By Andrew Cutler
January 12 2010

There was bad news yesterday in regards to the IRL's plans to bring some actual rivalry among auto manufacturers back to the IndyCar Series: It looks like the VW/Audi group, which owns three of the five companies that had been in discussion about the 2012 enigne specs, has bowed out.

Kris Nissen, who runs Volkswagen's motorsports program, told Autosport.com that Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen will likey concentrate on their current racing efforts instead of taking on new ones. "I am not 100 per cent sure of the latest status. But I think it is not realistic for the moment that the VW group will do it,"

Nissen cited both the economic stresses on the auto industry in general and the uncertainty over whether the IndyCar Series currently reaches the desired market - and enough of it - for their products. "Also IndyCar needs to settle down, and it looks like it is getting better. America needs to settle down, the car market needs to be stable again." 

With VW/Audi bowing out, currently only Honda and the FIAT group are left at the table to discuss the 2012 engine specs.