The national media has caught a story about NASCAR opening up its race series to other domestic car makers. With cutbacks at Ford, bankrupcies and cutbacks at GM and Chrysler, there's a feeling that the well-oiled NASCAR machine may need a new infusion of motorsports support. Even Toyota is feeling the pinch. So does Nissan Sport have any underground info on whether Nissan North America (NNA) plans to put a Titan truck on the oval or perhaps a Maxima into the Daytona 500?

Sorry- we don't need hidden cameras or voice-activated wire taps to figure out Nissan's intentions this time. As of the 2009 fiscal year, there is simply no money in the NNA budget to even consider doing a feasibility study on NASCAR. Beyond that, NASCAR doesn't begin to fit the image Nissan has long promoted. Nissan's progressive design standards and a wish to show off their engineering prowess is in direct conflict with NASCAR's insistance on spec car/truck racing and limiting technology to improve the show.

So even if a bazillion dollars were to magically show up, I think NNA would think two or three times before putting any money into developing a NASCAR program. In a time when "cash is King" (as Carlos Ghosn has put it) there's little to no incentive for NNA to spend any on NASCAR. Still... if they were take the Japanese Super GT GT-Rs, pull the air restrictors off their V-8s and line 'em up to take on NASCAR's best-- THAT would be a show I'd buy some popcorn to watch!

You can't tell me that Nissan hasn't got the bucks or guts to join NASCAR! Everyone doubted Toyota when they joined the club and look how many races they have won! (JGR in particular) Oh Nissan will join...it might be 2-3 years down the road but they will be in victory lane once they do get in...COUNT ON IT!!!

With Dodge s retirement , Nissan should be thinking about it for shure . NASCAR s a big window in the States . Lets wait & see .