by Mike BrudenellDetroit Free PressBROOKLYN, MI -- While Mark Martin was driving to victory in a Chevrolet at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday, the words of NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France were still reverberating around the media center.A few hours before Martin won the amazing fuel-mileage race, France announced that the governing body of stock-car racing was open to other foreign manufacturers joining Toyota and the Detroit Three in competition.Not so surprising.But with GM forced to make cuts in its racing budget, including eliminating factory support to its Chevy Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck teams, and quite possibly Sprint Cup reductions, the thought of more invaders crossing into holy ground was sacrilegious to many, however desperately the sport needs money.Honda ... Volkswagen ... BMW ...Were these the folks France was talking about joining NASCAR at some point in time?"I'm not going to name names, but we have companies that are interested in particular in developing the North American market as robust as they can, and you are well aware as we are of the manufacturers now producing cars here in America. That was part of the rationale that Toyota used, that being in NASCAR helps them associate more with this market," the Associated Press' Mike Harris quoted France as saying.A group of people in Honda shirts were spotted on the MIS grounds, so where there is smoke, there surely is fire."The question is, with falling revenues in every sports league, what are you going to do to help to figure out the way forward," France added. "So we'll be looking at figuring out, like everyone else in our position, how to operate new opportunities for new companies building brands and services here in NASCAR. Because existing companies, that our teams have in particular relied on, are changing. And that's just the reality."On Saturday night, I joined some race-goers in the infield at MIS. I think they might be less than impressed with France courting more foreign automakers for NASCAR as GM and Chrysler struggle to survive and Ford battles on.Ford, Chevy and Dodge flags flew from motor homes and buses converted into temporary motels. Race fans drank Miller Lite and Budweiser around campfires, and Allman Brothers music could be heard on speakers late into the evening. I didn't see much evidence of Toyota in Turn 3, but it was dark.Perhaps NASCAR should be open to all. Toyota came into the truck series in 2004 and entered Cup competition in 2007. No one marched on Charlotte or Daytona Beach in revolt.But as race fans are losing their jobs at GM and Chrysler plants across the country, and in the Midwest in particular, would it be the right time for Honda, for example, to join what had long been a series for American-made cars?Toyota's here, but it made its appearance in slightly better times.Honda or a German presence? Maybe not so much.