Jim France trying to woo Toyota

NASCAR's Jim France is expressing quite an interest in Toyota's planned new sports car, designed specifically for the American audience, and long-pushed by U.S. executives to put some pzzazz in the company's rather staid product line. France would like Toyota to run that model in NASCAR's Grand American series. According to some reports, that new Toyota would be a rear-wheel drive coupe. It is unclear if the new model might be a possible competitor for the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro, or if it might be something quite different. Toyota officials, in announcing the new car, said "we must reinvent the automobile." MikeMulhern.net

[Editor's Note: Meanwhile there are unconfirmed rumors that Toyota will pull its Lexus brand out of Grand-Am. If true, why would Toyota want to run this new sports car in Grand-Am? We did learn this weekend at Infineon Raceway during the IndyCar weekend that Chip Ganassi is planning on fielding cars in Grand-Am next year, so that may indicate the Lexus rumor is false, or that they just have not made a final decision yet, or that Ganassi would run a different engine in the cars he has.]