Back in the day, Dodge was a big deal in the NASCAR and Daytona racing scenes, right up until 2012. However, 2012 marked the end of an era. Dodge decided to bow out of their partnership with NASCAR. According to a Los Angeles Times report, the split boiled down to Dodge not being able to land a sweet deal with racing teams. But this wasn’t the first time they’d stepped back from the track. They’d previously taken a break after bans in 1971 and 1964. 

But, now with the news of Dodge winding down production of their iconic race cars, it looks like they might be waving the checkered flag on their NASCAR days for good.

End of the road for Dodge’s muscle cars

Come next year, in 2024, we’re going to say goodbye to Dodge’s gas-guzzling legends, the Challenger and Charger. Dodge made waves in August 2023, announcing they’re pulling the plug on these iconic muscle cars to shift gears towards electric vehicles.

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These cars have been the talk of the town since their revival in the 2000s. The Challenger and Charger, household names from the ’60s and ’70s, became the go-to rides for a whole new breed of car enthusiasts. The Challenger, with its old-school charm, and the Charger, standing tall in the sedan world despite the SUV craze, have been Dodge’s pride and joy.

But these Dodge cars weren’t just for show – they really had some serious muscle under the hood. Take the Hellcat, for instance, it was a beast with over 700 horsepower! Imagine that kind of power tearing up the NASCAR tracks. Dodge did dip their toes back into the racing world in 2001, after a long 23-year break, with just a couple of teams. But they eventually took a back seat again from the whole stock car racing scene.

There was a lot of chatter about Dodge making a big comeback in NASCAR, especially after they popped back up in 2001. But with the big guns like Ford, Toyota, and Chevrolet dominating the tracks with their latest models, NASCAR’s been eyeing a fourth major competitor to join the fray. Now, with Dodge bowing out of the gas-powered game, it looks like those comeback rumors might just remain a part of the good old days.

NASCAR’s quest for a new contender

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There were all these hush-hush talks about Dodge, maybe stepping up as NASCAR’s fourth big name. But, you know how it is with rumors – they blaze up and then just die down without a trace. Now, there’s this exciting buzz about Honda possibly stepping into the ring, which is pretty thrilling, especially since the Japanese manufacturer is also possibly eyeing something bigger than their IndyCar gigs.

When word got out about a potential Dodge comeback, NASCAR didn’t shy away from saying they’d love a new face on the track. Right now, Chevrolet’s sitting pretty at the top with an impressive 42 championships. Ford’s not too far behind with 17, and Toyota’s got 3. Sure, throwing another brand into the mix won’t flip the leaderboard on its head right away, but it sure would add some extra flavor to the races, don’t you think?

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As the conversation shifts towards hybrid and electric technologies, we can expect more names to throw their hats into the ring. For now, Honda seems like a prime candidate to step into the void left by Dodge, potentially revving up the competition in NASCAR’s arena.