Dodge Out of NASCAR

by Sparkz47 Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:16 am

Oh, this isn't good at all.

Dodge is expected to announce its withdrawal from NASCAR competition
following the 2012 season, multiple sources with knowledge of Dodge's
plans told ESPN.com.
Dodge is expected to hold a Tuesday press conference to make the
announcement. Attempts to contact multiple Dodge spokespeople for
comment were unsuccessful or resulted in no comment.

Dodge was faced with a rebuilding phase beginning in 2013, after
Penske Racing -- the lone NASCAR organization to field Dodges since 2009
-- chose to leave the manufacturer in favor of Ford Motor Company
beginning next season.

Penske has fielded Dodges since 2003, winning 29 Sprint Cup races to-date and a Nationwide Series championship with driver Brad Keselowski. But in March, Penske announced the return to Ford, which it had fielded from 1994 to 2002.

"That was the piece that I feel like puts us in a position to make a
run for the championship for the next few years," Keselowski said in
March. "I think there were some limitations in making that happen with
the road we were on, so we changed roads."

Industry sources question whether Dodge's parent company, Fiat, has
any passion for NASCAR, leading to Penske's decision to leave for Ford
and, ultimately, Dodge's decision to leave the sport altogether.

Ford announced Monday that Roush-Yates engines would provide motors
for Penske beginning in 2013, leaving questions about what may become of
Penske's motor department and its 60-plus employee staff.

This isn't the first time Dodge has chosen to leave NASCAR. The
manufacturer pulled out of the sport in 1977 and didn't return until
2001. Since that time, Dodge has accumulated 55 Sprint Cup victories.

http://espn.go.com/racing/nascar/cup/story/_/id/8242554/dodge-nascar-sponsorship-2013-source-says

Nothing official yet, but it looks like Marty Smith is pretty certain about it. This is a shame, Dodge had such a great 2013 car and now they'll never be able to use it.

I'm actually really hoping this is just rumor and speculation, but...I'm not so sure.

Here's to hoping they come back soon.

by RocketKnight Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:18 am

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

by BWard Tue Aug 07, 2012 8:25 am

EDIT:

Dodge Out of NASCAR You-can-t-be-serious-joker

This is so tragic. Dodge have been manufacturers of very common teams in the past such as Evernham Motorsports, Bill Davis Racing, Petty Interprises, Penske Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing and a couple others. Although Dodge have been having a lot of trouble trying to manufacturer big teams in the past few years so maybe this is whats contributing to them wanting to leave NASCAR.

Dodge will live forever!

by Cardinals5 Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:32 am

Wasn't there just a big story going around about how Furniture Row was trying to buy the Penske program so they could field Dodges?

by Lucstar88 Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:30 pm

Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...

by Spannerhead29 (Nelson) Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:36 pm

Lucstar88 wrote:Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...

I remember Kyle Petty talking about the subject last year, and he said Honda. How big is Nissan in the States? Because they're entering V8 Supercars next year.

by BWard Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:36 pm

Lucstar88 wrote:Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...

The only one I can think of is Pontiac, but they're gone from the world sadly. The only other one I can think of is Chrysler but I don't think they would make a good race car for the Series.

by Cardinals5 Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:40 pm

Spannerhead29 (Nelson) wrote:
Lucstar88 wrote:Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...
I remember Kyle Petty talking about the subject last year, and he said Honda. How big is Nissan in the States? Because they're entering V8 Supercars next year.

Big, but probably not "big enough". I'd bet on Volkswagen or Honda before Nissan, personally

by Vincent Giacalone Tue Aug 07, 2012 12:56 pm

I know I'll probably get flak for this but I'd like it to be Lincoln.

by RyanB06 Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:04 pm

Nascarboy426 wrote:I know I'll probably get flak for this but I'd like it to be Lincoln.

Not happening. Ford will never do that.

by BWard Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:09 pm

I even think Cadillac could be a possible replacement for Dodge in NASCAR, but then again Japan does have a lot in common with America, so IMO I would think that a 2nd Japanese car manufacturer such as Nissan or Honda would make way to entering the Series.

by RACECAR Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:26 pm

As far as I can remember, Only Volkswagen has had talks with NASCAR (Though I'm sure thats been mainly regarding the Rolex Sports Car Series). I don't really recall any make having any interest and like someone said, Ford is not going to allow Lincoln to compete (or mercury for that matter). Likewise, I don't see GM repeating running two makes as it did before. Not too sure about Honda, I could be wrong but they don't seem at all interested and seem content with all their other racing activities. If they do, There's of course the question of what teams HPD would work with.

by **Cynon** Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:33 pm

Not surprised, Dodge has been dying a slow death since 2006. Unfortunately, there goes my favorite of the four NASCAR manufacturers...

But at the same time I'm not sure how much I care that Dodge is leaving. That program was not managed very well.

by PYLrulz Tue Aug 07, 2012 2:38 pm

Lucstar88 wrote:Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...

You probably don't remember a time when it was just Ford, Chevy, and Pontiac.

Sucks that Dodge is leaving though, that is for sure, but if this is what is best for them, so be it.

by conrail1990 Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:37 pm

by Toblerone Tue Aug 07, 2012 3:54 pm

It'll be weird to not see a Dodge. To me in recent years Nascar just seems like it had a rule that they need a minimum of 4 manufacturers. I wouldn't mind seeing a European car company or maybe another Japanese one (Honda). But Nascar would get a lot of flak from the patriotic fans who hate to see anything not American.

by Sparkz47 Tue Aug 07, 2012 4:16 pm

I think Nissan would be big enough to warrant a NASCAR entry. They've had a market in the states for decades, and at least in my part of the country, I can't leave the house without seeing some Nissan on the road, including the ones my friends drive.

I would absolutely LOVE it if BMW came over to NASCAR. But, unfortunately, it doesn't look like that will happen anytime soon.

I am hoping for more European manufacturers, though. Maybe if we can get more foreign made cars involved, NASCAR would consider more races outside the US.

by Alpineopossum Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:10 pm

Cardinals5 wrote:
Spannerhead29 (Nelson) wrote:
Lucstar88 wrote:Any suggestions of a new manufacturer? Cause im not really into just Toyota, Chevy & Ford...
I remember Kyle Petty talking about the subject last year, and he said Honda. How big is Nissan in the States? Because they're entering V8 Supercars next year.

Big, but probably not "big enough". I'd bet on Volkswagen or Honda before Nissan, personally

Honda probably not, because Honda takes such pride in it's engines and the high tech nature of them, a big bore old tech V8 wouldn't interest them. That's just my guess.

VW was in talks with NASCAR but these have died down. VW, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Seat, and Skoda are in the same group. Audi has Le Mans, VW and Seat have touring cars, Lambo has GT racing, and Porsche is involved with racing on many levels. With all that racing on their plate, I doubt we will se Volkswagen in NASCAR.

I find it interesting that this news comes as Dodge has made a major ALMS investment...

by day500champ1 Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:51 pm

Well when Chevy is basically in NASCAR's back pocket, this doesn't surprise me. The only two teams that Dodge was with that were able to compete well since '01 were Evernham and Penske. Ganassi had some success with Marlin in '01 and '02, but not much after that.

When it comes down to it, Chevy and Ford and even Toyota when they came in got with teams they knew could deliver the results. Sad to see Dodge go though.

by Sparkz47 Tue Aug 07, 2012 6:37 pm

And...it's official.

Jayski wrote:SRT Motorsports announced that Dodge will withdraw from NASCAR competition at the conclusion of the 2012 season. Ralph Gilles, President and CEO Street and Racing Technology Brand and Motorsports, Chrysler Group LLC, made the announcement during a media teleconference call. The decision affects current involvement in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. Penske Racing currently fields two Dodge Charger cars in the Sprint Cup Series and two Dodge Challenger cars in the Nationwide Series. Penske Racing announced in February that it would end its partnership with Dodge, which started in 2003, at the end of the 2012 season."We've spent an intense five months working to identify and evaluate all options for our future involvement in NASCAR," Gilles said. "A number of opportunities emerged, and our team worked diligently to put a structure together to fit our overall business and competitive objectives. While we have been pleased and enthused with the amount of interest from teams and sponsors over that time, in the end, we simply couldn't develop the right structure."Dodge has recorded 215 wins in the Sprint Cup Series, including 55 since 2001, and has been represented in the NASCAR Chase for the Sprint Cup seven of the eight seasons. In 2010, Brad Keselowski captured the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship driving a Dodge from Penske Racing. "It's an extremely difficult decision to know that we won't be there for our fans next season," Gilles added. "It's important to note that we
have not lost focus on 2012 or the commitment to our partnership with Penske Racing in both the Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series this season." Keselowski currently is seventh in the Sprint Cup Series standings and has three wins in his quest to make the 12-driver Chase field for the second consecutive year. In Nationwide Series competition, Sam Hornish Jr. is locked in a four-way battle for the season championship (SRT Motorsports)(8-7-2012)

by Vincent Giacalone Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:24 pm

day500champ1 wrote:
When it comes down to it, Chevy and Ford and even Toyota when they came in got with teams they knew could deliver the results. Sad to see Dodge go though.

Yes, eventually, but not when they first came in. Let's take a look at Toyota's '07 roster: MWR (which made the mistake of starting out with three cars and thus kind of sucked), Bill Davis (whose only top-10 was a 3rd at second Talladega IIRC), and Red Bull (which was just kind of lackluster). Only when Joe Gibbs Racing stepped in was Toyota taken seriously as a contender in Cup.

PYLrulz wrote:You probably don't remember a time when it was just Ford, Chevy, and Pontiac.

Not to mention that in 2004 it was just Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.

by **antknee** Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:41 pm

The only manufacturer of note that shown interest is VW. I wouldn't rule it out...the sentiment surrounding Toyota was that it would never happen. It would seem that Nissan would be a better option since they have a decent stake in the truck market.

by Alpineopossum Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:06 pm

There switching their cash to the Viper ALMS program. And this will be controversial: but I think they made a half ways different decision. The thing that made NASCAR big was that they ran cars similar to ones you could buy. In those days, a race fan could go into his or her local Ford, Dodge, Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Mercury, or Chevrolet dealership and buy something similar to what Richard Petty or David Pearson drove. That appeal is gone. But it exists somewhere else: in sports car racing. The Porsche 911s you see racing in ALMS are built on the same assembly line as the Porsche 911s you can drive on the roads. There's a real link there. And a more important one: sports cars are about perfomance. A buyer of a sports car wants something that is faster, handles better, brakes quicker, and accelerates faster than the competition. Racing is the perfect place to prove that. ALMS should do a lower end division for Mustangs, Camaros, and Challengers. Real ones. That are based on ones you can drive on the road. And Nissan 370Zs, Hyundai Genesis Coupés, and Mazda RX-8s. Then eventually do a division for touring cars. Like the WTCC. Manufactures would flock to it.

by flyingturns89 Tue Aug 07, 2012 10:13 pm

Cynon wrote:Not surprised, Dodge has been dying a slow death since 2006.

I think taht would be more like 2007-2008. The combination of merger mania, Toyota's entry into the Cup Series, and the beginning of the recession all happening around the same time lost Dodge most of their cars, forcing them into this point.

by PYLrulz Tue Aug 07, 2012 11:27 pm

Nascarboy426 wrote:
day500champ1 wrote:
When it comes down to it, Chevy and Ford and even Toyota when they came in got with teams they knew could deliver the results. Sad to see Dodge go though.

Yes, eventually, but not when they first came in. Let's take a look at Toyota's '07 roster: MWR (which made the mistake of starting out with three cars and thus kind of sucked), Bill Davis (whose only top-10 was a 3rd at second Talladega IIRC), and Red Bull (which was just kind of lackluster). Only when Joe Gibbs Racing stepped in was Toyota taken seriously as a contender in Cup.

PYLrulz wrote:You probably don't remember a time when it was just Ford, Chevy, and Pontiac.

Not to mention that in 2004 it was just Ford, Chevy, and Dodge.

I made mention of Ford, Chevy, and Pontiac since that was just a 2 horse show usually (Ford vs. GM, with Pontiac usually knowing it's place)

by Sponsored content

Dodge Out of NASCAR

Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR

Re: Dodge Out of NASCAR