Daytona Beach, FL (Best E Casino) - While Toyota's inaugural year in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing was disappointing, the Japanese manufacturer is expecting big improvement in its second season.

To that end, Toyota convinced one of NASCAR's elite teams, Joe Gibbs Racing, to jump from Chevrolet, where it had been for 16 years, to Toyota for the upcoming season. With the change brings three star drivers, two-time Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and youngsters Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch.

"The horsepower of the Toyota is phenomenal," said J.J. Yeley whose team, Hall of Fame Racing, also changed to Toyota powerplants.

But it is the addition of JGR into the fold and the sharing of their knowledge for all the Toyota-powered teams that should greatly enhance Toyota's performance in 2008.

"One of the philosophies that we have tried to embrace - dating back to the start of our NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program in 2004 - is to get all the teams to work together as best as possible," said Jim Aust, vice president of motorsports, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. "You're much stronger by sharing information and working as one, as opposed to working as individual organizations."

Last season was a frustrating one for Toyota.

"I would probably give our first season a letter grade of a B-minus," said Aust.

That would be a generous grade.

Toyota's won two poles and earned just two top-fives and 11 top-10s all season. The top finisher overall was Dave Blaney in the No.22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota, who finished 31st, with four top-10s.

Last year, Stewart, Hamlin and Kyle Busch (who drove for Hendrick Motorsports), collected a total of five wins and 61 top-10s.

In this week's Daytona test, Toyota drivers posted five of the top-10 "single- car" speeds, including Jacques Villeneuve (48.792 seconds) who was third quickest behind only two-time series champion Jimmie Johnson (48.706) and Casey Mears (48.761). During the "drafting sessions" on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday, Busch posted the fastest lap at 47.662 seconds (188.830 m.p.h.).

The results have Toyota thinking they have a legitimate shot at this year's 50th running of the Daytona 500.

"I'm optimistic that we'd have a shot to compete and contend for the pole... and have a couple of guys contend to win the race. That's why we're here, to contend and compete and have a shot," said Lee White, senior vice president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development.

With JGR on board, its not just a fantasy - it could actually happen.