It has been made quite clear that Toyota is ready to play--whether the NASCAR fraternity is ready for them is another question. As it may or may not be known, Toyota is set to continue its venture in the NASCAR circuit next year and hopes to achieve the same success on the track as it currently does in the showroom. As with any sanctioned and sponsored sport, money is a huge factor. Other teams are definitely concerned with the fact that Toyota's entry into the circuit may lead to sponsorship support reduction. In other words, if Toyota subsidizes the Nextel Cup teams as it does the teams in the Craftsman Truck series, a major sponsor may only have to fork out half of this year's amount (around $16 million) to play the game. This concept, coupled with the fact that an Asian import will continue to be in the series, is a potentially cataclysmic event that may shake up the status quo in the sport.

The pattern is set and trends may soon emerge. UPS recently moved to Michael Waltrip's Toyota team, a result likely spurred by the reduction in sponsorship costs. Dale Jarrett is now flirting with the idea of defecting to the Toyota team next season. So if and when Toyota offers some coin to its teams, other manufacturers are not likely to file suit. Much hearsay already exists that the Big 3 may soon withdraw from the Nextel Cup anyway.

Read more on Toyota's NASCAR penetration.