Volkswagen to enter Nascar or Rolex Grand-Am

Volkswagen's motor sports program officials are at Homestead-Miami Speedway fueling speculation that the automaker may be joining either the Rolex Grand Am Series or quite possibly Nascar.

The Associated Press has confirmed from top Nascar officials that a meeting between the sanctioning body and officials from Volkswagen did take place at the track today, but that asked for anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the meeting.

Volkswagen officials have expressed interest in entering a racing series although they have indicated that they are more inclined to pick a series that showcases technology, according to an anonymous person who attended the meeting. Nascar however features competition over technology.

That is why Volkswagen would more the likely enter the Rolex Grand Am Series,which is owned by Nascar, and currently uses foreign engine makers.

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

Volkswagen is construing a plant in Tennessee, and the facility is scheduled to build midsize sedans in 2011. Their plant opening also coincides with Nascar's tentative plans to replace carburetors on Sprint Cup Series cars with fuel injection.

Nascar's tentative move to that system apparently interests Volkswagen, who has a $1 billion plant in Chattanooga, and would qualify the German manufacturer to compete in Nascar.

If Volkswagen does enter Nascar, however they will be the second foreign manufacturer in the sport, Japanese Automaker Toyota was the first when they Nascar allowed them to enter the sport in 2002.

"We have companies that are interested in particular in developing the North American market as robustly as they can, 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."

-- Brain France, Nascar Chairman

If Nascar does allow Volkswagen to enter the sport, they may upset hard core fans. Many hard core race fans objected to Toyota's entrance to Nascar, and think the Series should only include American manufacturers.