CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- Fans and teams shuddered when NASCAR opened its doors to Toyota, the first foreign automaker in a sport built around American cars.

Competitors feared a deep-pocketed company with free spending and tech savvy would run wild over the loyal supporters of Detroit's Big Three. Longtime fans simply couldn't stomach a Japanese car racing.

It's been five years since Toyota eased into NASCAR in the third-tier Truck Series -- three since the automaker graduated into the Sprint Cup Series -- and a foreign brand didn't bring the sport to a halt. Nor did it ruin the racing. If anything, its improved the competition and health of the industry.

Now, NASCAR says it is willing to consider other foreign automakers.

BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz have plants in the U.S. -- the same criteria Toyota met when NASCAR accepted it in 2002 -- and Volkswagen is building a Tennessee facility.

Any of those manufacturers could approach NASCAR, and Chairman Brian France is apparently willing to listen.

"We're the pre-eminent place in North America for car manufacturers to build their business with an auto racing group," France said before Sunday's race. "We remain that, and clearly there's some companies that are going to look at opportunities that may not have even been there in the past that could be presented in the future."

That his comments came at Michigan International Speedway -- a short drive from the home offices of Ford, GM and Dodge -- probably didn't sit well with those in NASCAR.

But on what grounds can any American automakers object to NASCAR allowing more manufacturers into the sport? Chrysler and GM are in Chapter 11, and restructuring plans have led to cutbacks in their racing budgets.

Dodge flagship owner Roger Penske says it's been business as usual for his team since Chrysler's filing. But Richard Petty Motorsports cut salaries across the board and laid off at least nine employees last week as it prepares for significant shortfalls in Dodge funding.

Then came GM's decision late last week to end its support of teams in the Nationwide and Truck Series, a cutback that slashes the bottom lines at teams owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick and every organization not run by a big-time star. Toyota is now the only manufacturer supporting teams in either of those series.

GM's cost-cutting could reach the Cup series soon, and every Chevrolet-supported team has got to be on edge as owners wonder just how much might vanish from the 2009 budget.

Chevrolet is still the top player in NASCAR. Chevy teams have won 13 of the past 16 Cup titles, and Mark Martin's win Sunday was its eighth in 15 races this season.

There were 14 Chevy's in Sunday's 43-car field, and six of the 12 drivers currently qualified for the Chase for the Championship are GM-supported. If that money dries up, it will have wide-ranging effects on the competition.

So why shouldn't NASCAR let more manufacturers in?

France needs to make decisions based on the long-term health of the industry, and worrying about rankling fans who only buy American can't be a consideration. With sponsorship opportunities dwindling, many teams are hanging on by a thread. They need money and they need manufacturer support, and without it, they'll eventually vanish from the NASCAR landscape.

The automakers' economic woes will eventually jeopardize everything a NASCAR fan wants: full fields, competitive racing and exciting drivers. By opening the industry to more foreign automakers, NASCAR could take a significant step toward stabilizing its future.