No substitute for cubic inches...Some truth to that, but then someone cited NASCAR and V-8s...Sheesh!  I wonder when the last production V8 with a frigging carb was built? Do any cars even still use carburetors?   And NASCAR tries to keep the "Murikan Made stock car racing" thing alive, in the minds of the fans..A carburetor on a "Race" car, for cri-yi!    But those guys do get some HP from huge motors, yes.  You can see the same HP from a VW at any dyno shop..at around 2 liters and a street motor, too.
  I wonder if any parts in a NASCAR are made by Ford, Dodge, Chevy or even Toyota? 

 For what it's worth, the NASCAR lap times at Sears Point/Infineon are almost as quick as the Spec Miata lap times there...
  Don Hanson