NASCAR carries a worldwide reputation as an All-American motorsport. But what many fail to realize is that it is not just American car manufacturers who’ve competed in it over these last 75 years. Several foreign carmakers have tried their luck in stock car racing, and not all have been good enough to stick around. Here’s a brief overview of the most notable of them.
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Volkswagen
The German manufacturer is renowned for making some of the most affordable civilian cars today. One of their most popular products is the Beetle. It was one of the cars that competed in the 1953 International 200. Driven by Dick Hagy, it finished the race in 19th place. The race remains the only time the car was seen on a NASCAR track.
Jaguar
Several foreign cars apart from the Beetle were a part of the 1953 International 200. The race was held at the Langhorne Speedway and saw participation from Jaguar as well. Six Jaguar XK120s contested that day, and Dick Allwine brought his home highest in sixth place. Jaguar’s best NASCAR moment came a year later at the Linden Airport when four of its cars finished inside the top six, and Al Keller won the race in one.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin is synonymous with Formula One today but it entered a car that was driven by Steve McGrath in the 1953 International 200. Not much is known about the exact model used. The company never competed in stock car racing again. It’s easy to see why since McGrath could only muster up a 27th-place finish after qualifying in 16th place. Reports suggest that the car might have been a DB2.
Porsche
The German company was another that made its NASCAR debut in the 1953 International 200. It ran two Porsche 365s. Nick Fornoro and Billy Oswald were the drivers and they finished eighth and ninth respectively. Porsche was back again in the 1954 race at the Linden Airport. It fielded only one car, driven by James Kilgore, and finished 16th.
Toyota
Toyota is a mainstay in NASCAR with multiple race and championship wins. It debuted in the Craftsman Truck Series back in 2004 and the rest is history. It has multiple entries in all the three NASCAR divisions and has won championships with some of the greatest drivers of all time including Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch.
Toyota also has a highly regarded driver development program which helps promising youngsters break into the highest levels of the sport. Today, NASCAR is unimaginable without this Japanese brand that broke the dominance of Chevrolet and Ford to establish itself as one of the Big Three.
