Earlier this year, Toyota pitted four racing stars against each other for the Toyota Racing Dream Build Challenge with a goal of making fans choose which driver’s name would be on a check for $50,000 for his or her charity. That idea alone is great, because we love when famous people and giant companies do good things for people in need. However, knowing that racing fans (myself included) are mostly insane and love crazy cars, Toyota’s challenge involved each driver taking a popular Toyota vehicle and turning it into an awesome racing machine. America, my friends.
NASCAR’s Kyle Busch (above) and Clint Bowyer and NHRA’s Antron Brown and Alexis DeJoria are the drivers currently competing for their causes, and with five days left in the voting process, before the winner is revealed at the 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas on Oct. 30, Busch is in the lead with his “Rowdy” Toyota Camry. Brown and DeJoria are battling for second place with their respective “Family DragQuoia” (Sequoia) and “Tundra Pre-Runner” models. Trailing them all is Bowyer’s Prius, because fuel efficiency can kiss our red, white and blue butts.
But don’t count Bowyer out yet, because he thinks his Prius is capable of changing minds.
“It’s definitely a different project,” said Bowyer, who is normally found behind the wheel of his Number 15 5 Hour Energy Toyota Camry. “To have something like this, it’s completely different. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
“This is a bad Prius, a very bad, very bad Prius,” he added. (Via Green Car Reports)
As for Busch’s first place Camry, he wanted to make something that was both fast as hell and good for taking the kids to school.
Painted in the official black, red and white “Rowdy” colors inside and out, Detroit Speed & Engineering (DSE) has modified the car under Busch’s supervision.
“Our approach to the build was to make a car with the stance, attitude and handling of a road-race car while retaining the functionality of a production Camry”, he said. (Via Car Scoop)
I’ve included pictures of all the cars because I love this stuff and will promote the hell out of anyone who can turn a Sequoia into a drag car, as well as a company that’s willing to donate $100,000 to four charities and another $50,000 to the winner. My vote, though, goes to DeJoria’s Tundra, because I love Patron. I’m a simple man. Check ‘em out after the jump and vote here unless you hate charity.
