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Toyota Drawing Boos As It Wins At The Race Track

Toyota joined Nascar's top circuit, the Sprint Cup, two years ago. It hoped to win over the hearts and minds of millions of Americans across the country who flock to racetracks or watch on television. Although its drivers have been very successful at winning races -- particularly the controversial Kyle Busch -- Toyota's successes seem to be attracting more suspicion than loyalty.

Research commissioned by Nascar last September found only half of its fans think Toyota is good for the sport; 6% believe Toyota hurts it. Most fans' "preference would be Ford, Chevrolet or Dodge," says Les Unger, national motorsports manager at Toyota Motor Sales USA.

This year, Toyota was able to lure the Joe Gibbs Racing team away from a 15-year partnership with General Motors. That helped to vault it to the top tier of Nascar with drivers like Tony Stewart and Busch. Other automakers and teams say Toyota is throwing money at the sport and buying titles, creating an uneven playing field at a time when U.S. automakers are looking to cut their marketing budgets.

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