JGR Driver, Tony Stewart

JGR President, J.D. Gibbs believes the level of competition in the Cup Series will get a boost as Toyota builds its presence in the Series. "That's good for the fans," said Gibbs. "I think when you lose that, rivalries are a big deal. I grew up in the NFL, that's a big part of the passion that's there."

Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby agrees this is an important move for NASCAR's future. "The biggest part of the importance is it will help balance out the garage to provide that parity a little bit better across manufacturers," said Darby. This is not the first time a team has switched manufacturers. "Roger Penske's organization made the switch from Ford to Dodges. It's not that unusual.