Argentina-based race team building Car of Tomorrow

For the first time in Cup Series history, a competition car is being built outside the United States, and it's happening in the South American country of Argentina. Alberto Canapino, technical director of the Argentina-based HAZ Racing, unveiled for fans and local media at the Auto Performance 2007 motor show held in the country's capital of Buenos Aires the team's plans for building a Sprint Cup Chevy, following all guidelines set by NASCAR for the Car of Tomorrow. "We are really proud to be the first team in NASCAR history to build a car in South America, or anywhere outside the USA," said Canapino, a well-known racecar builder and crew chief in South America. "When we went [to the U.S.], we felt they gave us a nice welcome to the sport. The category's technicians provided us with the rules and now we know most of the chassis will be built in Argentina. When word first hit the region about HAZ Racing's plans, thoughts were the team would look at the Nationwide Series as a starting point. But at the show the team confirmed plans on racing in NASCAR's top division. At the team's display there was a scale-model of the car with the #08 on both the sides and the top. "Sooner or later, there will come a day in which we will need help from an American driver to develop our car, someone to let us know most of the secrets of oval racing and the vehicle specifications," Canapino said. "However, at due time our plan is to select a driver from our native country to participate in the championship." Canapino might not have to look far for his driver. Fernando Hidalgo and Alejandro Masas, Canapino's partners at HAZ Racing, raced in the popular 3-Litre Turismo Carretera Series with driver Christian Ledesma and won the championship in their first season in the series. NASCAR.com