CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR tried to even out the competition in the Nationwide Series on Wednesday by ordering all teams using Toyota motors to squeeze down their horsepower before this weekend's race in Indianapolis.

Toyota has won 14 of 21 races this season in the Nationwide Series, and all but one of them came in a Camry fielded by Joe Gibbs Racing. The exception was JGR driver Kyle Busch's victory at Charlotte in May in a car fielded by Braun Racing.

NASCAR ordered all the Toyota motors to use a smaller restrictor that will knock down 15 horsepower in the motors.

NASCAR recently sent 10 different motors for testing, and found that David Reutimann's Toyota was the best with an estimated 3 percent horsepower advantage over the competition. JGR's No. 18 car -- which Busch drove to victory at Chicago right before the motors were tested -- was second.

Roush Fenway Racing's Nos. 16 and 17 Fords were next, followed by JGR's No. 20 car, which has won nine races with four different drivers this season.

Will this help the domestics close the gap? Who knows.

http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/...ment/index.html

Once again, what ever happened to the best driver in the fastest car winning the race? This is a crock.

I agree. Who wants to see mediocrity???? I sure don't.

Then lets all let them build whatever engine they want to and the ones with the money will win every time

If you can't run with the big dogs, get under the porch.

This little gig by NASCAR to Toyota creates an unrealistic parity among teams. If NASCAR has to slow one make of car down so all the others can catch them, then the other teams need to find out what they are doing wrong.

BTW, this Toyota teams can hardly be described as small time. They're winning every race they enter almost.

Racing means all these cars line up and race to see who is the best and the fastest. It's not racing if certain teams are gigged because they're so much better than everyone else.

Hold on guys! Word from the track is that the nascar horsepower crack down just might back fire and make the Toyota's better. By dropping the HP they are saying it will lessen the wheel spin making more grip off the corners. I am a bowtie guy myself, but I think they should have made our cars better not bring the foreigners back the us.