Chrysler Bankruptcy: The Future of NASCAR Teams Hang in the Balance
Questioning the future of Dodge’s continuing involvement in NASCAR is nothing new – back in September 2008, I wrote about the pending withdrawal of Dodge from NASCAR and unfortunately this appears to be the plan for 2010. ( http://tinyurl.com/dlymm8 )
Many, at first glance, didn’t feel that the Chrysler bankruptcy filing on Thursday would have any effect on the Sprint Cup teams backed by Dodge. And Chrysler was …
Tags: Chrysler COT Dodge NASCAR
Robby Gordon and Jim Beam Team Up to Support Our Troops
… and donating the hood, I was 100 percent in,” said Robby Gordon driver of the No. 7 Jim Beam Dodge. “Veterans Day is a time to remember the commitments made by the men and women who have served this country, and I’m proud to join Jim Beam in supporting Operation Homefront and our nation’s military families.”
Amy Palmer, founder and vice president of operations for Operation Homefront®, expressed her appreciation for Jim Beam’s and Gordon’s ongoing support. “Robby and Jim …
Survival of the Fittest? – NASCAR Teams Look to Consolidation
… Development. So it appears that if both transactions are completed; and Gillette changes from Dodge to Toyota – Dodge Motorsports will be left with just Penske Racing and Richard Petty Racing. Furthermore, I suspect at the root of Gillette’s motivation to acquire BDR is the reality that Dodge is looking to leave NASCAR all together. As my readers know, earlier this month Dodge announced their plans to leave the NASCAR Truck Series and with the founding Dodge Sprint Cup Team (Evernham) …
Tags: BDR Bill Davis Racing Chip Ganassi Racing Dodge GEM Gillette Evernham Motorsports M&A Michael Waltrip Racing MWR NASCAR Penske Racing Richard Petty Racing Robert Kauffman Sprint Cup Toyota
Dodge Exits the NASCAR Truck Series
… with the Big 3 automotive manufacturers’ involvement in NASCAR. The exit announcement by Dodge is the latest blow to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series which has yet to find a title sponsor to replace Craftsman in 2009 and beyond. In 2009, Dodge will not provide any financial support to any teams in the series. Dodge Motorsports senior manager Mike Delahanty said,
“We’ll have no factory-funded teams.”
Delahanty told ESPN.com,
“When times are tough, there are …
Tags: Bang Racing Bobby Hamilton Craftsman Truck Series Dodge Mike Delahanty NASCAR Ted Musgrave Toyota Motosports
NASCAR Sponsorships’ Unraveling
… a bitter disappointment. In 2006, Chip Ganassi secured Juan Pablo Montoya to pilot the #42 Texaco Dodge in the Sprint Cup series and hoped the media attention of the former IndyCar and Indy 500 Champion would ignite the performance and success of his NASCAR team. But excluding a few promising races (mostly on road courses) Montoya’s NASCAR career has underperformed. It appears Chip Ganassi Racing may be another victim of the sponsorship race; and soon join NASCAR’s elite defunct team …
NASCAR – Is it Still Stock Car Racing?
On Friday, Wired published an article titled – The Car of Tomorrow Has an Extension Cord – a discussion of the future plug-in hybrids coming soon to your local car dealer showroom. This discussion further demonstrates the continued divide between NASCAR and all automakers.
The founding principle and most basic concept behind NASCAR was and is “stock car” racing; and the ability for …
Tags: Alternative Energy Racing COT Dodge Fisker Automotive Ford General Motors GM J.D. Power & Associates Mike Omotoso NASCAR Plug-In Hybrids Prius The Car of Tomorrow Toyota Volkswagen
The Future of the NASCAR Truck Series
… automotive manufacturers and the grand entrance of Toyota into NASCAR. Because GM, Ford and Dodge made every effort to fend off Toyota Motorsports’ success during their inaugural year in NASCAR, balanced competition was created – and resulted in one of the most competitive racing series in the world. Furthermore, the Truck Series received a tremendous amount of public interest, record viewership, attendance and possibly the most important factor of all – awareness in the …
Tags: Bang Racing Craftsman Dodge Ford Fox News Channel GM NASCAR NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Snap-On Tools Toyota Toyota Motorsports
Team Consolidation on the Horizon
… President of Toyota Racing Development (TRD) – and with the financial uncertainty of Chrysler (Dodge), this would provide Chip Ganassi the ability to leave Dodge and become part of the Toyota Motorsports umbrella. Secondly, the “Waltrip” brand no longer has the luster that once existed and it’s unlikely that any new prospective primary sponsor would consider aligning itself with the MWR organization. However, MWR does have a coveted deal with Toyota and with the merged resources of …
The Reality of an IndyCar Champion
… Dario Franchitti lost his ride when team owner Chip Ganassi closed down the unsponsored No. 40 Dodge – with 17 races into Dario’s first season in NASCAR.
But there is more in the making of this decision and the announcement really doesn’t surprise me – you have a team whose performance has been downright awful, a rookie driver struggling to adapt to a new form of racing, mass inflation in an already expensive business and serious downward pressure on the U.S. economy – …
Tags: Dario Franchitti Dodge economy IndyCar NASCAR Sponsorship
Bang Racing Embarks On its First Season
… things he has done in his life appear to be the exception.
Qualifying third for the Florida Dodge Dealers 200 at Daytona, Kvapil scored a runner up finish, while Skinner, who qualified fourteenth finished twenty-eighth after being caught up in a multi-truck wreck mid way through the event.
“I don’t believe we had any surprises at Daytona”, noted Meshkin. “We knew we had two good teams and two great drivers. The only surprise was having Mike Skinner’s number Forty-Two …
Driver’s gamble with first-time owner pays off
… published last weekend that he was in line to replace Las Vegan Brendan Gaughan in the No. 77 Dodge for Penske/Jasper Racing in the Nextel Cup Series.
“It’s that time of year for rumors,” Kvapil said. “No one from Penske has talked to me.”
Meshkin, a native of Washington, D.C., said he expects to make an official announcement about his NASCAR plans in 45 to 60 days and it could include a second part-time team in the Busch series. He also said Kvapil will compete in …
Toyota launches four-team Craftsman entry
… it comes true. For now Toyota will settle for being able to hang with American brands Ford, Dodge and Chevy.
Preseason testing revealed a horsepower deficit and other issues, but most expect the dependable Tundra to close the gap by season’s end, setting the stage for more suspense in NASCAR’s most competitive series.
“It’s stable,” said 1995 series champion Mike Skinner, who will team with reigning champion Travis Kvapil as part of Toyota’s four-team, seven-truck …
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