From Winston-Salem Journal
Article


NASCAR's proposed "engine of the future" for 2007 would be sized down to 325 c.i., about 100 horsepower smaller than the current 358 c.i. design, which has been stock-car racing's staple since 1975. NASCAR's goal is an engine that produces 700 horsepower at the flywheel (about 680 horsepower at the rear wheels).

NASCAR has had three major meetings with Detroit car makers over specs for the new engine, which is being stalled by Ford Motor Company.

In part of the engine discussions, NASCAR officials are looking for ways to create a secondary in-sport market for old engines. Currently there is no such hand-me-down market for slightly used, or last year's NASCAR equipment.

• One reason for the engine talks is Toyota's planned step up to Nextel Cup racing and worries the Japanese giant - now the world's second biggest car maker - may come in with a significant technological edge..

Toyota's NASCAR Cup plans remain a hot button issue in the NASCAR garage, and now there is word that Toyota may have already tested a NASCAR Cup car with one of its NASCAR Truck engines, and that Toyota's racing division is only awaiting word from upper management to launch the program.

However, Toyota has just undertaken a massive Formula One effort that could be draining potential NASCAR resources. The Toyota F-1 project could run from $400 million to $700 million a year.

While much speculation has been that Honda would follow Toyota into NASCAR racing, there are reports Nissan, instead, might be the second Japanese car maker to make the move into this brand of racing.

 

Maybe I'm missing something or perhaps it's going to be revealed at a later time, but what car in honda's lineup could actually compete in nascar?

..Would it have wings?
....Street Glow lights?
......NaaaaaAAWWWWSSSsssss?

 

I assume you mean Toyota rather than honda.

Well to compete against that hot rod of a car the Taurus, Toyota should use the Camry

They are already in direct competion for the 4 door mid size car market.

 

I was replying to this portion of the post. I can see how toyota will compete.

 

Oh my bad. Sorry.

 

If japanese car makers enter I will quit watching Nascar forever.

This is an AMERIAN SPORT not a $%&#ing world sport

 

But they make many of of them in the good ole USA (Toyota truck factory being built in San Antonio).

I know what you mean, just playing devil's advocate.

 

Here is an update (from Winston Salem Journal via jayski.com):

Engine of the Future news, 2007? 2008?: Chevrolet engineers are expected to have their first version of NASCAR's proposed "engine of the future" ready for dyno testing by Christmas, according to Detroit sources. And Ford's Robert Yates and Jack Roush have started laying the groundwork for a new engine-development operation that would start work on a Ford version of that engine of the future. But Roush said Ford couldn't meet a deadline of having such a new engine ready for the 2007 Daytona 500, as NASCAR has proposed. It would have to be 2008 at the earliest, Roush said.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-4-2005)

Why they just don't use the engines from the Rolex Grand-Am series is beyond me! :bang: It's not as if the France family isn't familiar with those engines . . .since they own the darn series!

 

Well I'm horribly biased, but I think its pretty stinky that the Ford teams just got finished with the massive drama around getting competetive cylinder heads and now NASCAR wants them to belt out a whole new engine. but since Chevy's had their head for years, they've been practically writing the book on the new engine.

It'll get worse, too, since Yates and Roush are the best horsepower men in NASCAR they'll have to purposefully tone back a bit or risk the engine being ruled as advantageous over the others.