So as the entire NASCAR Nation knows, Dodge unveiled their brand new 2013 Charger last weekend in Las Vegas.
This is one of the most beautiful racecars I have ever seen. But again, as we all know there is a problem! Who will drive them? Another obvious headliner is that Penske Racing is returning to the Ford camp, and that leaves Robby Gordon’s mom and pops team alone in the Dodge camp. I would not be super attracted to that if I am Dodge, but maybe they actually are.
ESPN did a huge segment for fans, called #TalkoftheTrack, asking our opinions on what should Dodge do. Here is a run down of my opinion and comments based on my comments as well as some other fans comments I’ve seen.
Richard Petty Motorsports will switch back to Dodge – This is a possibility, but if you can recall, Dodge treated the King very rudely when he joined their effort in the manufacturer’s return to the sport. It was no surprise to see RPM switch to Ford after the merger, and I’d be shocked if they truly went back to Dodge.
Earnhardt-Ganassi could go back to Dodge – This one, as much as I’d like to say is not a possibility, could very well happen. Ganassi was a strong Dodge team before they merged with DEI because of sponsorship issues. However, I do not see Teresa Earnhardt (who is President and Co-CEO of EGR) ever putting Dale Earnhardt’s name on anything but a Chevrolet. But Teresa (who I lost all respect for after the Jr/DEI split) did screw Dale Jr out of DEI, which in Dale Sr’s own words, was built for Dale Jr. So, again it actually would not surprise me if she screwed the Earnhardt family/name again.
Stewart-Hass Racing could leave Chevy for Dodge – No. Let me explain why this is an absolute no. If I recall correctly and I may be partially wrong on this, the big reason Stewart left JGR was because they left Chevy for Toyota’s and Stewart wanted to race in Chevy’s. Now, if I am wrong on this it is because it wasn’t the main reason. Racing a Chevy was one of the reasons Stewart did leave JGR, but I may be wrong in the sense that it was his big reason for leaving.
Richard Childress Racing drops a bombshell to run Dodge’s – No. Another absolute no and for one obvious reason: RCR has run Chevy since the beginning and will to the day that organization (and hopefully doesn’t) runs into the ground.
Other obvious no teams that will not switch to Dodge: Hendrick Motorsports, Roush-Fenway Racing, Penske Racing (Obviously!), and Joe Gibbs Racings
But here is what I think Dodge should do. Dodge should not focus on landing a huge and major organization to run their equipment. Rather, they should work on building strong cars and engines so they can sponsor, fund, and provide cars for the small teams from mom and pops shops. Teams that can use support and funding from Dodge include BK Racing (Cassill is a young driver with potential if given good equipment), FAS Lane Racing, Front Row Motorsports (David Ragan and Josh Wise are both young drivers that are full of potential), Furniture Row Racing, NEMCO Motorsports (Front Row Joe is a proven veteran who has fallen victim to no sponsors and weak equipment), and obviously Robby Gordon Motorsports.
Now there is one team that could surprise the NASCAR Nation that hasn’t been mentioned. They have shown very little success under Toyota, but have drivers with tons of potential. It would not surprise me if you see Michael Waltrip Racing make the switch to Dodge.
Well that is all I have to offer on this subject, but thanks for reading, let me know what you think below or on twitter @bryantdouglass!