NASCAR Fans Sneer at Toyota

In an effort to curry favor with millions of American NASCAR fans, Toyota joined the league’s top circuit 2 years ago, but fans aren’t warming to the Japanese automaker, the Wall Street Journal reports. Many fans felt betrayed last year when champion racer Kyle Busch traded in his Chevy on a Toyota, and he's been met with boos and a barrage of beer cans after recent victories.

Toyota’s racing success comes as the Big Three—the choice of NASCAR fans—are hurting, and it’s poised to become the No. 1 carmaker in the US. And some fans don’t like that. League research shows that half of them think Toyota is good for the sport, while 6% think it’s harmful. "The problem with this sport," Busch tells the Journal, " is people don't really like to give you the benefit of the doubt." (More Japan stories.)