The Bizarre Reason Why the Dodge Charger Daytona Was Banned From Competing in NASCAR

NASCAR has been around for a fairly long time, 75 years, to be precise. During that time, the sport has witnessed a number of manufacturers enter and exit the sport. As of 2023, there are three major manufacturers competing, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford. However, once upon a time, there used to be manufacturers like Buick, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Dodge, and many more. Dodge is actually the most recent departure, and they had been around for a long time.

However, the manufacturer has not been in the sport since 2012, and they obviously didn’t find it lucrative enough. However, there was an occasion in its heyday, when one of its cars was banned. The car in question was the Dodge Charger Daytona, and it was banned for a bizarre reason. This was a car that was iconic because of an association with the Superbird that Richard Petty used to drive.

Why was this Daytona car banned from competing in NASCAR?

Apparently, it was too fast for NASCAR’s liking, and the evidence was there. As it turned out, Buddy Baker broke the speed record at the Talladega Superspeedway. Baker was the first driver to ever breach the 200mph barrier, and the Dodge Charger Daytona dominated several races. Seeing it from NASCAR’s point of view, there were multiple reasons behind the ban.

Firstly, the dominance was seen as a potential threat to the sport’s popularity. So NASCAR countered the situation with new aero rules. The aero rule pertained to the massive rear wing that has been hugely iconic but was also a big aero advantage. For that very reason, Plymouth could not field their iconic Superbird either.

Was there any other reason for the ban from stock car racing?

Aside from the technical aspect, another reason could have been safety. After all, this was the era of the 1970s when the issue of driver safety was not given as much thought as it is today. So it would have obviously been alarming for officials, to have a car that was much faster than normal. Also, considering that this is a competition, it would have pushed other manufacturers to come out with faster cars.

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With faster cars developing faster than safety improvements in the sport, that was not a risk worth taking. So it could be possible that the clampdown on development and the outright ban on the car could be for that very reason.

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