• Ford's Geoff Smith, the head of Roush Racing, said that Toyota has been, in effect, subsidizing its teams' sponsorships, undercutting the current standard of $15 million to $18 million to $20 million a year by as much as 50 percent.
Michael Waltrip was blunt in his reply: "That is ludicrous. I can't believe someone would stand up and say that.
"The reason why NASCAR is cutting back from five teams to four is because it's easier to sell discounted sponsorships if you have five teams (which Jack Roush and Rick Hendrick have).
"We're not playing games; it's not magic. It's hard work and good people."
