The sanctioning body remains focused on getting at least four manufacturers back in the Cup Series, which hasn’t happened since 2012. While Dodge is certainly a possibility, especially following news of Ram’s return to the Truck Series, NASCAR’s options are not limited.
Speaking to a limited media availability that included Motorsport.com, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer John Probst got candid about the current state of play as they court more OEMs.
“I feel like we’ve said this 900 times to you guys, and until today, (we) have not had any breakthrough news to announce, and today, we’re proud to welcome Ram back into NASCAR,” said Probst. “I don’t want to jinx ourselves, but I would say we are very close with one other (manufacturer) – can’t speak for them, obviously. It’s their decision to make.
“We would love for them to decide to come into NASCAR and even with that, there’s one or two others that we’re a little bit earlier in the discussions, but also, looking pretty positive. We all know that an OEM deciding to come into NASCAR – it’s a big commitment for them. It’s not something that they take lightly. It’s something that requires a lot of research and approval at the highest levels, and you know, we’re confident right now. We like the position we’re in, and we think we’re a pretty good investment for an OEM.”
Ram Truck
While this is pure speculation, Honda is likely among that group in some form as the manufacturer has been linked to previous discussions with NASCAR. But regardless of who, it’s clear that the sanctioning body is finally making inroads in their mission to expand their number of dedicated OEMs in the sport.
As for why now, Probst claimed, “there’s a lot of momentum around our sport right now … outside of our sport, particularly around a lot of the blue-chip stuff when we go out and get to visit with folks. Particularly, companies that aren’t in our sport today, but a lot of positive momentum there.”
Probst also believes the Next Gen car, which was introduced in 2022, is another factor in renewed interest from manufacturers. He said the current generation gives the OEMs “cars that really match what they have on the dealership side and all of the other stuff that’s going on over at Dodge, Ram, and Stellantis. The timing was just right for us to get back to work and go racing again together.”
As for a timeline, Probst repeated 18 months as the bare minimum for a manufacturer from the moment they say ‘yes’ to the day they first show up on the grid in order to get everything ready for such an endeavor.
But in the meantime, NASCAR finally has its fourth manufacturer – at least at the Truck level.
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