Entering its second season as a PPG Cup engine supplier, Toyota hopes to make significant progress in 1997, following an initial development program a year ago.

For the 1997 PPG CART World Series season, Toyota engines, designed and assembled jointly by TRD U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota Racing Development), and Toyota Motor Corp., will power an expanded two-car entry from Arciero-Wells, to match the multiple entry from All American Racers (AAR), continuing relationships that date back to 1982.

"We’re really pleased with the progress that All American Racers and Arciero-Wells made during the 1996 season," said John Koenig, Toyota Motor Sales vice president of motorsports and TRD president and CEO. "We expect to see similar gains made during 1997. After partnering with each team for the last 15 years, we’re confident that both will be winners in CART competition in the future."

Drivers Juan Manuel Fangio II and PJ Jones, each who registered a top-10 finish in 1996, will return for AAR this season. The upcoming campaign will mark the 12th consecutive season that Fangio has had ties to both AAR and Toyota, while it is Jones seventh season with the Toyota/AAR combination.

The two entries will each feature major sponsorship from lubricants specialist Castrol and Jockey International. Both will start the season in Reynard chassis before an anticipated move into 1997 Eagles later in the year.

"We gained a tremendous amount of experience last season," relays racing legend and team owner Dan Gurney. "I think the combination will be much more potent this season. Both Juan and PJ have shown the ability to be winners, while our pit work was the equal of anyone. We’re tired of being the caboose, and I look forward to moving toward being the engine."

Arciero-Wells will return to the CART ranks with Max Papis, who will be entering his first full season of PPG Cup competition after closing out the 1996 season with the team following the tragic death of Jeff Krosnoff. Papis will pilot a 1997 Reynard Toyota with support from MCI. Joining Papis will be former Toyota Atlantic champion and Indy car veteran Hiro Matsushita. Entering his eighth season of CART competition, Matsushita will drive the Panasonic Duskin Reynard Toyota.

"I think the addition of a second car is going to continue to build the Arciero-Wells foundation, and they will become a stronger team in the future," said Koenig. "In fact, I think you’ll see our whole program gain strength in 1997. It will continue to be a developing process, but, we feel that by the end of the season we will be able to run in the front of the pack."

Toyota also has expressed its commitment to PPG Cup racing through its extensive sponsorship of the sport, as well as its participation as an engine supplier.

Toyota will be a title or presenting sponsor at six CART races this season (Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach and Toyota Grand Prix of Monterey as title sponsor; Grand Prix of Miami at Homestead, Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Nazareth, Pa., U.S. 500 at Brooklyn, Mich., and the California 500 at Fontana, Calif. as presenting sponsor). In addition, Toyota serves as "Official Truck of CART." A line of custom Toyota T100 Trucks are used by the CART Safety Team at every North American PPG CART World Series race.

"Event sponsorships are a great way to show how committed we are to American race fans, as well as target specific markets," relays Koenig. "In South Florida and Southern California where our customers have made Toyota the No. 1 selling car, this is our way of saying thank you."

Of course, Toyota’s main goal in PPG CART World Series competition always will be the PPG Cup and the PPG Manufacturer’s Championship.

"This is a long-term commitment," says Koenig. "We didn’t win immediately in IMSA, and we certainly didn’t expect to do that in CART. But, we know that by building a strong foundation, working a little harder than the competition and staying focused on our goals, positive things will happen."