NASCAR motorsport is enjoying a host of comebacks. An abandoned Ohio oval, Mansfield Motor Speedway. It has been bought and set for revival by former Cup Series driver Matt Tifft, who closed the facility in 2019 and now aims to restore its ARCA and Truck heritage. Meanwhile, Rockingham Speedway, after a triumphant return hosting sold-out Truck and Xfinity weekends in April, has been placed on the market again by owner Dan Lovenheim.

Big-name manufacturers are also returning. Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, formally announces that its Ram brand will re-enter NASCAR in 2026 after a 13-year hiatus, marking the first new OEM on the national stage since Toyota in 2004. Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis put it plainly. “The way we’re going to do it is unlike anyone else. … When we say nothing stops Ram, when we bring the Hemi (engine) back… it makes perfect sense to be back in the space and back up.” Amid all this, another automotive giant, Honda, is rumored to be eyeing a fifth OEM spot after Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and RAM. Now let’s dive in and see how Honda came into the picture.

Honda set to leave Penske’s IndyCar empire for NASCAR?

Honda, long committed to INDYCAR and a partner of Roger Penske’s empire, may be poised to make a dramatic switch. Bob Pockrass told on the Beating and Banging channel that “Honda hasn’t decided yet what they’re going to do as far as IndyCar beyond 2026,” despite being signed through that season. Pockrass added, “I don’t see Honda in both IndyCar and NASCAR. I think they’re going to do one or the other. But which one? I don’t know. It’s a huge investment to go NASCAR racing.”

A clear sign that a strategic fork lies ahead. Manufacturers rarely straddle (only Chevrolet currently does both) top-level open-wheel and stock-car championships. The logistical overlap is minimal, and the ROI calculus vastly differs. NASCAR’s new rules package, now pushing out the next-gen debut to future engine‑hybrid regulations expected for 2026‑27 and beyond gives Honda a roughly 18- to 24-month window to finalize plans, exactly the timeline NASCAR EVP has described for onboarding a new OEM.

Honda’s current INDYCAR engine supply deal runs through the end of 2026, after which its future is uncertain. David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation US, admitted he’s “not ready to say whether Honda will remain in the IndyCar Series after its supply contract reaches its end in 18 months time.” With the deal expiring, Honda faces a choice, and NASCAR’s overtures are hard to ignore.

Why hang on in IndyCar until 2026? INDYCAR’s next-generation car has been pushed back from a 2027 debut to 2028, delaying any new-car benefits through 2027. Honda may prefer to finish out its current commitment before switching, avoiding contractual and developmental headaches until the INDYCAR chassis program settles into its IR-28 era.

Roger Penske, the legendary team owner who also owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR itself, would feel the impact deeply. Penske acquired those assets in 2019, consolidating his control over the series and the famed Brickyard. If Honda walks away, Penske’s customer teams, Chip Ganassi, Rahal‑Letterman‑Lanigan, and Andretti would suddenly face a single‑supplier landscape. Erasing the competitive diversity Honda has provided for three decades. That makes Pockrass’s “strategic fork” comment all the more prescient. Honda must choose a path, and that choice will reverberate through both Penske’s empire and the broader motorsport ecosystem.

Preparing the ground, technical and team moves

NASCAR’s Next Gen cars are fitted with a McLaren-supplied ECU and over 60 sensors. Measuring everything from engine RPM and manifold pressure to brake force, sampling data every 10 ms and streaming it live via UHF to trackside relay stations, then on to NASCAR’s central data center in under 200 ms for real‑time monitoring and analysis. That robust telemetry infrastructure means NASCAR can apply true balance-of-power adjustments if a turbocharged or hybrid engine enters the Cup Series. No more relying solely on weight or restrictor plates after 75 years of V8 tradition.

Behind the scenes, NASCAR EVP and Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said that the sanctioning body is “very close” to signing a fifth carmaker, with talks “looking pretty positive,” even as he cautioned, “It’s not something they take lightly.” Probst reiterated that bringing on another OEM requires “a lot of research and approvals at the highest levels,” underscoring NASCAR’s eagerness for fresh manufacturer investment and cutting-edge engine technology.

Should that fifth OEM be Honda, The Express has speculated that RFK Racing could be an early partner. “One team that may be looking to join forces with the Japanese manufacturer early could be RFK Racing,” the outlet wrote. Suggesting that a Ford-to-Honda switch for Brad Keselowski’s outfit might “allow RFK to step out of the shadow” of Team Penske. While no official moves have been made, such a partnership would represent a dramatic shift in Cup Series alliances.