Will the Dodgers come back? NASCAR New Manufacturer Hunt Explained
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NASCAR has been looking for a new manufacturer since the Dodgers pulled out of the Cup series in 2012. Interest comes and goes, but what does it take for new manufacturers to join Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota?
Dodge is gone, NASCAR doesn’t seem to have anything to do with new manufacturer
NASCAR has found itself in a bind as it searches for an elusive fourth race car manufacturer.
Since Penske opted to go elsewhere in 2013 and Dodge pulled out, the search has been going on without success.
While Dodge theoretically has the technology to return an engine any time it’s placed on Michigan shelves, it decided against it.
One of the reasons is that NASCAR, in its current state, has nothing to do with manufacturers other than the trio it currently has.
Outdated and basic V8 engine technology simply does not attract potential new entries.
The industry has been moving towards hybrid and electric technology.
Cup champion Brad Keselowski came up with the idea of a hybrid a few years agothe first driver to understand NASCAR had to adapt to survive.
Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images
“Our fan base associates stock cars with powerful V-8s, and so do I,” he wrote.
“That shouldn’t change. If we switch to a four-cylinder or a V-6 in NASCAR, we’re going to lose a lot of fans.
“But having an F1-like KERS system — which can recover energy and use it as needed — is the perfect foundation for a NASCAR V-8 hybrid.
“In my vision, we’re going to create one of the best engines in the world, one that will remain beloved by roaring NASCAR fans.”
How does NASCAR feel about finding new manufacturers?
So NASCAR has known for some time the survival route it has to take, and it knows what this particular piece of the puzzle looks like.
“I’d be surprised if new OEMs (manufacturers) come in without some kind of electrification,” NASCAR President Steve Phelps told the media earlier this year.
“I’m not talking about all-electric, I’m talking about a hybrid system.
“This is obviously something we are currently exploring with the three existing OEMs.
“The question is what is it and what is its timing?”
NASCAR’s hybrids are still some way off, and that won’t happen within the next season or two.
But one thing is certain, by the end of the century, hybrid technology will be a part of NASCAR for a long time to come.
Will the next generation of cars help new manufacturers?
This is the envisioned concept for the next-generation car.
The success of the NextGen race car, which will debut at the 2022 Daytona 500 after a one-year delay, will impact its ability to bring these key new manufacturers into the car.
If NASCAR enters the second half of the century and a fourth manufacturer doesn’t thrive, the next generation of cars will be a failure.
Photo by Michael Reeves/Getty Images
Phelps believes “the importance of the new car cannot be overstated” and that it will bring “renewed interest from an OEM perspective”.
NextGen Automotive is designed to dramatically reduce costs for existing manufacturers and any new ones.
It will essentially be a spec car.
Any new team/manufacturer can buy parts from a common supplier instead of developing their own.
Hopefully this will create a tighter, more intense race as no single team/OEM can outpace the field.
Teams will be allowed to modify styling and styling, but the overall DNA of the new car will be one common DNA.
Who will be the new manufacturer of NASCAR? Could it be Dodge?
The Dodgers are the sweet spot to possibly rejoin the Cup.
While it will start with a fresh start for NextGen cars, the nature as described above makes it an easy hurdle to overcome.
Of the Big Three U.S. automakers — Ford, General Motors and Chrysler — only the last doesn’t have NASCAR.
Ford has long been rooted, and GM already has the Chevrolet brand in NASCAR.
GM used to have multiple brands in the Cup series when Pontiac and Oldsmobile raced against Chevrolet.
It’s questionable, but not impossible, GM’s willingness to devote resources again to backing another brand.
Meanwhile, at Chrysler, of all its brands, Dodge seems to be the most logical and straightforward to enter the Cup.
With Ford on Penske and Stewart Haas, Chevrolet on Hendrick, Joe Gibbs/23XI on Toyota, the new manufacturer is perfect for a midfield team.
If NASCAR manages to get a fourth (or fifth) manufacturer, they won’t be short of recipients.
Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images
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Jack usually writes or reads anything related to motorsport – from Formula 1 to NASCAR to British truck racing. His work as a motorsport reporter has been published in prestigious media such as Autosport, Motorsport.com and Motorsport News. In addition to racing, he is an avid amateur astronomer, podcast listener, and enjoys walks in the park with his three dogs.
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