Chalk it up to the poor economy, dropping sales, the collapse of the full-size truck segment or any combination therein, but Dodge has officially pulled out of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Dodge fielded only one team in 2008 – that being Bobby Hamilton Racing – but the Michigan automaker will exit the sport before the start of the 2009 season.
Because Dodge only backed one team for 2008, it doesn’t come as a huge surprised that Dodge won’t be fielding a team for 2009. However, it is a reflection of the tough times for the Big Three, and it does show Chrysler’s relative weakness compared to its cross-town rivals.
The next concern for the Dodge and NASCAR faithful is that Dodge will also be pulling out of the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series. However, Dodge Motorsports senior manager Mike Delahanty told Bleacher Report that Dodge has no plans to exit the regular NASCAR series.
Despite Delahanty’s optimism, Dodge could be completely out of NASCAR within a few years. Its racing program hasn’t been all that successful as of late and Chrysler is probably more concerned with turning around its North American operations rather than winning races. And, after all, you can’t win on Sunday and sell on Monday if you’re not focused on building vehicles that people actually want.
09/08, 6:46 PM
posted by:
elviososa
…and I think NASCAR is pointless.
09/08, 6:57 PM
posted by:
jayjc08
They had never done really well in the Craftsman truck series anyways.
09/08, 9:56 PM
posted by:
A4
what about racing the Viper ACR?
09/08, 9:58 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
NASCAR should get out of the truck series. It’s populated by Sprint nee Nextel nee Winston cup has-beens and nevergonna-wannabees. The only guy with any integrity is Johhny Benson and any time someone with real talent (Mark Martin, Kyle Busch) enters a race everyone else might as well be having a tailgate party. Different story regarding the Sprint and Nationwide series, however. NASCAR nation is still more powerful than perhaps they should be and might well be the last bastion of corporate loyalty left in North America. No Dodge driver made the ‘Chase’ this year- even Kasey Kahne- and for a company that has what’s left of their battered reputation based on V8 powered vehicles the tired old suits at Cerberus need to be convinced NASCAR is not only necessary but mandatory.
09/09, 7:19 AM
posted by:
Got Handling?
And the world breathes a collective sigh of bothered, pausing slightly to ponder what redneck America will find to fill a couple of hours each week.
09/09, 10:36 AM
posted by:
RaineMan
I wonder how much oil would be saved, and how much pollution would be kept out of the air if all of this lame circle-track racing was just stopped completely. To think of the millions of gallons of race fuel that are used by teams each year just boggles the mind.
09/09, 1:24 PM
posted by:
bradleygt
YOU ARE SO RIGHT RAINEMan!
actually, i think we should just stop ALL sporting events all together. If you’d add up all the jet, bus, and fans fuel that could be saved, why gas would go back down to $2/gal I bet! Damn all the sports! actually, lets just ban anything fun at all. No more vacations or roadtrips without express government approval and paying a gas tax ahead of time also! and if you have to commute more then 20 miles to work dangit, you have to pay monthly toll fee. That will stop all them capitalist freedom loving people who think they have ‘rights’ to pursue ‘happyness’ and that when a market dries up then it will go away. MORE GOVERNMENT and control of us all please!