……OR…WHAT THE CHARGER SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE START
By: Jen Dunnaway
Posted On: 3/12/2012 9:14AM
Following the precedent set by Ford with its hot new NASCAR Fusion, Dodge unveiled a muscular Charger that’ll be running Sprint Cup during the 2013 season. Dodge enjoys the distinction of being the only Cup car that’s based on an actual RWD V8 civilian version, but the reveal also comes at a problematic time for the manufacturer: with Penske Racing having just announced that it’ll be leaving Dodge for Ford, the only Charger in the field is run by independent Robby Gordon. SRT Motorsports chief Ralph Giles says all options are on the table, including pulling Dodge from the series altogether. What do you think, does Dodge have a future in NASCAR? After seeing this new Charger, I kind of hope so. More info at NASCAR.com, pics via Autoblog.
I’m bittersweet about manufacturers participation in NASCAR, and have been since TOYOTA wrapped themselves in the American flag and joined the series. If manufacturers are to continue participation, then I would like to see rules such as motor sources must be manufacturer souced, running pump gas, and back to body templates that must match their street versions.
Back when MOPAR was absent from NASCAR, the ideal was that there just was nothing to gain in NASCAR other than name recognition for Chrysler. Even TOYOTA admitted when they joined NASCAR that their was nothing to gain other than getting their logo on the field.
I liked Jimmy Spencer’s comment on TOYOTA joining NASCAR a few years back; “All I can say is they bombed Pearl Harbor”.
Back to the USA tomorrow. Hows my favorite convertible doing?