Those cheers weren’t for Ryan Newman

Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008 | noon

Did you hear all of the people in the grandstands cheering at the end of the Daytona 500? No, they weren’t Ryan Newman fans. (Are there any Ryan Newman fans?) I think they were cheering because a Toyota didn’t win.

To say there are a lot of fans out there who aren’t happy with Toyota’s migration to NASCAR is an understatement. They think Toyota ruins the “Americanism” of the sport. They think Toyota shouldn’t be allowed to compete in NASCAR. Well, there’s nothing more American than competition and that is what NASCAR is all about. Let the teams and drivers battle it out on the banks of the ovals to decide whose machine is better.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not a Toyota fan. The cars parked in my garage carry American nameplates. But what really is American anymore? Open the hood of my domestic vehicle and you will see parts labeled “Made in Canada” and “Made in Mexico.” The auto industry is global and as a result it’s harder to pigeonhole any manufacturer as purely domestic or foreign. The Camry, on which the Sprint Cup Car is very loosely based, is assembled in this country, creating jobs for our citizens.

So take a chill pill all you Chevy, Ford and Dodge fans out there. Besides, Toyota has Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin, so you Toyota-haters are going to have to get used to seeing a foreign nameplate in Victory Lane.