola
17th February 2007, 15:09
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/17/opinion/17yaki.html?_r=1&th=&oref=slogin&emc=th&pagewanted=print


February 17, 2007
Op-Ed Contributor

The Jingoism 500

By MICHAEL YAKI

San Francisco

TOMORROW, ordinary citizens will be bracing themselves against the howling sound of Japanese engines throttling up and bearing down on their beloved American heroes. No, it’s not a squadron of dive-bombing Zeroes re-enacting Pearl Harbor. It’s the Daytona 500, the kickoff to the Nascar season, and for the first time in Nascar’s history Dodge, Chevy and Ford will be joined by ... Toyota.
Japan’s biggest car company, which is poised to overtake General Motors as the largest car manufacturer in the world, has entered the hallowed tracks and pit rows of that most American of race circuits, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. But to hear some Nascar fans talk, when those engines fire up it will be Dec. 7, 1941, all over again.

The war metaphors have been brought to the fore by Jack Roush, a prominent racing team owner. Mr. Roush has said that “we’re going to war” and that he’s preparing himself “for siege.” He has accused Toyota of having bought its way in, of raising the costs of owning a team and generally spoiling the pot. Other Nascar columnists, pundits and fans, even a Web site dedicated to being “against racing Toyotas,” have chimed in against the auto maker’s entry into Nascar.

Nationalism and pride in one’s country can be admirable traits. Nationalism, however, is the razor’s edge in the American psyche, where just a push turns it into xenophobia. Nascar, like so many professional sports before it, may soon be faced with a situation where deliberate ignorance of simmering prejudice is not an option.

I am an American of blended Asian ancestry, including Japanese, and a certain insult — a word as odious as its counterpart for African-Americans — sets me off. That word has been flying fast and furious in many Nascar-related forums and chat rooms. It offends me so much I cannot even abbreviate it here. One person wrote that “we don’t need any foreign nameplate in Nascar.” Others have taken up the “if you love them so much go live in Japan” theme and, curiously, wondered that if the Iraqis built a car would drivers of Japanese cars “become fans of the terrorists?”

The drivers hired by Toyota have been subject to the same opprobrium. Dale Jarrett, whom Nascar has named one of the 50 greatest drivers in its history, has been called a sell-out. Michael Waltrip, a Daytona winner, has been invited to “leave America” with his Japanese truck. (His recent woes at Daytona, including accusations that his team was cheating during qualifying, have only increased the vitriol.) Nor have the up-and-comers Brian Vickers and Jeremy Mayfield been spared. In blogs and on fan sites all have been characterized as traitors for driving “rice burners.”

Although team owners like Joe Gibbs and Rick Hendrick have welcomed the competition from Toyota, Nascar itself has said little during the rants and grumblings, apparently hoping it will all die down. That is unacceptable. There are, of course, Asian-American Nascar fans, and several of Nascar’s races are held in California, the state with the highest population of Asian-Americans.

Nascar’s goal has always been to ensure competition from inside the cockpit, not on the outside. It is all about devising a race where one variable — human skill at 200 miles an hour — is prized above all. When I watch the races (I am a fan; my mother-in-law is an uber-fan), I am fascinated by the men and the occasional woman maneuvering around banked tracks at speeds I cannot fathom with the touch of scrimshaw masters. I am not thinking of a Chevy Monte Carlo or a Dodge Charger or a Ford Fusion — or a Toyota Camry. I am watching Jeff, Junior, Tony, Mark and all those others with the courage, talent and sheer guts it takes to withstand, much less win, a 500-mile race when my legs cramp up after a leisurely two-hour drive.

Nascar’s roots in the South’s “good ol’ boy” mentality are a part of its lore and charm that cannot be denied. Movies like “The Dukes of Hazzard” and “Talladega Nights” both spoof and glorify its origins. Its partnership with the American auto industry is also a part of this history, born in the myth that you can drive the same “stock” car that Richard Petty drove to victory. But Nascar has become a global superbrand, still undeniably American yet ubiquitous enough for the world’s best — not just auto manufacturers, but racers like Juan Montoya, the Colombian who has dominated Formula 1 — to want to test its drivers and its superspeedways.

More than 20 years ago, this country feared that Japan would take over American industry. It didn’t happen. But today the Big Three are still on the ropes and, combined with Chrysler’s recent layoffs, a Toyota victory in one of Nascar’s events could reawaken latent fears of Japanese domination. We cannot forget that in 1982 a young Chinese-American, Vincent Chin, was killed in Detroit because two autoworkers assumed he was Japanese. Apparently there remain embers just hot enough to re-ignite the flame of racism.

You can be pro-American, and you can declare that Americans should buy American cars. But doing so involves a degree of hypocrisy. Today an “American” car could have been assembled in Mexico, or had most of its parts manufactured offshore. And Dodge, part of the Chrysler brand, is owned by Daimler of Germany. Yet I don’t hear anyone disparaging the patriotism of the racers driving Dodges. It’s another indication that the opposition to Toyota is rooted not in patriotic pride, but racism.

Along with millions of others, I will watch the Daytona 500 tomorrow. There would be nice symmetry if the Great American Race also meant that in the arena of race relations, Nascar, like all major professional sports, were to take measures to reject the appearance and insinuation of intolerance and prejudice in its ranks.

Michael Yaki is a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

slorydn1
17th February 2007, 16:39
Good read Peter....and most unfortunate that it is true

SOD
18th February 2007, 06:13
they build Camry's in kentucky , dont they?

Sparky1329
18th February 2007, 06:36
Good piece. :up:

SOD
18th February 2007, 16:34
"time we had American built cars in the 500"

Bob Riebe
18th February 2007, 23:10
The only thing Japanese about the Toyota funded car, is the money.

It was designed and built in the US by some of the top NASCAR and sprint car engine builders.

It only annoys me a bit, because unlike the Big three engines, which are still based on arcitecture that actually powered prod. cars twenty five years ago, this engine is from nothing except what the builders learned fromt he Big Three.

Now if it was Nisaan, they used to actually produced a push-rod V-8....
Bob

call_me_andrew
19th February 2007, 01:46
they build Camry's in kentucky , dont they?

They ASSEMBLE Camry's in Kentucky, but the parts are made in Japan.

They ASSEMBLE Fusions in Mexico, but the parts are made in the U.S.

Bob Riebe
19th February 2007, 05:06
They ASSEMBLE Camry's in Kentucky, but the parts are made in Japan.

They ASSEMBLE Fusions in Mexico, but the parts are made in the U.S.


Bravo, Bravo!

SOD
19th February 2007, 05:15
They ASSEMBLE Camry's in Kentucky, but the parts are made in Japan.

They ASSEMBLE Fusions in Mexico, but the parts are made in the U.S.

I stand corrected.

Anyone who is really concerned about it, should write to Bill France c/o NASCAr Corp, Daytoner beech, Fl xxxxxx

last time i checked, NASCAr is a private bidnizz, and has the freedom to conduct that bidnizz whatever way thay choose. if you don't like it, don't waste your tim watching it.

RCR29FAN
19th February 2007, 05:16
They ASSEMBLE Fusions in Mexico, but the parts are made in the U.S.

I beg to differ, some of the parts are made in Mexico and some in Canada and some in the US and Some in Japan. You can't buy a 100% US made car period that I know of. According to DW on the race today Toyota employs 7,000 workers in Kentucky and many more Americans in support roles, sales etc. Toyota is just about as American as you can get without traveling back in time a couple of decades when US Cars were actually all US made.

My '97 Chevy S-10 Pickup I have to have two sets of wrenches to work on the dang thing. SAE and metric and the wiring harness was made in Mexico.

RCR29FAN
19th February 2007, 05:20
Along with millions of others, I will watch the Daytona 500 tomorrow. There would be nice symmetry if the Great American Race also meant that in the arena of race relations, Nascar, like all major professional sports, were to take measures to reject the appearance and insinuation of intolerance and prejudice in its ranks.

Michael Yaki is a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights.

Nice to see the NY Times is still doing it's part to stir up division between the races, if it weren't for that I'm sure they wouldn't be the least bit interested in something as southern born as NASCAR.

Roush is an idiot, to take his comments and a few others and try to paint the entire Body and the fans with "intolerance and prejudice" is just absurd but I'd expect nothing less from the NY Slimes.

call_me_andrew
19th February 2007, 05:24
I beg to differ, some of the parts are made in Mexico and some in Canada and some in the US and Some in Japan. You can't buy a 100% US made car period that I know of. According to DW on the race today Toyota employs 7,000 workers in Kentucky and many more Americans in support roles, sales etc. Toyota is just about as American as you can get without traveling back in time a couple of decades when US Cars were actually all US made.

My '97 Chevy S-10 Pickup I have to have two sets of wrenches to work on the dang thing. SAE and metric and the wiring harness was made in Mexico.

What's 7,000 workers in Kentucky worth. Chrysler and Ford are looking to lay off almost twice that many employees each.

I'm sure that not all the parts are made in one country. I belive about 70-80% of the Fusion's parts are made in the U.S. I also belive that only 30% of the Camry's parts are made in the U.S. And all the important stuff is made in Taiwan.

The Federal Trade Commission stipulates that 90% of the product has to be made in the U.S. to get the "MADE IN USA" designation.

RCR29FAN
19th February 2007, 06:35
What's 7,000 workers in Kentucky worth. Chrysler and Ford are looking to lay off almost twice that many employees each.

That's what happens in a free market when one company makes product people want to buy and the other one does not.




I'm sure that not all the parts are made in one country. I belive about 70-80% of the Fusion's parts are made in the U.S. I also belive that only 30% of the Camry's parts are made in the U.S. And all the important stuff is made in Taiwan.

The Federal Trade Commission stipulates that 90% of the product has to be made in the U.S. to get the "MADE IN USA" designation.


Doesn't matter, a plate glass window with a BB hole in it is 99% intact but it's still broken. A Toyota is as much "MADE IN USA" as a Chevy is and a Fusion is just as much "FOREIGN" as a Toyota is parts wise, maybe more so.

All this is acedemic though, it's a free market and competition rules and in the arena of competition Toyota is as American as can be and is whipping the pants of the US makers by not only making better product but making product it's customers want to buy. Go to a Nascar race and you'll see a whole lot of them good 'ol boys parking Toyotas in the parking lot.

and 7,000 workers is only those working in the plant itself. There are thousands and thousands more of good old American workers around the country in sales, delivery, dealerships, parts, maintenence etc. The reality is it's a world market these days so if we can't or don't compete we lose, we can't turn the clock back.

Lee Roy
19th February 2007, 07:43
Nice to see the NY Times is still doing it's part to stir up division between the races, if it weren't for that I'm sure they wouldn't be the least bit interested in something as southern born as NASCAR.

Roush is an idiot, to take his comments and a few others and try to paint the entire Body and the fans with "intolerance and prejudice" is just absurd but I'd expect nothing less from the NY Slimes.

Hey, Roush isn't an southerner, he's a 'good 'ol Rust Belt Boy'. The southerners seem to be okay with the Japanese and other "forigen" makes. Most of the plants that the Japanese and German auto makers are establishing in the US are being built in the South, not in the Rust Belt where Ford and GM are losing billions of dollars. No wonder 'good 'ol Rust Belt Boys' are so prejudiced against the Japanese.

RCR29FAN
20th February 2007, 02:41
Hey, Roush isn't an southerner, he's a 'good 'ol Rust Belt Boy'. The southerners seem to be okay with the Japanese and other "forigen" makes. Most of the plants that the Japanese and German auto makers are establishing in the US are being built in the South, not in the Rust Belt where Ford and GM are losing billions of dollars. No wonder 'good 'ol Rust Belt Boys' are so prejudiced against the Japanese.

Good points Lee Roy, but note I didn't say Roush was southern, I sais Nascar was a southern institution.

Lee Roy
20th February 2007, 04:34
Understood.

Sparky1329
20th February 2007, 05:56
My husband's 1979 GMC Sierra Grande was built in Canada. In 1978.

tstran17_88
20th February 2007, 19:58
they build Camry's in kentucky , dont they?Yup & Tundra's in Texas. (Indy too)

SOD
21st February 2007, 03:09
:D

interesting article on the cheating.
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_feature_item.php?fes_art_id=30565

Chaparral66
21st February 2007, 03:22
What gets me is that for the most part, NASCAR (all caps, get with the program, NY Times) has almost gotten a free pass with this. I'm sure they have heard some comments thrown at them, but you don't hear the insults hurled at them that a Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, or Bill Davis might get. I haven't, anyway. The ironic thing here is that NASCAR went after Toyota. Toyota never really thought about going into stock cars; they realized that people were very protective about this most American of racing series, and didn't want to risk bad PR trying to get in. Toyota wanted to play with the big boys on a high tech level (Carburators? Push rod engines?) on the more worldly stage, such as int'l sportscar racing, American openwheel, rallying, and ultimately, Formula 1.

NASCAR, not being stupid, saw the kind of resources Toyota puts into any racing effort, and began to court Toyota right around the time of the split in open wheel racing. They got Toyota to enter the old Goodie's dash; that was almost harmless and well off the radar screen, and certainly posed no threat the Detroit. But it was enough to give Toyota a taste of the fan loyalty, competition, and PR potential of being in NASCAR. NASCAR was very smart about this, they could see what was happening in OWR and never pressed Toyota, they just let them draw their own conclusions and provided access to NASCAR when they wanted it. The open wheel split continued, Toyota saw it deteriorating, and gradually started to look NASCAR's way.

I'm a fan of Jack Roush and he shouldn't be saying these openly hostile and racially suspect comments, or anyone else for that matter. This a free society and free market. The comments made by the ignorant on Toyota's entry into Craftsman Trucks, and now Busch and Nextel Cup, are silly and offensive to everyone. Having said all that, my question is, why are these comments being directed at the participants, such as the drivers, owners, and crew, and not NASCAR (for the most part)? NASCAR went after Toyota, Toyota didn't pursue them, nor did any of the teams lobby NASCAR to bring Toyota in, to my knowledge. NASCAR didn't go after BMW, Porsche, or Nissan, they went after Toyota, because it was obvious they had the biggest purse strings and were the healthiest financially, and weren't afraid to put big money into their selected teams over and above whatever sponsorship they were getting, and into the series. NASCAR smells money like a bloodhound on the trail of a convict.

What I'm wondering is why doesn't NASCAR take some heat for this? Not that it should, like I said, it's free market and society. We shouldn't be threatened by this. The new teams are just doing what they have to to survive and keep their teams going. If all of Detroit pulled out of NASCAR right now, leaving just Toyota, would Jack Roush fold up his tent? Doubt it. But why does NASCAR seem to escape the criticism?

Lee Roy
21st February 2007, 03:50
The ironic thing here is that NASCAR went after Toyota. Toyota never really thought about going into stock cars; they realized that people were very protective about this most American of racing series, and didn't want to risk bad PR trying to get in.


And you have something to back up this assumption?

RCR29FAN
21st February 2007, 04:55
The ironic thing here is that NASCAR went after Toyota. Toyota never really thought about going into stock cars; they realized that people were very protective about this most American of racing series, and didn't want to risk bad PR trying to get in. Toyota wanted to play with the big boys on a high tech level (Carburators? Push rod engines?) on the more worldly stage, such as int'l sportscar racing, American openwheel, rallying, and ultimately, Formula 1.



By Roland Jones
Business editor
MSNBC
Updated: 6:48 p.m. CT Jan 26, 2006

In the fierce struggle to win over the hearts and minds of American automobile consumers, Toyota is preparing to do battle in the nation’s heartland.

This week, Toyota announced it plans to become the first foreign manufacturer since the 1950s to supply cars for NASCAR’s top series, entering a Camry — the nation’s best-selling car — in the NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch series in 2007

Doesn't sound to me much like Toyota was exactly dragged kicking and screaming into NASCAR. "preparing to do battle", "announced IT'S pans" etc etc. sounds pretty self determining to me.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11010003/

Mark in Oshawa
21st February 2007, 16:24
I think a lot of this has a lot to do with the fact the Big 3 are struggling. If GM, Ford and Chrysler are not going through the pain and suffering of wondering if they will see black ink again, Toyota and Honda et al go on with the business of building cars people seem to want.

The real irony of it is the Big 3 in many ways are building better and more reliable cars than they ever have. What is more, in the case of a few designs such as the Charger, Mustang, Cadillac's and pickups, they are building world class designs that people want. The problem of course is that they are hamstrung by bad business practices, such as guarnteeing union workers full pay to sit at home (the infamous job bank),setting up large ineffiecient subsidiaries and then cutting them loose while picking up all the debts (Delphi and Visteon); and bad marketing moves such as killing a nameplate that worked for a hundred years to create a new one that really doesn't (Oldsmobile and Saturn).

Now they have to compete with the Japanese in NASCAR. Roush came off like an idiot but he has to be seen as someone trying to defend his industry as it is based in Detroit. He is a tad sensitive and also wrong, but that is ok, at least he cares. He also makes his money supporting the big 3, while Gibbs and Hendrick really are not attached to the big 3 the same way.

I think most Americans are smart enough to see Toyota in NASCAR for what it is, something that was long overdue. I bet Honda finds their way in at some point as well. I just hope there is a big 3 there when it does happen. The fact GM is talking with Chrysler bothers me greatly. As a long time Mopar fan in a GM town (Oshawa is home of the Monte Carlo, Lacrosse, Grand Prix and Chev/GM full sized pickups) I have a bit of loyalty on both sides, and I think they are two distinct industrial cultures that would gain nothing by an merger. Until the domestic builders get their act together and get competitive in how they run their business, Toyota and the rest of the "foreign" car makers will continue to eat them up.

Oh, one more thing. Toyota and Honda do not build the same amount of parts nor complexity of parts in North America as do the big 3, but in a few years, they may likely. One of the reasons they are successful is they choose to find the best way of getting the job done for the dollars involved. Last time I looked, that was good business practices. What the Big 3 do is hamstrung by a union that is living in the past, and it will kill all union jobs if they are not careful.