Volkswagen to hold talks with NASCAR
Gunnair @ Sat Nov 20, 2010 9:31 pm
$1:
A NASCAR official confirmed the sanctioning body has a meeting scheduled with Volkswagen in January.
While Volkswagen competition representative Hans-Joachim Stuck emphatically denied any interest in American stock cars at Homestead one year ago, in a recent interview with Financial Times Deutschland the former racer discussed possibly taking the brand to Formula One and NASCAR. Reports earlier this month confirmed VW wouldn't pursue F1 after all.
Although Stuck said last year that VW needs to be in a series where the company can "display our German technology, and (NASCAR) is a marketing (platform)," perhaps the automaker's changed its tune? Or its interest in NASCAR's sports car series, Grand-Am, could be picking up again.
When VW unveiled its new assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., in September, Dr. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board of management at Volkwagen AG, announced to 700-plus dealers from the U.S. and Canada that he aspired to take his brand “to the top of the auto industry by 2018.”
Certainly, NASCAR's “marketing (platform)" could be the perfect vehicle to accomplish that task.
VW holds the distinction of being the largest automaker in Europe. In the U.S., however, recent tallies from October show VW of America only holding a 2.1 market share of cars sold, according to the Wall Street Journal.
While Volkswagen competition representative Hans-Joachim Stuck emphatically denied any interest in American stock cars at Homestead one year ago, in a recent interview with Financial Times Deutschland the former racer discussed possibly taking the brand to Formula One and NASCAR. Reports earlier this month confirmed VW wouldn't pursue F1 after all.
Although Stuck said last year that VW needs to be in a series where the company can "display our German technology, and (NASCAR) is a marketing (platform)," perhaps the automaker's changed its tune? Or its interest in NASCAR's sports car series, Grand-Am, could be picking up again.
When VW unveiled its new assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tenn., in September, Dr. Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board of management at Volkwagen AG, announced to 700-plus dealers from the U.S. and Canada that he aspired to take his brand “to the top of the auto industry by 2018.”
Certainly, NASCAR's “marketing (platform)" could be the perfect vehicle to accomplish that task.
VW holds the distinction of being the largest automaker in Europe. In the U.S., however, recent tallies from October show VW of America only holding a 2.1 market share of cars sold, according to the Wall Street Journal.
http://msn.foxsports.com/nascar/story/Volkswagen-looks-to-make-NASCAR-splash-111910
Interesting. I wonder what model they would field?
martin14 @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 12:40 am
Skoda Octavia.... 
martin14 @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 12:50 am
Actually, since I just found out VW will build an American version of a Passat,
that would probably be close to what they put on the track, if they
sponsored a full car.
Which isnt that far away from my Octavia 
. 
PublicAnimalNo9 @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 1:18 am
They gonna bring back the Carmen Ghia
desertdude @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 5:23 am
Nascar.... I tried to watch a couple of races...watching paint dry is more exciting.
Gunnair @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 7:57 am
desertdude desertdude:
Nascar.... I tried to watch a couple of races...watching paint dry is more exciting.
Yeah well, it's better than watching football/soccar.
martin14 @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:26 am
Gunnair Gunnair:
desertdude desertdude:
Nascar.... I tried to watch a couple of races...watching paint dry is more exciting.
Yeah well, it's better than watching football/soccar.
or camel racing.
DD just on the rag today.
Gunnair @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 8:30 am
martin14 martin14:
Gunnair Gunnair:
desertdude desertdude:
Nascar.... I tried to watch a couple of races...watching paint dry is more exciting.
Yeah well, it's better than watching football/soccar.
or camel racing.
DD just on the rag today.
Noticed that.
The Passat, eh? Interesting.
EyeBrock @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 9:24 am
I've had 3 VW's and I thought they were great. I wanted AWD though and their 4-motion is a 10-90 split so I went to Subaru. I'm pretty happy with the Subaru but if VW brought out a real AWD GTi I'd be interested.
desertdude @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 11:12 am
Mod edit......Not even close to being on topic......
And on the rag ? Nah! Gunny just venting some past flustrations I guess. 
Gunnair @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:49 pm
desertdude desertdude:
Football not that stuff you play in N.America with a "oval" ball is way more exciting. How many countries in N.American football "world cup" ....exactly ! 
Football the peoples game, mind you
Heck you have more countries in the Cricket World Cup and has a bigger fan following.
And on the rag ? Nah! Gunny just venting some past flustrations I guess.
Football the peoples game, mind you
Heck you have more countries in the Cricket World Cup and has a bigger fan following.
And on the rag ? Nah! Gunny just venting some past flustrations I guess.
Good for you. Glad to see the common dogfuck of where you do that is still one of your notable talents.
desertdude @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 3:56 pm
Boy, you got of the wrong side of bed today eh ?
Gunnair @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:39 pm
desertdude desertdude:
Boy, you got of the wrong side of bed today eh ?
Not at all. Great day in the snow and now sitting by a nice warm fire.
desertdude @ Sun Nov 21, 2010 4:59 pm
Then maybe I stepped on your left ball on my way in today. Sorry mate didn't see it. 