A 23-year-old relationship finally comes to end! Toyota, which forged a relationship with NHRA back in 2002, announced last week that it is bidding goodbye to the drag racing grounds. With over 200 race wins, 12 world championships and a maiden NHRA Manufacturers Cup this year, the development was definitely surprising. But what’s more noteworthy is how the manufacturer has continued to grow its investments in NASCAR instead. Is the Japanese giant’s move reminiscent of what’s to come?

Well, some industry insiders certainly think so. But before we get to that…

Toyota’s decision to end its involvement with NHRA after the 2025 season marks a significant shift in its motorsport strategy. This long-standing partnership has been mutually beneficial, with the automotive manufacturer providing sponsorship for teams like AB Motorsports (Antron Brown), DC Motorsports (Alexis DeJoria), Kalitta Motorsports (Doug Kalitta, JR Todd, Shawn Langdon), Ron Capps Motorsports (Ron Capps), SCAG Racing’s Top Fuel program (Justin Ashley), and Torrence Racing (Steve Torrence, Billy Torrence). Since its NHRA debut in 2002, Toyota has celebrated key milestones, including its first win at the 2004 Winternationals and consecutive championship victories with drivers like Doug Kalitta and Antron Brown in the Top Fuel category.

So, “Why the departure?” is the question of the hour. And Eric Estepp is here to try and decode it. In an YouTube video released on December 6, the YouTuber began, “Earlier this week, Toyota announced they’re pulling their NHRA support after 2025. I don’t keep up with drag racing, so I don’t fully understand the larger ramifications… Could this be a trend that impacts stock car racing in the near future?”

He also mentioned how not only is the sponsor increasing their presence in NASCAR’s advertising space, but also doing so on the racetracks. “Toyota recently added Legacy Motor Club to their NASCAR Cup Series roster just a year ago. That signals growth. I’m also reminded of a report from a year ago…Toyota reportedly spent more money on NASCAR TV advertising than any other company in 2023. I haven’t seen 2024 numbers posted anywhere, but clearly Toyota sees tremendous value in advertising to NASCAR fans so as troubling as this may be for NHRA and drag racing fans and teams, I don’t see this having any real effect on Toyota’s NASCAR program at least not in the near future but that’s just my educated guess,” Estepp concluded.

For the unversed, the Jimmie Johnson-owned team had switched from Chevrolet to Toyota ahead of the 2024 season owing to an overcrowded roster. Reports had stated that LMC owners felt they wouldn’t be prioritized by Chevrolet among bigwigs/Tier-One teams like Hendrick Motorsports, Richard Childress Racing, and Trackhouse Racing. Well, whatever the case, Toyota’s appetite for the stock car racing organization certainly points toward better days.

Case in point: In 2023 alone, Toyota topped the advertising spending list in the tourney with a nearly $4 million purse—$3.8 million to be exact—over tenth-ranked Ford with $1.8 million. Interestingly, Chevrolet wasn’t even in the Top-10.

This comes amid NASCAR reporting a 1% year-on-year increase in viewership averaging 2.892 million viewers throughout the season. On the contrary, the NHRA stands at the precipice of a “long slow death”. Former National Import Racing Association Boyd Coddington, in a blogpost from earlier this year, pointed out a worrying trend…

“NHRA [is] once again struggling to attract new blood and younger fans,” he wrote. Even veteran NHRA drag racer Mike Salinas seems to agree, as he said, “So the sport is in trouble…Just look around. There’s a big disconnect. Look at the age group. There are no young kids here; there’s very few. To sustain a culture, any culture, what does it take? That will tell you how many more years and this will be gone.” But this could just be speculation, as the numbers point to the contrary.

As per NHRA’s official website, the tourney enjoyed its most-watched weekend of Countdown to the Championship telecasts in the NHRA on FOX era, as more than 2.1 million viewers last year. Also, NHRA has also managed to attract Tony Stewart, who’s sure to bring a lot of eyeballs to the races.

So, while Toyota’s departure from NHRA may mark the end of an era for drag racing, its focus on NASCAR highlights a shift in priorities, ensuring its legacy in motorsport continues to evolve and thrive. Although Tony Stewart is focused on the future of drag racing.

Tony Stewart makes changes to his NHRA team

Being the owner of a team is not easy. Once the 2025 NHRA season opens in March, one will witness how four-time champion and Tony Stewart Racing driver Matt Hagan will be having a new crew chief. Veteran Dickie Venables who had previously enabled him to achieve three of his victories has been replaced by Mike Knudsen. Knudsen will be assisted by co-crew chief Phil Shuler. Knudsen has been working with Hagan since 2013 and transitioned to the newly formed TSR from Don Schumacher Racing (DSR) in 2022. Together, they have achieved remarkable success, winning championships in 2014, 2020, and 2023. In 2005 Knudsen joined DSR, where he worked with Whit Bazemore, Gary Scelzi, Cory McClenathan, and Spencer Massey before joining Matt Hagan’s crew.

Reacting to this new role and responsibility, Knudsen said, “I’m really excited to take the next step in my career. Thank you to Dickie’s mentorship, I feel very prepared to step into the crew chief role. I couldn’t ask for a better situation. Tony is the best owner in the NHRA, and we have a championship-winning team that’s led by [car chief] Alex Conaway, also with Matt being a four-time championship-winning driver. I’m also excited to bring Phil on board. He and I have multiple years of experience working together at DSR. I feel we will really complement each other as co-crew chiefs”. 

Co-crew chief Phil Shuler also expressed his excitement about working with Knudsen again. “I’m really excited to get the opportunity to work with Tony Stewart Racing. There are a lot of people there that I’ve worked with over the years at DSR and have a good relationship with. I’ve worked with Mike Knudsen a lot. He handled the clutch on a car I was one of the crew chiefs on back in the day. He has always been a very sharp individual and has moved up the ranks. This is a well-deserved opportunity for him, and I’m excited to help him wherever I can. We will try to have the best Funny Car in the NHRA in 2025.”

Stewart has also given a befitting goodbye to Dickie Venables and thanked him for his immense contribution to the Tony Stewart team. He said, “I’d like to thank Dickie for all of his contributions at TSR. He and Matt were able to accomplish a lot together over the years, and we’re honored they were able to earn the team’s first Funny Car championship together. His mentorship and talents have been an asset to all the men around him”. With Knudsen stepping into this new leadership role, Tony Stewart Racing is poised for a fresh chapter, building on a legacy of excellence and aiming for even greater success in the future.