Latest on Toyota’s move to Nextel Cup

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. Winston Salem Journal