Gibbs guys help boost Toyota fortunes

Lee White had the look of a man holding three aces and just waiting for the pot to fatten. And, maybe that's what he had standing inside the crowded Nationwide Series garage at Charlotte Motor Speedway as Joe Gibbs Racing's media tour event whirred around him.

Within shouting distance of Toyota Racing Development's president was Denny Hamlin, 29, who finished fifth in the Sprint Cup series in 2009 and is a trendy pick to end the Jimmie Johnson grip on the championship trophy this year.

Just beyond was Kyle Busch, 24, who won eight races during 2008 and four last year. And just a few feet away was 19-year-old Joey Logano, the youngest to win a Cup race and rookie of the year in 2009.

“I like our long-term prospects,” White said.

Maybe the near-term is not so bad either. If any manufacturer is to soon unseat the mighty Chevrolets as NASCAR's best, it might as well be Toyota, White said.

And if any team is to soon unseat mighty Hendrick Motorsports, the instrument through which Chevrolet wields its power, it might as well be JGR, said team president J.D. Gibbs.

“It's two things,” White said of his optimism. “It's not only the youth of the drivers, for sure, but it's also the youth of the Gibbs organization. If you look at what (owner) Joe has done with building an organization with 40-somethings to run his operation and I look around the whole NASCAR ownership structure and driver structure, and not only this organization, but Michael Waltrip and Bob Kauffman, their driver lineup and of course Red Bull and their driver lineup, I am really happy with our prospects over the next five to ten years.”

Toyota's ascent since entering the series during 2007 has been rapid. Its teams produced 11 wins and 207 manufacturer points (awarded for placing first through fourth) during 2009, second to Chevrolet's 18, and 262, respectively.

Hamlin and Busch led the contingent with four victories each, Brian Vickers (Red Bull) and first-time winners David Reutimann (Michael Waltrip Racing) and Logano one each. All return to their teams this year.

“Our stuff is there. It's just a matter of having the right people in the right place,” said Busch.

Hamlin won and finished second twice each during the Chase but was dashed twice by blown engines. Gibbs said those issues have been addressed, but Hamlin said he doesn't feel extra pressure from his new expectations.

“Not any more than I put on myself anyway,” said Hamlin, who has qualified for the Chase each of his four full seasons. “To me, every year you go in and say, last year the quote was, ‘I didn't want to be a contender any more, I wanted to be a champion.' I was sick of having expectations with no results to back it up. I think we did that last year, we just didn't have the reliability to win the championship. … I think we know how to win a championship and now it's just going to be executing it.”

Ford team owner Jack Roush credited Toyota with “staying with Gibbs when they had a lesser year than they might have expected in 2009, and they stayed with Michael Waltrip through all of his teething problems and that's the kind of investment they need to make in the sport, in the teams to really earn their place at the sport.” Toyota entered the series with Red Bull, Waltrip and now-defunct Bill Davis Racing and added JGR for 2008.

While MWR also has improved – and added two-time Nationwide Series champion Martin Truex Jr. to its Cup lineup this season – and Red Bull's Vickers qualified for the Chase last year, JGR already had won three championships – albeit with former drivers – and seemingly has reloaded for a new era.

Busch and Hamlin are locked up long-term and Gibbs sees similarities in his organization with how Hendrick developed, specifically in longstanding driver-crew chief relationships. Hamlin has never had a crew chief but Mike Ford in Cup and Greg Zipadelli had a decade-long run with Tony Stewart before the driver left to run his own team. Finding a perfect marriage for Busch led the team to dismiss Steve Addington in favor of Dave Rogers last season, but Gibbs thinks the relationships could be in place to eventually create the sport's next megateam.

“I sure hope so. (Hendrick has) been good for a long period of time,” he said. “When you get it long-term ... you watch it with Denny and Mike right now. And hopefully Dave and Kyle. It gives you so much more leverage to focus.”