NASCAR mailbag: Why does Toyota sign so many young drivers?

When NASCAR insiders candidly share their thoughts on the youth movement within the sport, what inevitably follows is a mailbag filled with questions regarding that very subject. Just as what occurred this week in the wake of SB Nation’s feature where 60 drivers, crew chiefs, owners and team managers across NASCAR’s three national divisions ranked the top-five up-and-coming prospects not already racing in the Sprint Cup Series.

Mailbag questions can be submitted by emailing jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

While reading your rankings on NASCAR’s young drivers I couldn’t help but notice that all of them but John Hunter [Nemechek] are aligned with Toyota. Is there a reason for this or merely a coincidence?

--Grant

It’s no coincidence four Toyota-supported drivers ranked so highly, as it speaks to the commitment the carmaker has made in scouting, signing, developing and providing opportunities on a national level for young drivers to race. That system all stems from when Kyle Larson jumped to Chevrolet in 2012 when Toyota didn’t have a structure in place for him to race in either the Xfinity or Truck Series.

With Larson drawing comparisons to Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, his loss to a rival greatly stung Toyota executives, who realized they needed to do more to cultivate emerging talent. It was a rapid departure from a long-held belief within NASCAR that the teams, not the manufacturers, were responsible for providing platforms for young drivers to showcase their abilities.

But when the economy bottomed out in the late 2000s this model became hard to subsidize and teams moved away from it, as evident by the dearth of young drivers entering the Sprint Cup Series near the turn of the decade. Just look at the names who won Rookie of the Year honors around this time: Kevin Conway (2010), Andy Lally (2011), and Stephen Leicht (2012). Not exactly a formidable group of stock car drivers.

Toyota changed this concept. And the fact it now has in its pipeline an abundance of what many within the sport consider future stars offers proof this approach is working. Of course, not every driver under the Toyota banner will blossom like Erik Jones or Daniel Suarez, and it will be a challenge to find Sprint Cup rides for those who prove deserving. And there is always the possibility a rival manufacturer will attempt to lure away some of Toyota’s prospects. However, it’s always a better problem to have too much talent than too little.

(Editor’s note: Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday it had signed William Byron to a multiyear contract that will see the 18-year-old drive a full Xfinity Series schedule for the team beginning in 2017.)

My biggest takeaway from your list of upcoming drivers is Chevrolet and Ford really don’t have a wealth of young talent coming up. Do you think either manufacturer will ever make the same kind of commitment like Toyota has to promoting young drivers?

--Jack

Although there is definitely a discrepancy among the three manufacturers with Toyota at the forefront of driver development, Chevrolet and Ford each have promising prospects within their own ranks.

At the Sprint Cup level, Chase Elliott (age 20) and Larson (24) are each Chevrolet-backed, while Ford has Ryan Blaney (22) and Chris Buescher (23), who’s likely going to qualify for the Chase playoffs this season thanks to his Pocono win. All of them are very highly regarded.

And having taken note of how Toyota has positioned itself long-term, Ford announced last week it will support a second full-time Team Penske Xfinity car in 2017 with the seat being earmarked for a young driver. That’s an encouraging sign.

Why exclude Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson from your rankings? I would’ve liked to see where they would’ve stacked up against Erik Jones and William Byron.

--Brett

The reason for their absence was because Elliott, Blaney and Larson have already obtained full-time Sprint Cup rides, and the piece was conceived as a way to spotlight those striving to reach that same level. Yes, Jones is moving up next season, but the survey was completed prior to Furniture Row Racing formally announcing its expansion plans, thus his inclusion.

And even though they weren’t eligible, many insiders still cited Blaney and Elliott as the most talented young drivers in the sport. Elliott especially earned widespread praise, with a Cup owner saying he’d be stunned if Elliott “didn’t win multiple championships.”

Everyone keeps hyping up Joe Gibbs Racing’s dominance (and I’m including Martin Truex Jr. since he’s basically running a fifth JGR car) but why is everyone overlooking Stewart-Haas Racing where Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch have been as consistent if not more so? Sure, the Toyotas are fast, but consistency still matters.

--Mark

Despite the emphasis placed on winning and all the benefits it brings, consistency certainly plays a prominent factor come the playoffs. Remember that a winless Ryan Newman nearly took the championship two years ago, and Kyle Busch and Truex top 10’ed their way to the finale round last season.

But as to why Harvick and Kurt Busch (Kyle’s older brother) are often overlooked as title contenders, it’s because the JGR cars (Truex included) have largely paired winning frequently with weekly consistency. That’s something the SHR teammates have failed to do. Kyle not only leads the series in top-five finishes, he has just two fewer top 10s than Harvick and one less than Kurt, while owning four victories compared to their one apiece.

With the Toyotas having long overcome reliability issues, a non-JGR driver will need to demonstrate they can win regularly to gain similar recognition. And with the exception of Brad Keselowski, that has yet to happen this season.