Michael Andretti's long and public pursuit of a spot on the Formula 1 grid is one of the biggest stories in auto racing, but his ambitious Andretti Autosport is not interested only in expansion into Europe's biggest racing championship. Andretti's team re-joined the IMSA grid after acquiring a stake in Wayne Taylor Racing, a business model that could soon be reflected in a move to enter NASCAR.

As Andretti told the Indy Star's Nathan Brown, the deal that led him and new co-owner Dan Towriss to acquire a stake in WTR represents a business model that could get the team on the grid quickly. By acquiring ownership of an operation that already runs a competitive program, Andretti Autosport could secure a foothold in NASCAR without having to reinvent whatever operation it joins. The team has also used a similar business model in Australia's Supercars championship, where Walkinshaw Racing became Walkinshaw Andretti United.

While discussing the success of those existing relationships, Andretti noted WTR's success before and after the tie-up with Andretti Autosport in what he calls an “an awesome deal." When looking toward NASCAR, he added that "Those are the types of deals we’re looking for. Those are the best ones. I’m not saying that’s the only way to do it, but that’d be best way to do it.”

Andretti Autosport's rumored interest in NASCAR goes back to at least 2012, when the team was briefly linked to a Dodge operation that never actually came together. The manufacturer instead opted to leave the sport entirely. Andretti then chose to expand into Formula E, Extreme E, and now IMSA, slowly growing a world-class profile ahead of the 2025 opening of a massive new headquarters in Indiana.

In addition to his position as the ambitious and previously unknown co-owner of Andretti Autosport, Towriss is also the CEO of Group 1001. That also makes him the person in charge of its subsidiary Gainbridge, a company that has sponsored Andretti IndyCars since 2017. The brand is now also a part-time sponsor of Spire's two-car NASCAR Cup Series program, marking it as an obvious potential candidate for a future acquisition or partnership. Notably, Spire has never won a Cup Series race without the help of miraculously-timed rain. A substantial investment from Andretti and Towriss could help the team move up the grid, all while aligning with Andretti Autosport's long-term goals to operate as a world-class racing program with hands in every discipline imaginable.