Why is Dodge not in NASCAR? Exploring the exit of the American brand from the sport

NASCAR fans have wondered what made the legendary American manufacturer Dodge, which had a lot of success on track (5 championship titles and 217 race wins), exit the sport in 2012.

Dodge started as one of the pioneers of NASCAR and soon became a dominant manufacturer in the premier stock car racing series. The American brand however took a break from the sport after the 1977 season due to changes in corporate priorities.

Dodge returned to the sport in 1999 by teaming up with Team Penske and was soon successful in all three Series, although they faced economic challenges and corporate restructuring within Chrysler, which had bought Dodge years prior.

One of the turning points that led to Dodge stepping back from the sport was the switch from Team Penske, their flagship team, to Ford in 2012 after Brad Keselowski won the Cup championship in the No. 2 Dodge.

The loss of a successful team was a big blow to Dodge's presence in the sport. The American team then pursued other partnerships, but they couldn't find another team that would make them champions again on the race track.

They looked for a strong team with experience in research and technical development and top-level drivers, but the other teams were already allied to rival brands, making it very difficult for Dodge to find a suitable partner.

With the challenges of finding a competitive team, Dodge also faced financial issues as Chrysler filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and went through the restructuring process.

The cost of running a NASCAR program in those conditions became difficult. Fiat, which became a parent organization of Chrysler, focused on the latter's economic recovery so being in the sport was not seen as a strategic business move any longer.

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Dodge's NASCAR comeback doubtful as iconic models are discontinued

For over a decade now, NASCAR has been under the undisputed reign of the trio of Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. Despite the hints here and there that new manufacturers might finally come to the sport, such efforts have taken a backseat so far.

Yet, the latest demonstration of the 2024 spec cars by Ford and Toyota, where Chevrolet was absent, has brought a new wave of speculation that this could be the right moment for new manufacturers to enter NASCAR.

At the same time, more rumors started circulating that a Dodge comeback was imminent, given the changing technical landscape.

But in 2022, Dodge removed their Charger and Challenger lineups and the Chrysler 300 model from production lines. For Timothy Kuniskis, the CEO of Stellantis - Dodge's parent company, this move is a signal that the company is shifting towards an electrified future. He said (via EssentiallySports.com):

“We are celebrating the end of an era — and the start of a bright new electrified future — by staying true to our brand.”

The retirement of those legendary models might cause problems for Dodge's plans to re-enter NASCAR since they would probably have to do this through electric vehicles, which the sport has not fully embraced yet.