Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota have dominated the NASCAR grid to the extent that when a manufacturer apart from them won a championship was back in 1982. Trying to change the field dynamics, the promotion has been courting the idea of a fourth OEM for quite some time now. In 2022, there was heavy talk going around that the carmaker Dodge would be filling this space and making a much-awaited comeback to stock car racing. But with each passing day, that seems unlikely to happen.
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The first time a Dodge was seen around a NASCAR track was back in 1953. Just a year later, it helped Lee Petty get his 1954 title and turned the eyes of drivers and crews toward it. The 70s saw Dodge become the first manufacturer to record a speed of above 200 mph. When Richard Petty took over the car that decade, it quickly catapulted to legendary status, helping him achieve multiple championships.
In 1984, the brand closed its book on NASCAR and chose to leave the sport. But it came back for another brief stint from 2001 to 2012. The maker won the championship with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske in 2012 before quitting once again when Penske decided to switch to Ford.
When talks of a potential comeback appeared on the horizon last year, RFK Racing and Stewart-Haas Racing were said to be working on a deal with Dodge. More than a year later, after those talks were reportedly stalled, there hasn’t been any update yet.
.@Dodge’s talks with @NASCAR about re-entering the series as the fourth OEM have stalled, per sources.
Dodge says that it is focused on the NHRA and “not expanding our efforts into other forms of racing at this time.”https://t.co/UWhfAm0ZfZ
— Adam Stern (@A_S12) October 10, 2022
In its time at NASCAR, Dodge recorded 217 wins, and 2 Manufacturers’ Championships and played a part in 9 top-tier driver championships. Regardless of whether it comes back to race again or not, it will have played a crucial role in the sport’s history.
The hunt for a fourth manufacturer is still on for NASCAR
Though talks with Dodge don’t appear to be going anywhere, the hunt for a fourth OEM is still on for NASCAR. The president of the competition, Steve O’Donnell, said after the 2022 season, “No fresh news [On a fourth OEM] other than there is ongoing dialogue. (…) The good news is you heard Steve (Phelps) talk about the growth of the sport, the eyeballs, the interest. So no matter what you’re racing, that interest is there.”
Backing his words, it came to light earlier this month that the carmaker Honda would be open to considering moving from IndyCar to NASCAR, owing to profitability issues.
Regardless of whether it is Honda, Dodge, or a new manufacturer to motorsports, it is certain that NASCAR wants a fourth OEM to challenge the current big dogs.
