Dodge Eyes Deal With Cup Teams as Manufacturer Prepares Massive Comeback, Claims NASCAR Insider

It has been 13 years. Brad Keselowski drove the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge to the 2012 Cup Series championship. Not only did it mark the pinnacle of Keselowski’s success, but it also marked the exit of a popular NASCAR OEM. Since then, only Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota have been around, adjusting to NASCAR’s playoff format shifts and Cup Series car changes. Now, however, the three manufacturers may need to make room.

For over a decade, NASCAR has worked feverishly to secure a fourth OEM. The executives for the existing manufacturers have also supported this effort, as it would further raise NASCAR’s overall profile and increase on-track competitiveness. Now, whispers of coordination to bring in Dodge are popping up.

NASCAR ramps up a comeback conversation

Well, Dodge has a storied history in the sport. Dodge previously competed in the Cup Series from 2001 to 2012, with Keselowski topping their final year. Their Craftsman Truck Series history with Ram is no less glittering, winning three manufacturers’ championships (2001, 2003, and 2004) and two driver championships. Given its association with NASCAR’s golden era, Dodge may have a lot of takers for its rumored comeback. But first, it needs a lot of help. For instance, it needs to be up-to-date with the current engine architecture, a long way away from that in 2012. Until NASCAR finalizes its next engine rules package in a few years, Dodge’s entry may also be postponed.

However, all the efforts and discussions to help Dodge with the hurdles are under full swing. That is what NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi recently revealed in The Athletic. “Dodge has had conversations with several parties representing teams, both existing and prospective, including at least one current Cup organization. The consensus within the garage is that Dodge would be best served by aligning with an already operational team that knows the ins and outs of NASCAR, helping to mitigate the typical issues that inevitably arise when a new manufacturer comes in. Expect substantial movement on this soon.”

Ram, which was previously associated with Dodge, is already planning its re-entry into the Craftsman Truck Series. Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO, has even expressed his desire to enter the Cup Series. NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer John Probst has set a timeline for that, an optimistic update for Dodge as well. Probst said in June, “There will be, obviously, with a new OEM coming in, some work to be done on the engine, so I’d say that 18-month runway would be pretty typical, but it would be on the OEM to decide the timing, but the minimum would be 18 months.”

Clearly, it may not be too long until Dodge comes back to the sport. Meanwhile, there has been a moment of mourning for all Dodge fans recently.

Losing a paragon of racing

Dodge debuted in NASCAR around the time of the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series season. At that time, a key star of the sport was in his prime. He was Walker Evans, who passed away this week. Evans was one of the all-time greats of desert racing and also one of the inaugural drivers of the Truck Series in 1994. Across a long and storied career, Evans picked up 142 class and overall wins in off-road racing competition from Baja to short-course series. He also claimed 21 championships and nine Baja 1000 class wins in the process.

Evans’ contribution to Dodge was a pioneering effort. Evans drove for Bill Stroppe and Parnelli Jones, but eventually built his own Class 8 vehicles before working with Dodge and winning the 1979 SCORE Baja 1000. In 1994, he built and raced the first Dodge pickup in the Truck Series.

Walker Evans told Marty Evans, after being inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2015, how much he loves the sport. “The sport was just something that I thrived on. I just loved it – just driving, driving, and driving all through the night. You know how you can get hooked on something? Everybody who’s ever driven the Baja knows it’s the greatest experience of his or her life. And it definitely took over mine.”

With Walker Evans’ demise, we closed another chapter in Dodge’s history in NASCAR. However, now we are ready for the next chapter – let us wait and see when the OEM comes back.