The new Toyota Supra isn’t even out yet, but there are already rumors that the Japanese automaker is looking into having it race in NASCAR during the 2019 season. According to the rumors, a race-spec version of the Supra would be entered in the second-tier Xfinity Series, leaving the Camry race car to remain in the flagship Cup Series.

On the surface, it sounds like a great idea. Toyota could piggyback the Supra race car’s involvement in NASCAR to create more buzz and publicity for the road-going model. But a closer look at the rumor will show that bringing the Supra to NASCAR so soon in its life isn’t worth the potential problems it could bring to Toyota.

At the heart of it is the fact that it’s too early to have the Supra compete in any meaningful race, let alone one that’s as visible to the public as NASCAR. Sure, it’s going to be in the Xfinity Series, but it’s still NASCAR. The Supra race car wouldn’t be out of its element, but it’s going to face stiff competition from race versions of the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro. The Supra could compete, but anything short of actually winning the series could damage its reputation this early in its life. Aesthetically, a Supra race car would look great on a NASCAR grid. The GR Supra Racing Concept that we saw at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show gave us a glimpse of what it could look like in racing form. But again, the potential for bad publicity is too great, especially if the car isn’t a competitive one.

Fortunately, the rumors don’t appear to have a leg to stand on because according to Autosport and Motorsport.com, none of it has any validity. Toyota will continue using the Camry in both series for the time being. The Supra could enter the fray at some point in the future, but it’s not in Toyota’s current plans.

Breathe a huge sigh of relief, Toyota Supra fans. The car we’ve all been waiting for isn’t getting thrown to the wolves as the rumors suggest. We don’t even know what the final production model is going to look like and it’s already rumored to compete in NASCAR in 2019? It is a big reach that Toyota shouldn’t do under any circumstances. It’s a good thing, then, that it’s not happening. Otherwise, it’d be a big disaster for both the carmaker and the model that we’ve been waiting years to arrive.

References

Read our full speculative review on the 2019 Toyota Supra.

Read our full review on the 2018 Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept.

Read more Toyota news.