Germain Mulling Manufacturer Change

Germain Racing majority owner Bob Germain told Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s Sirius Speedway with Dave Moody that his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team may not return to the Toyota camp in 2012.

“There is a possibility that we might not be a Toyota team next year,” said Germain. “I never thought we’d be running anything but a Toyota, but I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get on the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) engine program. We wanted to buy TRD motors for next year’s Sprint Cup effort, but with Joe Gibbs Racing getting out of the engine business at the end of this year, I’m not sure we’re going to be able to get our engines from TRD."

Germain explained that TRD will have the capacity to build six sets of Sprint Cup Series engines next season. JGR's trio of Camrys driven by Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano accounts for three sets and Michael Waltrip Racing’s Martin Truex, Jr. and David Reutimann account for two more. That leaves one engine set to be allotted, without accounting for MWR’s expected third 2012 entry driven by Clint Bowyer, or JTG Daugherty Racing and driver Bobby Labonte.

“Toyota has told us they will try to work something out,” said Germain, “but it’s not certain. There is a possibility that we may have to look elsewhere. We had already promised GEICO that we would go with TRD engines next year (after running Triad power in the past), and they were really excited about that. I never thought there would be a problem doing it, but now apparently, there is.”

Germain said he has already spoken to other manufacturers about possible 2012 alliances. “We went out and looked around little bit,” he said. “We talked to Ford Racing and we talked to Rick Hendrick a while back, just to see what’s out there and how their programs work. My hope is still to stay with Toyota, but we may not be able to do so.”