Volkswagen may race in NASCAR or Grand-Am starting in 2011

Lupin_IV

Lupin_IV

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HOMESTEAD, Fla. (AP) -- The head of Volkswagen's motor sports program is at Homestead-Miami Speedway, fueling speculation that the automaker is interested in joining Toyota as the second foreign manufacturer in NASCAR.

Top NASCAR officials confirmed to The Associated Press that Hans-Joachim Stuck met with the sanctioning body Saturday at the track. The officials requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the meeting.

Volkswagen officials expressed interest in entering a racing series, but indicated they are more inclined to pick a series that showcases technology, according to a person who attended the meeting but also requested anonymity. NASCAR features competition over technology.

A second option for Volkswagen could be the Grand-Am Road Racing Series, which is owned by NASCAR and currently uses foreign engine makers.

Earlier this season, NASCAR chairman Brian France said the sanctioning body is open to accepting new manufacturers into the sport. The only requirement is that manufacturers must have production plants in the U.S.

Volkswagen has a plant under construction in Tennessee, and the facility is scheduled to build midsize sedans in 2011. That coincides with NASCAR's tentative plans to replace carburetors on Sprint Cup Series cars with fuel injection.

NASCAR held a Nov. 3 meeting with representatives from all four current manufacturers, as well as engine builders from five race teams and two independent suppliers to discuss the potential move to fuel injection.

A move to that system apparently interests Volkswagen, whose $1 billion plant in Chattanooga would qualify the German manufacturer to compete in NASCAR.

France opened the door for more foreign participation in June when he admitted the sanctioning body has had continued discussions with interested automakers.

BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz all have manufacturing plants inside the U.S. - the same criteria Toyota met when NASCAR accepted it into NASCAR in 2002.

"We have companies that are interested in particular in developing the North American market as robustly as they can," France said. "And we're all aware that there are lots of foreign manufacturers producing cars here in America. That was part of the rationale that Toyota used.

"We're the pre-eminent place in North America for car manufacturers to build their business with an auto racing group. We remain that and clearly there's some companies that are going to look at opportunities that may not have even been there in the past that could be presented in the future."

Allowing more foreign automakers into the sport could rankle hard-core race fans, who objected to Toyota and think NASCAR should include only American manufacturers. But the decline of the automotive industry has wreaked havoc on racing budgets, and most NASCAR teams either received cutbacks in funding this season or were cut off entirely.

Even deep-pocketed Toyota has had to reduce its spending, and the Japanese automaker is currently not taking on any new factory-supported teams.
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Link edited.
http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/11/21/volkswagon.talks.with.nascar.ap/index.html
 
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Link doesn't work (for foreigners?). Displays state selection page, then directs to newspapers.


I vote for a BlueMotion racecar.
 
I, as one of the hardcore Nascar fans, welcome any and all manufacturers who wish to compete. It brings a more diverse field of cars, and that can't be a bad thing. Besides, VW, Honda, Nissan, etc. could be good for Nascar, maybe persuade them away from so many ovals and onto roadcourses. Plus, with international makes, it would make more sense to make it a proper international series.
 
racingfan1 said:
It brings a more diverse field of cars
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I thought NASCAR uses one car for all drivers, only the badges are different?

And I admit, a COT trying to look like a Passat would be funny for about five seconds...

Grand Am would make more sense probably...
 
^ The NASCAR Nationwide Series is switching back to each manufacturer having a unique body, but the cars still won't be anywhere near their street counterparts.
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Chevy.JPGhttps://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Dodge.JPG
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Ford.JPGhttps://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Toyota.JPG
Besides proving that the opening is the proper size, I cannot think of a single reason the Penske team would go to the trouble of putting real Challenger headlights in their show car.
 
Lupin_IV said:
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is switching back to each manufacturer having a unique body, but the cars still won't be anywhere near their street counterparts.
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Hm, I thought of the Sprint Cup, obviously.
 
Grand-Am is waste of time. Hope they see sense and send Audi back to the ALMS for a full season.
 
Nascar bit is probably not going to happen. At least not according to good ol' Stuckie.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80303

Stuck dismisses VW NASCAR talk

By Diego Mejia Sunday, November 22nd 2009, 20:31 GMT

Volkswagen motorsport head Hans-Joachim Stuck visited the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season finale at Homestead this weekend, but denied press reports suggesting the German brand is considering the series as a future platform.

Stuck said he is simply taking advantage of a holiday trip to visit NASCAR. He met with some series officials during the weekend, but was quick to deny any speculation in the American media suggesting that VW saw NASCAR as an option for the near future.

"I'm here number one because I'm a great NASCAR fan and I'm here on holiday," Stuck told AUTOSPORT. "Of course we investigate everything. We're opening a plant here in Chattanooga within the next two years and we're visiting here. I've heard some reports but there have been no talks, nothing about it. Unfortunately when you have a face that is well known, people bring up some ideas.

"I'm enjoying my visit and I will report what's going on. But in any way there has been nothing, no serious talks about coming here."

Stuck praised NASCAR's spectacle and considers it provides the best racing and gives fans value for money. He also perceives the sport as being less political than Formula 1, but said it probably does not fit with Volkswagen's approach to motorsport.

"To me this year NASCAR is the best racing you'd be looking at," said Stuck. "Forty-three cars on the grid, you see what the car is doing, see how they handle, there's no 'BS' talking about diffusers, you know, it's all handled internally and the people see a good race. But that's very difficult for the Germans to accept, that's the biggest problem.

"Here we can't show our technology. So [Volkswagen] would have to understand that this is a marketing work, and this is not an argument that they would accept. So I would say at the moment there's zero chance [of VW coming]."

Stuck revealed that there are serious talks going on with Volkswagen about a possible entry in the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am sportscar series. He reckons the VW group could use its Audi or Lamborghini brands to enter the series as an engine supplier.

"Yes, this is something that we also have already talked [about]," Stuck confirmed. "It would be nice to get an Audi engine into Grand-Am.

"Audi has a V10 engine which I'm driving in the GT series in Europe, and this engine we could put into a Grand-Am car. The problem is it has to be operated with the NASCAR black box [ECU]. Audi is afraid about how this is going to work, so there are talks and I would say the chances are not too bad.

"And if we can get an Audi engine, then we can also get a Lamborghini engine, because they belong to VW and it's the same engine. This is something we're talking about seriously for 2011.

"I like the prototypes there, maybe the cars could be a little bit nicer, but I also like the GT class because we can run the street car."

Stuck also confirmed VW has held talks with IndyCar officials about a possible entry in the series but said no deal is inminent yet.
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DanRoM said:
I thought NASCAR uses one car for all drivers, only the badges are different?

And I admit, a COT trying to look like a Passat would be funny for about five seconds...

Grand Am would make more sense probably...
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They do, what I meant was on the factory support side. More factory support for more teams would be advantageous.

That Passat idea is kind of funny.
 
They already have the APR Golfs in the Koni series and that's run by Grand Am. Not sure a Rolex team would benefit them much, but it is an inexpensive series.
 
Didn't the big three threaten to leave unless they could use cars based on their street models (Mustang, Camaro, Charger)?
 
I also would rather prefer to see audi back in the alms instead seeing volkswagen throwing all their money in nascar racing. that?s not the right platform for vw to promote their mark I think.
 
racer said:
I also would rather prefer to see audi back in the alms instead seeing volkswagen throwing all their money in nascar racing. that?s not the right platform for vw to promote their mark I think.
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The Audi program was expensive, NASCAR would be less so.
 
but what do you want to present in nascar? that your cars are able to run in a circle? it?s pretty boring and not so technically sophisticated as the sportscar series where you need a physically strong car, which aerodynamically fits to the individual tracks, and not only a powerful engine.
 
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Don't forget that even though NASCAR is not a showcase of technology it's still the most popular form of motorsport in USA, and taking part is a way to get much more visibility among a much greater audience than, say, ALMS. Of course, it's quite a different audience as well...
 
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Toyota.JPG

what's up with that front wheel? that angle just doesn't look healthy
 
Hazardous said:
Don't forget that even though NASCAR is not a showcase of technology it's still the most popular form of motorsport in USA, and taking part is a way to get much more visibility among a much greater audience than, say, ALMS. Of course, it's quite a different audience as well...
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Even the most hardcore NASCAR fans I know (My aunt and uncle) drive a Diesel VW. Just because you like to watch NASCAR doesn't mean you can't have a non-redneck mobile
bone said:
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Toyota.JPG

what's up with that front wheel? that angle just doesn't look healthy
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Camber. When the car is on the banking, the entire bottom surface is touching the pavement.
 
bone said:
https://pic.armedcats.net/l/lu/lupin_iv/2009/11/22/Toyota.JPG

what's up with that front wheel? that angle just doesn't look healthy
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High negative camber on the left front, and positive camber on right side. Been doing too many ovals recently on iRacing ahah.
 
Clegko said:
Even the most hardcore NASCAR fans I know (My aunt and uncle) drive a Diesel VW. Just because you like to watch NASCAR doesn't mean you can't have a non-redneck mobile
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I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that participation and success in NASCAR does give you much more recognition than the same in, say, ALMS does, simply because it's much more popular in USA. If you want to get your brand out there, NASCAR is a pretty good way to do that in a reasonably cost effective way.
 
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