The Future of Dodge – Teams in NASCAR?

Richard Petty Motorsports

Resurrected out of the remains of two former Dodge organizations, Richard Petty Motorsports remains today as one of the oldest competing teams in NASCAR, dating back to the origins of the sport with Petty Enterprises. However, when the economy struggled in the U.S. in the late 2000s, teams cut back and combined, leading to nearly the end of Petty in the sport. When Gillett-Evernham Motorsports merged with Petty Enterprises, things did not look good. But now RPM is back, and could help bring Dodge back too.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons to see Petty on the move in the coming years is their ranking with the Ford Performance teams. With the addition of Stewart-Haas Racing to the Ford stable in 2017, RPM will theoretically be knocked down on the totem pole to the #5 organization. Being held behind SHR, Penske, Roush, and the Wood Brothers is not a position that any team wants to be in, especially one led by a former seven-time Cup champion.

Any move Petty would make would likely only be to a marque to which the team has history. Petty Enterprises has only ever run with Ford, Plymouth, and Dodge, and only two of those three remain as car manufacturers. Dodge would seem to be the likliest choice for the organization’s future, especially if they are to recapture any of their multi-car success.