Remember when NASCAR’s Senior Vice President, John Probst hinted about the arrival of a new OEM in March? However, it seems as though things are not looking bright for Honda. For the longest time, there have been rumors about how Honda would be the much anticipated fourth manufacturer to join NASCAR.

Honda and Nissan joining hands had been under the talks for a couple of months and yet there are news of the deal falling flat! How does it impact NASCAR’s probable fourth manufacturer? Well, let’s just say, that this collaboration would have made them the third-largest carmaker in the world! 

Nissan and Honda were unable to come to common ground

It was around December that the two manufacturers – Nissan and Honda first stated that they were discussing possibilities of joining hands. The idea was simple – to take on the role of the third-largest Original Equipment Manufacturer. It was stipulated that a newly established holding company would serve as the parent organization for both Honda and Nissan and then share trade on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Given Honda’s larger size, it was to appoint the majority of the board members overseeing the combined entity. The merged corporation projected a revenue of 30 trillion yen ($191.4 billion). 

However, just when things had started to look up, there was bad news for all those who wanted the merger to happen. Sources related to both companies, who have declined to share their identities, divulged that the companies are no longer considering the collaboration. Suspected reason? As of now, the available information hints at differences between the two regarding valuation. Announcing the move, a tweet by Adam Stern read, “Nissan Motor Co. is prepared to reject an acquisition offer that would make it a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co., according to a person familiar with the matter, a move that could jeopardize talks between the two carmakers to join forces.”

As of now, there hasn’t been any official declaration from the two manufacturers. A board meeting involving all the concerned personnel is also scheduled to discuss future possibilities. This was not the only collaboration that Honda was supposed to take up for the 2025 season. For the longest time, there have been rumors about how Honda is coming to NASCAR as the fourth manufacturer alongside Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. 

Speaking of the same, NASCAR President, Steve Phelps had made his opinion quite clear. He said, “I won’t get into exactly where those are and who they are, but we have an OE that is close. That OE has buy-out from those that are in the racing portion of that. So it really just comes down to the business portion and can we strike a deal that is advantageous for them and for us? Are we the right fit for their brand?”

He further added, “But I’m cautiously optimistic, and then we need to being accelerate the other discussions we’ve had because I think, in our opinion, five is probably the right number of OEs. Obviously, we’re at three right now. We are a couple of years away.” Whether the merger between Honda and Nissan not materializing will have an impact on the former’s entry into the world of NASCAR is a test of time. 

Does Honda have logistical barriers to make a NASCAR entry 

It seems that Honda has more than one barrier to think about before they join hands with NASCAR. For Honda to function on the tracks, teams must be ready to come under the banner. Currently, each of the teams is driving under either of the three manufacturers. This leaves the probability of another option, carving out a new team. However, even if Honda chooses to bring out its team, it raises concerns about whether it will abide by NASCAR’s charter system. 

While there are a few initial hiccups, NASCAR insider Kevin Harvick believes that the incoming of a fourth manufacturer could prove to be good for the sport. Harvick in an episode of his podcast said, “Yeah, I mean we’ve heard a lot of rumours about Honda coming into the sport. Whether it’s them or not, I don’t know that to be true. They keep bringing up the fact that there’s a new manufacturer coming into the sport. I want to see it, I want to think that if we can get another manufacturer to come into the sport. It just opens up opportunities for so many different teams.”

If Honda manages to overcome these hurdles, it could shake up the competitive landscape, offering new alliances and technical innovations. However, until concrete plans emerge, the speculation remains just another intriguing chapter in NASCAR’s evolving future.