Why These Two Top Cup Series Teams Should Join Dodge
Dodge is coming with them, joining the truck series next year, and has been extremely open about coming to the NASCAR Cup Series circa 2027. Of course, no manufacturer can exist without teams, and you can’t be competitive without a big-budget team. While it’s not unheard of for Dodge to make their own. Let’s see what big-budget teams already exist that they can snatch up as well.
Team Penske is Obvious
Penske already has a long history with Dodge in NASCAR, with Dodge going out as champions in 2012 with Brad Keselowski and Penske. And they’d be leaving for the same reason they left in 2001, which is how crowded Ford is. Sure, there were more teams in 2001, but with RFK and even FRM being A-tier teams along with them.
If Penske has the chance to be the top dog at Dodge, it’d be stupid not to take it. Especially since we don’t know if Ford’s slump this year is a 1-year thing or a continuous thing yet. If Ford’s cup program is starting to struggle, it makes the unknown potential of Dodge that much more tantalizing.
Trackhouse Racing Needs to Turn Things Around
Can Dodge be the way to get Trackhouse back to championship contention? Well, it’s almost certainly better than being in the Hendrick-shaped shadow all the other Chevy teams are under. Or consistently competing with other Chevy teams, such as Spire or Kaulig, which are very new and ambitious. Or like RCR or Hendrick, who have storied histories and very long and close relationships with Chevy. Hyak is there, too.
Fun fact. Trackhouse in 2022 contended for a championship with Chastain, while Suarez made the playoffs with a win at Sonoma. They haven’t shown that form since then, and it’s even more worrying since Pitbull stopped funding the team. Although they have secured new investment from former Bucks owner Marc Lasry, this development is a significant help. So, if Dodge is willing to invest more than Chevy, they should do it if they want to recapture the 2022 market.
What are the Downsides?!
Obviously, everything with Dodge is a huge unknown, and thus the possibility that they screw something up or everything up is on the table. The car won’t be competitive; they don’t want to invest that much. They hire incompetent individuals who lack the skills to develop a competitive program or a solid driver development pipeline. And it’s way safer to stay where you are. Penske and Trackhouse already receive substantial funding and support from their manufacturers. Even if they receive more money and make additional promises, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will or that their support will improve.
Will Dodge Start Their Own Team Again?!
Before the official announcement of RAM’s return to the truck series, rumors had already circulated, and the leak days before the announcement only strengthened them. That RAM was going to have a factory team with Cleetus McFarland, aka Lawrence Garrett Mitchell, who’ll be driving and part-owning if rumors are to be believed. To be honest, they’re not, but they should be considered. It’s part of the charter agreement; you can add 4 more cars and expand the field to 43, which would be very attractive to NASCAR, I’m sure.
If this rumor is correct, then whoever walks into Penske or Trackhouse won’t be the 110% top dog; there will be existing competition to contend with. So not everything will revolve around the team, and you can’t call as many shots as you would’ve otherwise. Which does mean going to Dodge loses not all but some of its luster. As for development, securing a top truck team like Thorsport or CR7 Motorsports would go a long way, along with a potential RAM factory team. Thanks a bunch for reading!
