Jayski's® Silly Season Site - PAST Dodge Cup News

Past Dodge Manufacturer NASCAR news and rumors

Dodge Test at Kentucky: Drivers from Evernham Motorsports, Penske Racing South, Chip Ganassi Racing and Petty Enterprises are expected to have a joint test session on Monday [Feb 6th] at Kentucky Speedway. The endeavor will be an attempt to come to a consensus as to what changes can be made to the 2005 Charger to make it competitive while racing in traffic. So far, the four major Dodge organizations have yet to come to an agreement, which hindered attempts to get a change from NASCAR. As of now, Penske Racing South is expected to field 2004 Dodge Intrepids at California Speedway and Las Vegas. Once a decision is reached, Dodge is expected to submit a new nose to NASCAR to see if it will be approved for this season.(NASCAR Scene), the Kentucky Speedway site lists three drivers testing on Monday, Feb 6th: #12-Newman, #40-Stremme, #42-Mears. Also....Fans can watch from the Turn 3 Fan Center at no charge. Schedule subject to change daily. Test times vary.(2-4-2006)

No new nose for the Charger: While Dodge teams are lobbying for concessions to make the one-year-old Dodge Charger more competitive, Nextel Cup Series Director John Darby said Jan. 10 that it is unlikely they will get them. "We'll continue to watch the Dodge, but there are no changes on the table," Darby said. Dodge teams, which won only two races in 2005, still have the option of using the 2004 Intrepid, which two teams used at Homestead-Miami Speedway last season.(NASCAR Scene Daily Newsletter)(1-10-2006)

Return of the Intrepid? UPDATE 2: It was reported during NBC's coverage of the Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway that some Dodge teams would roll out a Dodge Intrepid in place of the Dodge Charger for the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.(11-14-2005)
UPDATE: hearing a Penske Team and a Ganassi team are two of the team that may use an Intrepid at Homestead.(11-15-2005)
UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham of Evernham Motorsports told Claire B. Lang of XM Satellite NASCAR Radio that he's going to run a 2004 dodge as a test this weekend in an effort to find why the Dodges have been struggling: "The car shows great numbers in the wind tunnel, it qualifies great but it seems to struggle in traffic. This week going to Miami, we're going to run a 2004 Dodge as a test....Just a comparison you know we'll basically have two cars with identical chassis set ups prepared by basically the same people just different bodies so hopefully we'll be able to get some feedback on how each car handles in traffic......Car number 9 with Kasey Kahne will run the older model and Jeremy Mayfield will run the 2005 Charger."(XM Satellite NASCAR Radio)(11-18-2005)

'No' to the new Dodge nose...again? NASCAR officials are not expected to approve the new aerodynamic nose piece that Dodge teams have been politicking for much of the season. Dodge teams are not pleased with that, pointing out that Ford and Chevrolet will both have new cars next season.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-26-2005)

The Dodge Daytona 500? NASCAR-ISC executives are trying to persuade Daimler-Chrysler's Dodge division to become the name sponsor of the Daytona 500 [at Daytona International Speedway in Feb 2006], but the German car company has not been willing to pay the price, according to sources close to the situation.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-26-2005)

New Charger Nose Status: Dodge teams have struggled with downforce-to-drag balance on the new Charger all year, but a new nose for 2006 could correct the problem. The design for the new nose has been submitted to NASCAR, and approval could come within the next couple of weeks, Dodge director of motorsports John Fernandez said Friday. Dodge has three drivers ranked in the top 10 (Rusty Wallace, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman) but has won only two of 24 races this year. Teams have complained that the current nose isn't very good aerodynamically and that the cross-haired grille collects debris and causes engine overheating. Fernandez said the Dodge nose is actually no worse at collecting debris than the Ford or Chevy nose, but that the aero issue is legitimate and has been addressed in the redesign.(Tampa Tribune)(9-3-2005)

Dodge Petitions for New Nose: Dodge, which has only two victories with the new Charger, has petitioned for a new nose in 2006. Evernham Motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing and Penske Racing collaborated on the new piece, which resembles the Ford front end but has the old Intrepid center. The nose will be ready this week. It must be submitted by September 1 to be approved for next season by NASCAR.(Sporting News)(8-22-2005)

Davis wins round one against Dodge: A U.S. District Court judge granted summary judgment in favor of Bill Davis Racing after determining BDR did not violate terms of an agreement with Daimler-Chrysler by working with Toyota Racing Development USA in 2002 and early 2003. Daimler-Chrysler terminated its Dodge support of BDR in 2003 after learning of its involvement with TRD, which the court said was permitted under the contract. The case now goes to trial on Daimler-Chrysler's contention that BDR conveyed confidential tech information to TRD and BDR's suit for substantial damages because of wrongful termination. No trial date has been set. "We are confident the remaining issues in the case will ultimately be resolved favorably to the interests of BDR," owner Bill Davis said in a statement.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(7-17-2005)

Manufacturers not leaving: Billion-dollar losses by the U.S. automakers, sagging sales, loss of market share to foreign manufacturers, soaring health-care costs and high fuel prices. Sounds like trouble for the sport of NASCAR racing, which relies heavily on support from automakers to keep fleets of Fords, Chevys and Dodges on the track. Not so, say the automakers' representatives at the race tracks. "This is the time, when you are in difficult situations, when in fact you rely on racing even more to move your product," said Dan Davis, director of Ford Racing Technology. "I don't think racing is in any jeopardy at this point or that the racing program is going to be somehow eliminated. In fact, it's possibly the opposite. When you have programs like racing that work, and you have limited funds, that's when you start to really rely on those areas. Racing works. We know it works. ... It's solid as a rock."
Alba Colon, Nextel Cup program manager for General Motors, said her company isn't planning any changes either. "We are very committed to the deal," Colon said. "We are committed to NASCAR, and we have long-term contracts with our teams."
Ray Evernham, who fields Dodge Chargers and is sponsored by Dodge, said he worries about the finances of his sponsor and the other auto makers, but he's confident they'll stick with him and NASCAR. "I still believe American manufacturers realize this is a place where they need to be," he said. "It's still the best bang for the marketing buck. That's why we have so many Fortune 500 companies in NASCAR."
But there is concern in NASCAR about the health of the U.S. auto manufacturers. "The withdrawal of any one manufacturer in the series can have awful consequences throughout the garage," Roush Racing president Geoff Smith said. "If any one decided not to play any more, there would be a number of teams that would immediately be underfinanced to be able to compete with the people that had the budget." Smith said he sees only two scenarios that would cause any of the Big Three or Toyota, which now competes in the Craftsman Truck Series, to leave NASCAR. One would be if global consolidation eliminates a nameplate. The second scenario that could cause manufacturers to leave NASCAR is if one gained a huge competitive advantage on the track. "Historically, if one manufacturer comes in and makes a big investment that the others think alters the playing field, they quit," Smith said. "That is part of NASCAR's challenge, to try to keep the economic playing field somewhat level, with no one party too low or too high." Smith and others say that even with the evolution of NASCAR rules, which has created a type of car that has little resemblance to those on showroom floors, the "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" adage still applies.(Atlanta Journal-Constitution)(5-31-2005)

NASCAR Manufacturer Support in Trouble? Given the choppy financial outlook for the Big Three automakers, some NASCAR team executives are beginning to wonder whether the cascade of financial and technical support they receive from Detroit will begin to run dry. oes it really make sense for General Motors, which lost $1.1 billion in the first quarter of this year, and Ford and DaimlerChrysler, which saw profits slip 30% or more, to maintain estimated nine-figure NASCAR budgets? "It's a legitimate question that a shareholder would ask," says Jim Andrews, editorial director of the IEG Sponsorship Report. "But there's also a danger in saying, 'The company's doing badly, let's just start dumping stuff.' " Executives representing automakers' racing programs say sales slumps make NASCAR more important than ever. While manufacturers are beginning to find ways to spend money more efficiently in racing, executives rule out wholesale cutbacks that would jeopardize their teams' ability to compete. Andrews notes that GM actually is expanding its sports marketing budget, having signed a deal with Major League Baseball earlier this year. "I doubt very much that these companies are looking at NASCAR racing and saying, 'We should be getting out,' " Andrews says. Andrews believes automakers' support of NASCAR is more "defensive" than anything else; they're racing because their competitors are racing. "If they weren't there, other companies would say, 'Why aren't you there?' "
Automotive industry consultant Peter DeLorenzo, publisher of the autoextremist.com Web site, estimates each manufacturer spends at least $125 million a year on NASCAR and doesn't get its money's worth. While automakers still use racing to train young engineers, it has been decades since advances made in NASCAR — which limits technology to control the cost of racing — applied to passenger cars. Beyond that, drivers' personalities and connections to other corporate sponsors have been marketed so aggressively that DeLorenzo says the kind of car they drive is an afterthought. Most important, DeLorenzo says, being in NASCAR does nothing to help domestic automakers overcome what he calls their biggest challenge: winning over foreign car buyers. NASCAR fans already buy domestic cars and trucks. "Detroit is spending a lot of money to preach to the choir," DeLorenzo says.
Manufacturers' executives tell a different story, one of positive media exposure and fan demographics. "We absolutely believe that it's a great return on our investment, from the standpoint of getting exposure," says Bob Wildberger, senior manager of NASCAR operations for Dodge Motorsports. Mark Kent, director of GM Racing, says GM is in NASCAR for the "long haul." But Kent says they have cut back on travel expenses and are working with Chevy teams to consolidate research and development projects. "Obviously, like anything else in our business, we're looking to do more with less," Kent says.(USA Today)(5-11-2005)

Bill Davis Racing/Dodge Lawsuits: A decision in the DaimlerChrylser/Bill Davis Racing legal battle, now almost two years old, could be on the horizon. Federal district court judge George Steeth is currently scheduled May 9 to hear a motion by DaimlerChrylser for partial summary judgment and a motion by BDR for summary judgment. The case stems from DaimlerChrysler dropping its factory support of BDR's Dodge team in the Cup series. Chrysler sued BDR in Michigan state court May 2003, alleging breach of contract for helping Toyota with development of its NASCAR truck program. After getting the case moved to federal court, BDR counter sued, claiming DC had no basis for unilaterally voiding the contract, which was to have run through the 2006 season according to court documents. Chrysler alleges that BDR helping Toyota, which is not racing in the Cup series, violated a contract clause prohibiting teams from aiding a Dodge racing rival because the clause extends to any NASCAR series. In briefs filed for the upcoming hearing, DC alleges that BDR helped launch Toyota's truck development program in High Point in April 2002 and that employees from BDR's Dodge teams were active in the development work, including a BDR engineer garbed in a Toyota shirt at wind tunnel and track tests. DC also alleges that BDR supplied Toyota with Cup engine information which DC claims was to have been for a possible try at Cup racing in 2005.
In the filings, BDR claims that the non-compete clause applies only to the open promotion of a Dodge rival, and that BDR employees in Toyota shirts at development tests did not violate the clause because they would not be recognized as being affiliated with a Dodge team by the general public. DC argues that BDR violated the promotion clause by building show trucks for display at an auto show and Daytona International Speedway in February 2003 in conjunction for Toyotas announcement that it was entering the truck series in 2004. BDR alleges building the show trucks was not a violation because there was no general perception that a Dodge affiliated team built the truck. BDR also argues that its fielding Toyotas in the truck series should be disregarded because that came after its Dodge support was withdrawn.(High Point Enterprise)(4-24-2005)

The Dodge 'Vacuum' Nose UPDATEs: Dodge officials have been in negotiations with NASCAR officials, apparently over aerodynamic issues. Dodge has a new nose and tail this season, and the nose has been controversial because of its tendency to suck up trash on the track and lead to engine overheating.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-14-2005)
UPDATE: Jeff Hammond of FoxSports: "Dodge is concerned about it [Nose], and they've had some conversations with NASCAR. But Dodge designed the nose and presented it to NASCAR in a certain form. If NASCAR allows a change, the benefits of cooling the engine block can't also give teams another benefit with downforce or drag. I think NASCAR will be a little reluctant to make any changes as long as Chargers run tape on the nose. If Dodge went to NASCAR and said, "Hey guys, we're overheating, and we need a little tweak", NASCAR might be more willing to make a change if there's no tape covering the opening. But more than likely, I think that NASCAR would say, "You should have thought about that ahead of time." As long as teams can open up that front end and add more air to the engine, it's going to be hard for NASCAR to give Dodge much leeway."(FoxSports)(3-28-2005)
AND The Dodge Charger nose has been in the news recently because it seems to pick up trash off of the track, blocking the air flow to the radiator. Speculation has it that Dodge has gone to NASCAR and ask for modifications on the nose. At Nashville Superspeedway this past weekend, Ray Evernham said that as far as he knows, Dodge has neither ask for -- or have been offered any concessions from NASCAR concerning any modifications of the Dodge Charger nose. "We've talked to them about a possible replacement of the trash screen and nothing else," said Evernham.(Insider Racing News)(3-28-2005)

No Dodge win at AMS since 1977: did you know, the last time a Cup race at Atlanta was won in a Dodge was in 1977 by, who else....Richard Petty. I still had a full head of hair...(3-16-2005)

Charger the new Dodge in NASCAR - official - image links: after months of rumors and news reports, the official PR: After almost 30 years, the legendary Dodge Charger race car will roar again in 2005 as Dodge Motorsports revealed its modern-era version of the Charger for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series here today. Riding the waves of Dodge's success in NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing since returning to the sport in 2001, the new Dodge Charger race car will make its NASCAR Nextel Cub Series debut in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 20. Four Dodge factory-backed teams, including 10 drivers, will compete in the Daytona 500. "Racing is the core of Dodge's DNA, and we're excited to bring back a car that has an accomplished and heralded record as the Dodge Charger," said Darryl Jackson, Vice President - Dodge Marketing. "The Dodge Charger is firmly woven into the all-American culture and heritage of stock car racing. The all-new Dodge Charger will exhibit a modern upgrade to the same kind of power, performance and style that it represented throughout its gloried stock car history." The newly designed 2005 Dodge Charger race car represents Dodge Motorsports' modern-day foundation in powerful performance and technical innovation, while retaining original design cues of the baby blue #43 STP Dodge Charger that racing legend Richard Petty made famous in the 1970s.
"When the 2005 Dodge Charger race car hits the track in February for its first race, Dodge will be prepared to carry the winning tradition that legends including David Pearson, Bobby Isaac and Richard Petty established with their Chargers in the '60s and '70s," said John Fernandez, Director, Dodge Motorsports Operations. "Today's Dodge racing heroes will make the Charger famous again.
"Dodge has an incredible heritage in auto racing, and the return of the Dodge Charger makes the statement that we will continue to make our mark in NASCAR's history books," Fernandez added. "The new Charger is a natural evolution for the Dodge brand that has our NASCAR Nextel Cup teams energized and eager to start the 2005 season." The Dodge Charger for NASCAR Nextel Cup Series competition features the same bold styling, signature grille and powerful performance found throughout the Dodge lineup. It takes its design cues from the new Dodge Charger production vehicle with its crosshair front grille, bold rear fascia and signature rear side windows.
The development of the race car was led by Dodge Motorsports Engineering with the support of each of Dodge's primary Nextel Cup Series teams: Evernham Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Penske Racing South. Much of the on-track testing was done by veteran driver Bill Elliott. NASCAR approved the race car for competition in August. "While we worked within NASCAR's templates, we found innovative ways to build great horsepower and aerodynamic performance into the Charger," said Ray Evernham, President and CEO of Evernham Motorsports. "We are looking forward to putting the Dodge Charger in the winner's circle of the 2005 Daytona 500."(Clear!Blue PR) see some images on the 2005 Cup Schemes page, the #9 Team Schemes page and the #12 Team Schemes page.(1-11-2005)

The NASCAR Dodge Charger to be unveiled at Daytona: The Dodge Charger will return to Daytona International Speedway on January 11th with the historic #43 Dodge Charger and Richard Petty and the new #19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger with Jeremy Mayfield.(Clear!Blue PR)(12-30-2004)

Davis-Dodge Lawsuit pushed back to June: The start date for the trial in the Daimler-Chrysler/Bill Davis Racing lawsuit has been postponed once again. The trial, which was set to begin May 3, will now start June 21 at 9 a.m. in federal district court in Detroit. Judge George Steeh granted the delay Friday after attorneys for both sides requested it. The deadline for filing depositions is now Feb. 1. Final pre-trial orders are to be filed by June 6 with the final pre-trial conference slated June 13. The new trial date is 25 months after Daimler-Chrysler sued BDR in Michigan district court in May 2003. The suit alleges BDR breached its contract for Dodge support for its Cup team for helping Toyota with development work as it prepared for entry in the NASCAR truck series this year. Daimler-Chrysler terminated its Dodge support of BDR's Cup team and is requesting return of over $1 million in factory support for the balance of 2003. BDR succeeded in moving the trial to federal court in June 2003 and later that month counter-sued, alleging Daimler-Chrysler had no basis to terminate the contract because Toyota is not a rival of Dodge in the Cup series. Toyota is a rival of Dodge in the truck series. The trial was first scheduled for August 17 of this year, originally delayed to Dec. 20 and then moved to May 3 of 2005.(High Point Enterprise)(12-21-2004)

The New Dodge Charger will be in NASCAR: Fresh off a big product year, DaimlerChrysler AG’s Chrysler Group is preparing for what could be another hit, a resurrected version of its classic muscle car, the Dodge Charger. The new Charger, which debuts at the Detroit auto show in January, arrives as other Detroit automakers are trotting out modern updates of old road kings like the Ford Mustang and Pontiac GTO in hopes of winning back the hearts of U.S. car buyers. The new Charger is crucial to the Dodge brand’s attempt to revive its passenger car lineup and the Chrysler Group’s nascent turnaround. But the car’s return is generating nearly as much debate as enthusiasm. Fans of the original street rocket say a four-door sedan does not deserve the Charger name. Others are happy just to see the badge back in the lineup after disappearing in the late 1980s. One unknown, however, is the boost Dodge could experience from reintroducing Charger to NASCAR racing next year. The Hemi-powered Charger of the 1960s was once the car to beat on the circuit and helped drive consumer demand. The new Charger debuts at the Daytona 500 in February, one of the biggest sporting events of the year, and could attract notice.(In part from the Detroit News)(10-3-2004)
UPDATE: Dodge Motorsports officials are expected to formally unveil the manufacturer's new entry to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series on Monday. News and an illustration of the new Dodge Charger appeared in Sunday editions of both the New York Times and Detroit Free Press. Dodge, which had been utilizing the Intrepid model since its return to NASCAR in 2001, has a strong track record with the Charger. Dodge racked up 124 wins with the Charger between 1966 and 1977, with 37 of those coming from seven-time Cup champion Richard Petty. The most recent Charger win came on Nov. 20, 1977, at Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway. Three drivers won Cup championships using the Charger - David Pearson (1966), Bobby Isaac (1970) and Petty (1972, 1974 and 1975).()
UPDATE 2 - It's Official: got a PR today, which says "The Dodge Charger returns to Dodge showrooms and NASCAR race tracks around the country in 2005. Stay tuned..."(ClearBlue/Dodge PR)
see past news on my Dodge News Page and other images of the car on my 2005 Cup Paint Scheme page.(10-4-2004)

Intake Manifolds Submitted: According to NASCAR sources all three manufacturers have submitted new intake manifolds for consideration of approval by NASCAR for the 2005 season. The deadline for new part submittal was Sept. 1. The Ford piece doesn't represent an earth shattering improvement, and actually the new item was submitted to help the engine builders assemble and seal the intake system. The current intake posses a problem due to the orientation of the bolts used to secure it to the head and the fasteners don't allow a seal to the quality of the other manufactures. The GM types are keeping their cards close to their vest, but cited assembly issues. The Dodge Boys weren’t available to learn their desires for a new intake.(Team Ford Racing)(9-6-2004)

Charger Ugly? The new 2005 Dodge was shown to teams this week, and the reaction was, well, a shock. It apparently is not a pretty car. One man described it like the ungainly station wagon that Chevy Chase drove cross-country in the movie National Lampoon's Vacation. Dodge men certainly won't be complaining about NASCAR's common templates. One reason for Chevrolet's domination of the Nextel Cup tour is the Monte Carlo nose, which actually gains downforce as the car goes through the corner, giving it a decided edge against Ford and Dodge.(Winston Salem Journal)(8-21-2004)

Charger to NASCAR II: DaimlerChrysler expects NASCAR to approve its new Charger model as its 2005-and-beyond entry by early September. The company returned to NASCAR in 2001 with Intrepids but will not make that model past this year.(Autoweek)(7-31-2004)

Charger submitted to NASCAR by Dodge: A reborn version of Chrysler’s legendary Dodge Charger muscle car could be screaming around the high-walled turns of the Daytona 500 in February — at least one month before a street-ready Charger sedan lands in dealer showrooms. DaimlerChrysler AG’s Dodge division has submitted a new car design to NASCAR for the 2005 Nextel Cup racing season, and is expected to name it Charger. The racing debut could also create buzz for the mass-market Charger sedan that will be launched in the spring of 2005 and is another key vehicle for the Chrysler Group, which is struggling to return to profitability. That’s part of the reason why Dodge has taken its time in developing a new race car for NASCAR. Mike Zizzo, a NASCAR spokesman, said the racing association and Dodge have been in talks about a new design since the spring of 2003. He said NASCAR will give Dodge final approval on the design by Sept. 1, assuming it passes a variety of safety and performance tests. That would make it ready to race in February’s Daytona 500, the official kickoff of NASCAR’s racing season. “The (review) process is in the final stages, and it’s moving along quite well,” Zizzo said. Dodge has raced the Intrepid sedan in NASCAR’s flagship circuit since 2001, but according to NASCAR rules, could not run the car in 2005 because the car is no longer in production. The Intrepid was replaced in May by the new Dodge Magnum station wagon. The full-size Charger, which will be sold as a four-door sedan, is a closer match to the Ford Taurus and Chevrolet Monte Carlo — the only three other vehicles competing in NASCAR’s top-tier Nextel Cup next year. Though the Ford Taurus is expected to be phased out in the next four years, Kevin Kennedy, a Ford racing spokesman said “as long as Taurus is around, it will be our car.” Pat Suhy, GM’s engineering group manager, said the Monte Carlo would not change for the 2005 racing season. The 2005 Dodge Charger will be built at Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario, assembly plant. The rear-wheel-drive sedan will share the same underpinnings as the new Chrysler 300 sedan and Dodge Magnum wagon.(Detroit News)(7-18-2004)

Can you say 'Hemi'?: DaimlerChrysler has launched the official HEMI.com Web site dedicated to HEMI owners and enthusiasts worldwide (www.HEMI.com). HEMI.com is an interactive Web site that presents a historical timeline of the evolution of the HEMI engine, beginning with HEMI's inception back in the early 1950s. The development of the legendary 426 HEMI, which revolutionized NASCAR and NHRA racing (and was ultimately banned by NASCAR), is featured, along with the new generation 5.7L HEMI. In addition, Web surfers will find vintage photographs and biographical information featuring the people who were behind the most famous automotive powerplant in the world. For the history buff, the site contains vintage ads from the 1950s and '60s, when Detroit muscle was king. For the more technically minded, HEMI.com contains specifications for the historic HEMI engines and provides graphic details of how these engines managed to produce such incredible power. Visitors to the site can also visit our multimedia section where they can download their favorite HEMI ads and wallpaper images.(Clear!Blue PR)(7-15-2004)

Dodge Charger? the Dodge Intrpid replacement for Dodge's NASCAR entry has been rumored for months to be a Charger, and am hearing it will be introduced as a new body line in mid year 2005, will be rear wheel drive, have a Hemi option, and be a four door.
AND The automaker [Dodge] is expected to build a higher-output, 6.1-liter Hemi to join the current 5.7-liter model, now available in Dodge pickups and SUVs as well as the Chrysler 300 Series sedan. As many as half of buyers choose the Hemi in those vehicles. Chrysler has begun putting the bigger Hemi in prototype models of the all-new 2005 Dodge Charger sedan, which is in test production in Brampton, Ontario, according to two company sources familiar with the project. The Charger is expected to reach showrooms next spring.(Detroit News), July 1st is the drop-dead date set by NASCAR for new car submissions.(6-19-2004)

New Dodge car close to submission to NASCAR: According to folks involved with the Dodge factory efforts, their new car is close to ready for submission to NASCAR. The target date for submission is June 1st [well..was, not sure if it made it], though July 1st is the drop-dead date set by NASCAR for new car submissions. According to the Dodge source, that car will be more recognizable [Charger? Daytona?] than any of the current fleet. The factory rep would tell the name of the car, but the huge rollout scheduled for next year's Speedweeks [at Daytona] might be a hint on what name might be hung on Dodge's 2005 entry. If / when NASCAR approves the new Dodge, it will mean that every year since joining the [Cup] tour that Dodge Cup owners have had to carve their cars up for the following season.(Speedway Scene Print Edition - issue dated 5/28/2004) and they will again in 2006, when the 'Car of the Future' [COF] will supposedly run.(6-9-2004)

More on the 2005 Dodge: The Dodge Intrepid goes out of production at the end of the year, leaving a big NASCAR question: What model will represent DaimlerChrysler on the circuit next year? Ray Evernham is involved in developing a new model, though he said he doesn’t know what the name of that model will be. A lot of talk centers on the resurrected Charger, but there is also speculation that it would be impossible to adapt under the so-called common templates that now govern the representatives of Dodge, Ford and Chevrolet. “We’re currently working on a 2005 model,” Evernham said. “We’re actually doing some wind-tunnel testing and will be doing some track testing. Dodge hasn’t given us a name plate for that car, but we expect to be able to present something to NASCAR in the near future.”(Gaston Gazette).(4-4-2004)

Dodges in 2005? UPDATE 3 Charger to be RWD in 2005: many readers have asked what Dodge model will run in 2005 as the Intrepid will no longer be made. Have heard the Chargers, the Stratus [Prowler? just kidding...], Friday, Claire B. Lang of NASCAR Radio on XM Satellite Radiom, talked to a Ddoge Rep. who said they are still racing Intrepids in 2004, and not sure what is up for 2005, said Dodge already knows, but no one else does. I have not heard past the few rumors posted here. I was told my a Dodge PR person, that the Dodge teams were told to refer their cars as a 'Dodge' NOT a 'Dodge Intrepid' plus the 2004 headlight decals do not match up with an Intrepid.(3-6-2004)
UPDATE: John Fernandez, director of Dodge motorsports operations, confirmed Saturday the manufacturer will submit a new entry to replace the Intrepid for competition in NASCAR beginning with the 2005 season. Since its return to NASCAR in the 2001 season, Dodge has used the Intrepid, but parent company DaimlerChrysler has elected to stop production of the street version of the vehicle after this year. "NASCAR would very much like us to run models that are current production models. With the Intrepid going away this year, we have been working very closely with NASCAR to try figure out what we're going to do in the future and specifically next year to make sure we have a product on the race track that will look like and sound like a car that we have on the road," Fernandez said. "What I can't tell you is what exactly that car is. But next year you can look for us to have a new product out there on the track." Fernandez said with NASCAR's common templates, it is difficult to get any race car to resemble a production vehicle. He said Dodge is more concerned with manufacturer recognition by fans rather than specific type of vehicle. "We will certainly try to distinquish our car as much as we possibly can and NASCAR likes to have model designations out there," he said. "In truth, what we are trying to do is show the public that we have Dodge-brand products out there. If they see our cars, we would like for them to recognize them as Dodges; if they recognize them as Dodge Intrepids that's even better." Any new car model to be considered for competition in the 2005 season, must be submitted for initial consideration no later than July 1, 2004, according to Nextel Cup rules.(ThatsRacin.com)(3-7-2004)
UPDATE 2: DaimlerChrysler's current focus is on building distinctive cars, and its submission for the 2005 NASCAR season will have a retro look and name -- Magnum and Charger have been mentioned. Dodge's target date to complete the car is June 1 so it can be submitted to NASCAR by July 1.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-8-2004)
UPDATE 3: Dodge will add a full-sized rear-wheel-drive sedan to its lineup next year, company sources said. The car draws inspiration from the Dodge Charger muscle car of the late 1960s, said a person familiar with the program who spoke on condition that he not be identified. He said the car likely will be called the Charger. Spokesman Jason Vines declined comment, citing the company's policy not to talk about future products. Sources said the sedan will be developed off the automaker's rwd LX platform, which is shared by the 2005 Chrysler 300 sedan and the Dodge Magnum wagon. The 340-hp 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 is the centerpiece of the LX models. While the Magnum has drawn favorable comments from the automotive press, some Dodge dealers are worried about marketing a wagon without a full-sized family sedan. Intrepid production ended last summer, and dealers have been pressing the automaker for a sedan. The Dodge sedan will be the third derivative based on the LX platform. At least one other LX derivative is planned, said a Chrysler group insider. In Chrysler parlance, LX derivatives are defined as models with extensive sheet metal differences. Meanwhile, the company is studying whether to develop a police package for one of the LX cars. Representatives of the California Highway Patrol and Michigan State Police have driven a car with the package, said Burke Brown, chief engineer for the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum.(Autoweek)(3-9-2004)

The Next Dodge in NASCAR? The Charger?
This is the supposed Charger, no way this fits NASCAR templates
On Weds Wind Tunnel, Peter DeLorenzo of Autoextremist.com
said Dodge will come out with a 4 door sedan, but says
he doesn't see how it will retain the lines and fit the templates

Dodge Dropping Teams? UPDATE: Dodge may cut back its Nextel Cup operations by limiting car owners to a single team sponsorship, which could be why Jeremy Mayfield has felt under such pressure lately with car owner Ray Evernham.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-18-2003)
UPDATE: Evernham Motorsports has been the center of various rumors lately but team owner Ray Evernham wants to put one of them to rest. During an interview for RPM2Day he made it clear that his team will definitely field two cars full time next season. There were rumors that he would field just one.(ESPN)(10-21-2003)

Dodge leader comes in 2nd: John Fernandez, Director of Dodge Motorsports, raced to a second place finish in the Showroom Stock SSC class race at the SCCA National Championship Valvoline Runoffs at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, last Friday [9-19]. Fernandez held the class's fastest qualifying time (1:48.153) through the first two days of time-trials, but was bumped to second on the third an final day of qualifying for the Valvoline Runoffs on Wednesday. Residue of Hurricane Isabel kept race conditions damp and windy for Friday's 20-lap event, but Fernandez battled to a runner-up finish while running in the top-three throughout the course of the race. He dropped from second to third by lap four of the race but was able to re-claim second place on his 11th lap around the 11-turn roadcourse. Fernandez also posted the fastest lap of the day (1:50.053) en-route to his second-place run. "My car was a little better in the wet," Fernandez said. "Tom Long was able to get around me and as we battled Mike Kramer got away. The track was drying and it was very tricky driving." Mike Kramer, of Franklin, Tenn., led from flag-to-flag to earn his first ever Runoffs Championship.(Golin Harris PR)(9-28-2003)

More on the Dodge 2005 Model: John Fernandez, Dodge's vice president of motorsports, says DaimlerChrysler will run the Intrepid in the Cup division next year, but look for a new model, matching the company's production schedule, for 2005. “There are a few new templates coming,” Fernandez says. “But because of the common templates, there won't be a huge difference.” Fernandez says NASCAR's greatest concerns are maintaining the safety standards of the car and the equality among the four car makes. With 18 of the 32 templates being common, the nose, the tail and the side windows are the areas in which cars can retain identity.(Sporting News)(8-25-2003)

Bye-Bye Intrepid? Hello Charger? Daytona?: The Winston Cup Scene is reporting that the Dodge Intrpid will stop being made in 2004. While not announced, Dodge is expected to cease production of the Intrepid by the end of 2004. Dodge is supposedly looking at bring the Dodge Charger or Dodge Daytona back in 2005. Wintson Cup director John Darby said NASCAR has been informed by Dodge that the Intrepid would be replaced. The submission for a new car will be July 1, 2004 but the car doesn't hvae to be completed by then. The Intrpid has won 15 Cup races since making it debut in 2001.(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read online)(8-14-2003)

Dodge and ARCA: Dodge Motorsports announced a season-long contingency program with the ARCA RE/MAX Series. The contingency program begins with the Waste Management 200 race at Nashville Superspeedway on August 9. Under the guidelines of this program all Dodge drivers in the ARCA RE/MAX Series will be awarded $2,000 for each victory, $1,000 for every second-place finish and $750 for every third-place finish.. Dodge will also award a $5,000 grand prize to any Dodge driver who wins an ARCA RE/MAX championship. The partnership with the ARCA RE/MAX Series represents Dodge's ongoing commitment to leverage its motorsports initiatives at the grass roots level.. The program runs through the final eight races of the 2003 ARCA RE/MAX Series season, and will continue throughout 2004.(Dodge Motorsports/Golin Harris PR)(8-6-2003)

Dodge Money Problems? DaimlerChrysler warned Wall Street investors the struggling company may likely show a $1.1 billion loss in the second quarter. Not since Chief operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard captured the helm at Chrysler two years ago has the car giant shown this type of earnings warning. A restructuring in 2001 laid claim to 26,000 lost jobs for the Detroit auto maker. Some analysts suggested the move was enough to return DamilerChrysler to a profitable status but now breaking even may be the restructured business target. The German-American company blames higher than expected incentives and direct competition from General Motors for the projected loss. Chrysler claims to have 518,000 unsold models setting on car lots around the country and is cutting production by 10% for the second quarter. Chrysler suggests that GM can afford to out-spend them in the area of consumer incentive and the hurt is starting to show up in the bottom line. Chrysler “just doesn't have the pockets deep enough to match GM,” said Art Spinella, who follows the auto industry for CNW Marketing/Research. “GM is defining what incentives are going to be.” Higher GM sales volume has caused concern for Chrysler as they struggle to compete with the GM incentive programs. No further job loss is expected at Chrysler and the auto maker is not backing down from offering consumer incentives. What this means to NASCAR Dodge teams is difficult to gauge at this point as further cut-backs may show up on the race track in the form of less capital investment.(Insider Racing News)(6-11-2003)

Bill Davis Racing Responds To Dodge's Decision To Terminate Agreement: Bill Davis [#22 CAT and #23 Stacker 2 Dodges] Racing [BDR] is surprised by the decision of Daimler Chrysler's notification to terminate their agreement with Bill Davis Racing and to file suit alleging that Bill Davis Racing has breached its agreement with Daimler Chrysler. Bill Davis Racing firmly believes that it has not breached the Daimler Chrysler agreement and that there is no justifiable reason for Daimler Chrysler asserting a claim that it has breached such an agreement. Bill Davis racing is confident that it will prevail in the litigation and that the court will agree that is has not breached its agreement with Daimler Chrysler. Bill Davis Racing will continue racing the Dodge Intrepid in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series.(BDR PR)(6-4-2003)

Dodge Sues Davis: A lawsuit filed by Dodge's parent company, DaimlerChrysler, alleges that Davis' team breached its contract by building and testing a prototype Toyota vehicle for NASCAR's Craftsman Truck series. Toyota has announced plans to enter the truck series next season — leading to speculation that the Japanese automobile industry giant eventually will field cars in the marquee-level Winston Cup series. NASCAR rules require teams to race approved "American-made" cars, but Toyota manufactures several models at U.S. plants. In the lawsuit, DaimlerChrysler alleges that at least one member of Davis' team represented Toyota at a NASCAR wind tunnel test in Marrietta, GA, on April 30. The suit says NASCAR officials performed aerodynamic tests on a Toyota prototype that bore decals from Davis' team and was powered by a Dodge engine. The suit says this violates a clause in Davis' contract with DaimlerChrysler that requires Davis and his team to "represent, endorse or otherwise promote" Dodge products. The suit, filed in a Michigan state circuit court on May 23, does not ask for a specific dollar amount in damages. But as a reward for racing Dodges, DaimlerChrysler pays its designated "factory" teams an annual sum believed to be in the low seven-figure range. The suit estimates that Davis' team has spent only 50-60% of this year's money, and asks for the remainder to be repaid. The suit also says DaimlerChrysler "fears that (Davis' team) has or will share DaimlerChrysler's confidential information with Toyota, in violation of the agreement," and wants the courts to force Davis' team to keep secret any confidential information they have obtained from Dodge. DaimlerChrysler officials declined comment Monday. Officials from Toyota and Davis' team did not return messages seeking comment. NASCAR vice president of corporate communications Jim Hunter could not say for certain whether officials tested a Toyota prototype in the presence of Davis team members on April 30, but he said wind tunnel testing is common in NASCAR's approval process for new vehicles.(USA Today)(6-3-2003)

And more on Dodge and Davis: Dodge has no immediate plans to expand the number of factory-backed Winston Cup programs, despite cutting ties last week to Bill Davis Racing. "Something like that would not come as a direct, hasty response to what has occurred," said Todd Goyer, manager of Dodge Motorsports. "I can't say what will happen down the road, however." Last week, Dodge severed its contract to provide factory support to BDR's Winston Cup teams with drivers Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace. The manufacturer would not comment on the specific reason for its move, with Goyer saying only that BDR's actions were "intolerable." Speculation in the Winston Cup garage Friday was BDR was involved with Toyota and its plans to enter the NASCAR Truck series next season. Goyer would not directly respond to that issue, saying instead: "As a hypothetical question, it's safe to say if a Dodge team was working with another manufacturer, we would have concerns." BAM Racing, which fields the #49 Dodges for Ken Schrader, hopes to pick up some of backing previously directed to BDR. BAM currently receives little factory support from Dodge. "The Dodge people know what their plans are for the rest of the year. Anything they can do for us, the gratitude would certainly be unlimited," said Eddie Jones, BAM's general manager. "They are already doing the things for us they can. They had a limited number of contracts and we weren't one of them. But they have been doing everything they could because they have seen our loyalty to the brand." Although it has no full-time primary sponsor, BAM has entered every race this season and has used Dodges since it began a part-time schedule last season. BDR officials again Friday declined to comment on the situation.(ThatsRacin)(5-31-2003)

Dodge Splits with Bill Davis Racing UPDATE: A top Dodge Motorsports official confirmed Thursday that the automaker has terminated its contract with Bill Davis Racing [BDR]. Davis fields the Winston Cup Dodges of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward Burton and Kenny Wallace. Davis also fields Chevrolets in the Busch Series for Scott Wimmer. Todd Goyer, manager of Dodge Motorsports, said the contract was terminated prior to last weekend's Coca-Cola 600. Goyer would not comment spcifically on what prompted Dodge's decision, but called BDR's actions "intolerable." He would not provide specifics. A spokeswoman for the Davis team said she was not aware of the change late Thursday afternoon. The loss of factory support means BDR will not receive information and engineering data provided to Dodge programs. BDR could also lose wind-tunnel time and the use of factory-supplied parts for its teams. Bill Davis Racing ran Dodge bodies in last weekend's race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.(ThatsRacin). There have been many rumors that BDR has been working with Toyota for the Truck Series, which will run the that series in 2004.
AND Dodge Motorsports has terminated its contract with Bill Davis Racing, cutting off all support and access to information for drivers #22-Ward Burton and #23-Kenny Wallace. Todd Goyer, managing director for Dodge Motorsports, said Thursday the contract was broken before last week's Coca-Cola 600 because of a "material breach of agreement."
"We do have enough reason to reach the conclusion that we did," Goyer said. There has been speculation Davis has been in discussion with Toyota, which will become the first foreign automaker in NASCAR next season when it enters Tundras in the Truck Series. Goyer would not comment further on what led to the split with BDR. Davis can still use Dodge Intrepids for Burton, Wallace and Busch Series driver Scott Wimmer [but run's Chevy's in Busch], but he'll now have to pay for all of his equipment. He'll also be shut out of the information sharing that goes on between Dodge teams. That access can be vital, considering NASCAR heavyweights Roger Penske, Chip Ganassi and Ray Evernham are part of the Dodge contingent. "Factory support means they have access to the technology that all the Dodge teams have and all the information sharing," Goyer said. "It's access to all the technical aspects, plus the marketing support and use of the Dodge brand name." Davis will also lose access to Dodge's wind tunnel in Michigan. Wind tunnel time is one of the greatest expenses in racing and Dodge teams were able to save considerably by having one in-house at the DaimlerChrysler headquarters. The manufacturer now has four official teams - Penske Racing [#2/#12], Chip Ganassi Racing [#40/#41/#42], Evernham Motorsports [#9/#19/#91] and Petty Enterprises [#43/#44/#45] - and nine drivers. #49-Ken Schrader drives a Dodge for BAM Motorsports, but the team does not receive factory support.(Charlotte Observer/AP)(5-29-2003)
UPDATE suspposedly BDR tested a Chevy at Dover with Wimmer the week before the Coke 600 for the Cup race, then it was announced Wimmer would not run at Dover.
AND also the Jim Smith's Ultra Motorsports #7 Sirius Dodge and Jimmy Spencer is a Dodge factory team.
UPDATE 2: all interviews with either Dodge folks, Bill Davis or the drivers pretty much are 'No Comment' on the situation. The only thing mentioned was that it was a face-to-face meeting with Dodge and Davis during the Coke 600 race weekend.(5-30-2003)

Dodge after the Winston Cup: Chrysler’s racing program is on a mission to win the NASCAR Winston Cup championship, and for at least the next two years that means there will be no factory effort to extend the Dodge Viper’s Le Mans success. John Fernandez, director of the company’s Performance Vehicle Operations, said that instead of a marketing-driven effort, the new [Cup] program will be more of a technical effort, yet there will be no more “science projects”; all engineering development will focus on the goal at hand. That goal, he added, looks far beyond a mere race-by-race view to a new yearlong strategy. He said Chrysler would start a serious driver-development program that focuses on finding and developing new talent behind the wheel. The program, he said, will follow the pattern established by Penske Racing, a recent and significant recruit to the Dodge program.(Autoweek)(2-2-2002)

Manufacturer Rules for the Daytona 500 in 2003: All Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Dodges and Fords will have the same 1.5-inch nose "kickout," or the extension of the front air dam below the bumper. All four makes, which have to mount their bodies on the same reference point, will also use the identical rear spoiler package -- 6.25 inches high by 57 inches wide at a 55-degree angle. Also downsized fuel cells, about 13.5 gallons (down from the standard 22-gallon cell used everywhere else) will be used at Daytona.(NASCAR.com), assume they will go back to the 22 gallon tanks for the non-restrictor plate tracks, it is not clear.(1-7-2003)

Dodge News UPDATE: hearing that Dodge Motorsports' John Fernandez got a major promotion last week to Director of Motorsports and Performance Parts. This could be be a considerable upswing in Dodge PVO money going to racing in 2003.(11-18-2002)
UPDATE: John Fernandez replaces Jim Julow at Dodge, who recently retired. Fernandez was raised on dirt track modifieds in upstate New York at much at the famed Fonda Speedway.(11-19-2002)

Testing at Talladega in Dec? According to NASCAR sources there will be a speedway test at Talladega Superspeedway for the Dodge and Ford teams in December. The test was arranged after the Dodge and Ford teams explained that they’re basically working with new cars and they should be entitled to see what effects the 2003 rules package changes have brought. The tentative two-day test is slated for Dec. 9 -10.(Ford Racing)(11-10-2002)

New Dodge Nose? Dodge has submitted a new nose to NASCAR for approval. The new nose is reported to be based on the new Chevrolet nose. There is no word if NASCAR might approve it.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-28-2002)

Dodge Engine: Reaction to a new Dodge engine block, some 30 pounds lighter and possibly with better interior cooling, has been subdued so far. Detroit sources told the Winston-Salem Journal last weekend about the new block, which according to reports was cast by Caterpillar.(Winston Salem Journal)(10-26-2002)

Dodge looking for help: Dodge officials head into the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway this weekend contending the Intrepid's engines are underpowered and the cars are at an aerodynamic disadvantage. Sterling Marlin's injury has left Dodge without a championship contender this season -- Bill Elliott is a distant eighth in the points and Marlin, the only other Dodge even in the top 20, will continue to plummet in the standings as he misses the final six races. NASCAR allowed the Chevrolets and Pontiacs to extend their front air dams, and Dodge officials believe they've suffered from it. It's not clear where the Dodges need the most help. They've been complaining to NASCAR for months that their engines are underpowered, but deficiencies in aerodynamics have become a new issue since Chevrolet got its help in August. But NASCAR, which heard the latest Dodge complaint on Tuesday, is unlikely to provide any assistance before the end of the season. "If they are talking about being at a disadvantage with the motor, then they have been all year," NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said. "It's the same motor all year and they led the points most of the year with that motor. So we just don't think it's appropriate, with as few races as there are left on the schedule, to do anything. There's not much we can do to help them."(CNNSI/AP)(10-10-2002)

Manufacturer News: Oct. 1, was an important day in the stock car world. The date was big because it was the final day for 2003 hardware submissions from the manufacturers to NASCAR. All three companies did submit “hard parts” to NASCAR for its consideration. The length of time between submittal and approval, or rejection, can run the gamut from mere moments for the far-fetched requests to several weeks for a part that catches NASCAR’s attention. Ford, in their submittal, offered NASCAR a new nose, tail and manifold. The nose is rumored to be part of the “common” template NASCAR is eyeing for 2003. The tail or rear bumper cap, which covers the fuel cell area, on the current fleet of Taurus cars was not symmetrical when it was submitted several years ago and has been the topic of discussion at about every superspeedway event since. The new piece addresses these concerns. The final Ford piece submitted was an intake manifold. Dodge’s wish list was rather short and limited to a new nose. Again, this nosepiece was submitted to comply with the 2003 common template design. The Dodge nose has a small detail ridge on the front bumper cap, allowing the Dodge teams an additional half-inch of kickout. That half-inch ridge reportedly was removed from the newly submitted piece. GM went for the full Monte, as it were, with their block, head and manifold submission. The GM men didn’t say what issues the new block addressed, but teamfordracing.com knows they’d love to get the fuel pump swung around from the right to the left side, which would help with vulnerability issues during a crash. This certainly doesn’t address the heads and manifold, but the reason for those requests will likely become clearer during the Talladega, Ala. weekend. Keep in mind that the GM factory effort will bring common template cars to the track for 2003 with both the Monte and Grand Prix getting sheetmetal worked over during the spring and summer of this year. All the teams, regardless of make, will be busy during this year’s off-season bringing the cars into compliance for the 2003 common template. That’s right, even though the Ford and Dodge cars will go principally unchanged both marks will need total re-skinning to address rear window and cowl concerns of NASCAR. Ford also submitted a new nose for the F-150 in the Craftsman Truck Series. It is not known what the other brands offered to NASCAR for that series.(Ford Racing)(10-4-2002)

Tired of this yet...? More Penske to Dodge stuff: Roger Penske’s switch from Ford to Dodge for 2003 and beyond in NASCAR is more than a 50-50 proposition: A bit more than half the people around NASCAR say it’s done and the rest say it’s preposterous. Don Miller, an executive within Penske South, says the notion isn’t preposterous at all, but a deal isn’t done. “They’ve made us a pretty good offer, so we’re reviewing it,” he said at Loudon. “It would be difficult to switch brands, but we’ve done it before [switching from Pontiac to Ford]. We’ll decide something once NASCAR settles on its rules for next year. We want to see about the templates and what engine combinations would work best.”(Autoweek)(9-18-2002)

Templates: For the 2003 season, each of the manufacturers has been given 32 templates, 18 which are identical for all cars. There's a bigger agenda with incorporating similar templates and a standard body location -- which will be officially announced sometime over the next few weeks as measuring 60 inches from the top of the windshield to the middle of the rear tires -- and that is to even up the playing field.(more at the Sporting News)(9-14-2002)

Template Meeting UPDATE: Crew chiefs, car chiefs and head fabricators were expected to meet at the NASCAR Technical Center in Conover, N.C., to discuss the templates the teams will use in 2003. Because there was confusion between NASCAR inspectors and teams at the Daytona 500 this season, series director John Darby doesn't want any misunderstandings when the teams return to Daytona for the season opener in 2003. NASCAR also will use the time for teams to sound off about the cars' body placement on the chassis for next year.(Sporting News)(9-2-2002)
UPDATE: According to well-placed NASCAR sources a Wednesday meeting could bring the Winston Cup teams an early Christmas present. All crew chiefs are expected in NASCAR’s Hickory, N.C. Research and Development Center to discuss inspection policies for the 2003 season. The NASCAR source said that Winston Cup director John Darby would like the teams to have a very good idea of what to expect in the inspection bays when they arrive at Daytona International Speedway in 2003; and lower the anxiety levels that comes with preparation. Several teams worked on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2001 to get ready for 2002 Daytona testing. Advance notice of templates and inspection process could allow building of most of the fleet built prior to Christmas. The meeting is anticipated to focus closely on the car templates, featuring the new “greenhouse” template that will go into use in 2003. The greenhouse template, which will fit onto the car from the base of the “A” pillar and run over the roof to the bottom of the “C” pillar, will be the identical for all makes and models competing.(FordRacing)(9-3-2002)
UPDATE 2: the meeting will be held Wednesday.(Fox Sports Net/Totally NASCAR)(9-4-2002)

Standard Boby Locations the law in 2003: NASCAR has informed the teams it will require them to have standard body locations in 2003, meaning all the cars will be nearly identical in chassis setups. There is now no restriction on how far forward or backward the body on a Cup car can be located. Teams vary that position from track to track to help balance the car. Bodies are moved forward on superspeedways to keep air off the rear spoilers and reduce drag, and moved backward on shorter tracks.(NASCAR.com/AP)(9-2-2002)

Body Rule Change Coming UPDATE: Winston Cup series director John Darby said Saturday that a new rule is coming to standardize the body location of cars racing in the series, possibly within a week. There is now no restriction on how far forward or backward the body on a Cup car can be located. Teams vary that position from track to track to help balance the car. In general terms, bodies are moved forward on superspeedways to keep air off the rear spoilers and reduce drag, and moved backward on shorter tracks. Darby said NASCAR will require the same measurement for all cars raced on all tracks, with a tolerance of a half- or three-quarters of a inch on either side. The challenge, Darby said, is to set a measurement that will keep teams in the series from having to cut off and rehang sheet metal on most of the cars in their fleets.(ThatsRacin)(8-18-2002)
UPDATE: While no bulletin has been issued, yet, NASCAR has all but issued the paperwork to make the body locations standard for the 2003 season. The prospect has been looming during the past several weeks, but issuance of the rule has been slowed, somewhat, by team politicking. In the final analysis NASCAR will call for the car bodies to sit at a 60-inch measurement, plus or minus three-quarters-of-an-inch as measured from the center of the roof at the windshield seem to the center of the rear axle housing. Generally the ruling is being hailed in the garage as a plus, but it does represent a lot of work for several car owners. Robert Yates, just today, learned from his crew chiefs – Michael McSwain and Todd Parrott – that about 40 of the Yates’ 42-car fleet will need to be re-skinned to meet the new NASCAR specification. NASCAR, while tightening down body mounting locations, will also take a bite out of the team’s creativity in outlawing twisted roofs and hoods. Changes here will prohibit the teams from getting too wild with the bows and bends on the roofs of these cars. There was talk that NASCAR would issue the greenhouses, the area above the doorsills, for the cars complete with A, B and C pillars along with a roof stamping, but that apparently has been taken off the table. The critical measurements of the greenhouse, however, will be captured in the new NASCAR 2003 templates and will make all windshield rakes and measurements standard across all brands. Dodge and Ford are supposed to be currently running the same windshield rakes this year, but something with the templates allowed the Dodge to lay their windshield back slightly more than the Ford teams. This reduced angle is helpful to the Dodge cause as it helps reduce drag.(Ford Racing)(8-31-2002)

Dodge Personnel Moves: Dodge Motorsports announced promotions within its organization on Thursday. Tim Culbertson, former Program Manager Dodge NASCAR Winston Cup Engineering, has been promoted to Manager Advanced Vehicle Packaging. Ted Flack, former Manager NASCAR Engine Programs, Dodge Engineering, will take over for Culbertson. Also, John Worley, former Manager Dodge NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, is now Senior Manager PVO Performance Parts and Motorsports.(Golin/Harris PR)(8-16-2002)

'Big' cars not until 2003? NASCAR is telling Winston Cup teams not to expect the new low-downforce cars until next season, maybe late next season, depending on the financial health of Busch tour car owners. NASCAR is looking at incorporating the larger "greenhouse" roll cage with the low-downforce tweaks, possibly not rolling out the project until the October Talladega race. Because of serious structural issues in roll- cage welding, apparently discovered during last year's fatal ARCA crash at Charlotte, NASCAR officials will require the new roll cage to be completely new construction, and will not allow teams simply to cut off the current roll cage and weld a larger greenhouse in place.(Winston Salem Journal)(7-6-2002)

Dodge Engine Changes: Dodge said it will scramble to change its engine program in time for the July 3 deadline to conform to a rule that limits the size of a cylinder bore. In the past 18 months, teams have had the option of using tall and skinning cylinder bores or short and fat ones. Starting with the Pepsi 400 at the Daytona International Speedway, the maximum size of the cylinders is 4.185 inches, essentially eliminating the short-and-fat combination. Dodge officials said they needed to run a wider cylinder because NASCAR originally approved a heavier engine with bigger bore centers.(Augusta Chronicle)(6-17-2002)

Secret rules/template change? NASCAR officials have [supposedly] quietly made a secret rules change to help Pontiacs, and the secrecy is bothersome to several rival teams that insisted that NASCAR should be following a more open policy by announcing any rules changes. That raises the question of what other rules NASCAR might be adding to the rule book from behind closed doors. The new rule is an alteration to the "long" template, which stretches the silhouette of the car from the nose to the tail; the alteration is a new hump in the middle of the hood, which allows Pontiac engine men to run a taller intake manifold. The change, Pontiac team members say, is worth seven to eight horsepower, which some rivals confirmed yesterday.(Winston Salem Journal)
AND Earlier this week NASCAR announced that the Pontiac Grand Prix was the recipient of a concession on the nose and tail. The changes that NASCAR announced included an additional half-inch of kickout to the nose and an extra quarter-inch on the rear spoiler. But there was another change to the Pontiac that was not announced by NASCAR. This undocumented change allows the Pontiac teams to raise the rear point of the hood by three-quarters-of-an-inch. The modification is in place here at Michigan. The change allows the Pontiac teams more flexibility on how they mount their motors in the Grand Prix with the increase in clearance above the motor. Until this change the Pontiac teams were juggling the motor low in the car to accommodate a larger air filter/spacer /intake setup. Or, if they decided that the motor needed to be raised for some chassis or suspension consideration, a low profile air cleaner and intake arrangement needed to be used. NASCAR officials were not available for comment, but the Pontiac teams seemed excited to have the added headroom.(Ford Racing - sorry, their direct links don't work)(6-17-2002)

'Big Car' tested in wind tunnel: The larger Winston Cup car, with a larger 'greenhouse' (between the windwhield and rear window) was tested at the wind tunnel in Marietta, GA on Monday.(FSN's Totally NASCAR)(6-14-2002)

Volkswagen in NASCAR? German automaker Volkswagen is considering following Toyota's lead in joining the NASCAR marketing world, eventually with a Winston Cup effort, according to NASCAR sources. One question now is what model might Volkswagen want to brand and market under the NASCAR logo. NASCAR's common-template car project makes both a Toyota and VW Winston Cup effort easier. But Honda is not expected to show any interest in NASCAR's stock-car series, according to industry sources, because that company is not interested in playing the political games that must be played to placate the sport's rulers. Toyota wants to field a Tundra truck in NASCAR's Truck series next season, and company engineers are discussing various technical options with NASCAR officials.(Winston Salem Journal). A NASCAR Beetle?(a joke of course)(6-3-2002)

No Common Templates: Common templates are not on the horizon, according to NASCAR President Mike Helton. “I don’t know that you’ll ever reach a point where there’s definitively a set of templates that are uniquely common. I think there is a benefit for Chevrolet, Pontiac, Dodge and Ford to have brand identity in these garage areas,” Helton said March 16. “That’s the backbone of the competition and the business. So the controversy that surrounds that, I don’t think will ever go away. You look at the NASCAR stock car that’s in the Cup and the Busch garages, and they’re uniquely NASCAR race cars. They have bowties and blue ovals and ram shields and Pontiac triangles in them, but they are NASCAR race cars. If you took a set of templates from a Pontiac and went to a showroom, they’re not going to fit that car. They’re going to fit the NASCAR race car that carries the Pontiac brand on them."(Winston Cup Scene - need sub to read)(3-21-2002)

Dodge Incentive: Dodge, hoping to provide incentive to its factory-backed NASCAR teams, is putting big money and exotic cars on the line. At a Dodge function in Daytona Beach on Friday night, officials laid out the specifics of an incentive plan it hopes will push its teams to championships in two of NASCAR's top-three divisions. Available to a championship team in the Winston Cup series is a $1 million bonus from the automaker. A championship driver also would get a 2003 Dodge Viper from the company as a token of its appreciation. In the Truck series, a factory-backed team that wins a championship would win 2003 Vipers as well for its driver and its car owner. Dodge teams got a head-start on a bonus in Friday's Dodge Dealers 250 at Daytona International Speedway, taking the top-four spots.(ThatsRacin.com)(2-16-2002)

THE 13 WINSTON CUP DODGE LINEUP, for 2002

Richard Petty with three cars, #43-John Andretti, #44-Buckshot Jones, #45-Kyle Petty
Bill Davis Racing with two cars, #22-Ward Burton, #23-Hut Stricklin
Ray Evernham with two cars, #9-Bill Elliott, #19-Jeremy Mayfield
Mark Melling with one car, #92-Robert Pressely (my be part time only)
Ganassi/Sabco Racing with two cars, #40-Sterling Marlin,#41-Jimmy Spencer
Ultra Motorsports with one car, #7-Casey Atwood
BAM Racing with one car, #49-Shawna Robinson(part time)
Carl Long Racing with one car, #85-Carl Long(part time will use a Ford too)

THE CONFIRMED 10 WINSTON CUP DODGE LINEUP, for 2001

Richard Petty with three cars, #43-John Andretti, #44-Buckshot Jones, #45-Kyle Petty
Bill Davis Racing with two cars, #22-Ward Burton, #93-Dave Blaney
Ray Evernham with two cars, #9-Bill Elliott, #19-Casey Atwood
Mark Melling with one car, #92-Stacy Compton
Ganassi/Sabco Racing with two cars, #01(was 42)-Jason Leffler and #40-Sterling Marlin

Penske to Dodge? UPDATE 2: on Wednesday's(8-15-2001) ESPN2's RPM2 Night. Robin Miller mentioned to look for Penske Racing(#'s 02,2,12) to go to Dodge in NASCAR for 2002. But back in Jan 2000, it was announced that Penske had signed with Ford to run the manufacturer thru 2002(8-16-2001)
UPDATE? from an ESPN's (Robin) Miller Mailbag - "Is there any truth to what you said a few weeks ago,that that Penske NASCAR is going to run a Dodge in 2002?" - answer: "A.J. Foyt told me Penske would be in a Dodge next year"(ESPN - Robin Miller Mailbag), back in late 1999 it was reported that Penske signed a three year deal with Ford that would last thru 2002.(11-13-2001)
UPDATE 2: Roger Penske, according to A. J. Foyt, is considering a switch from Ford to Dodge. But crew chief Robin Pemberton said, "If we're switching, somebody better tell me. Take that as a no."(Winston Salem Journal)(11-17-2001)

Dodge to sponsor weekly series? UPDATE: Dodge and NASCAR are on the verge of announcing that the automobile manufacturer is to be the new sponsor of the Weekly Racing Series, the short-track series played out on nearly 100 local venues throughout the United States. NASCAR has been futilely seeking sponsorship for the series ever since the negotiated Tobacco Agreement effectively ended the long run of the Winston Racing Series, a program in which the cigarette company chipped in millions of dollars not only to reward short-track drivers but also to upgrade facilities by painting fences and building scoreboards.(Gaston Gazette)(11-10-2001)
UPDATE: Dodge today announced that it has reached an agreement with the NASCAR to become the presenting sponsor of NASCAR's Weekly Racing Series, beginning immediately and continuing through a multi-year agreement. The announcement comes near the end of Dodge's first season back in NASCAR Winston Cup racing in 16 years, and a year in which the brand captured its first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Manufacturers Championship. The NASCAR Weekly Racing Series presented by Dodge is America's premier weekly stock car racing series, encompassing 10 geographic regions and nearly 90 of the finest short-track racing facilities across America. Many competitors in NASCAR's three national series - Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks - began their careers in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, including each of those series champions in 2000. Dodge drivers Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, Casey Atwood, Stacy Compton, Buckshot Jones, Scott Riggs and Ted Musgrave are also NASCAR Weekly Racing Series graduates.(Golin/Harris PR)(11-13-2001)

Last Dodge win at Darlington? The last time a Dodge won at Darlington before Ward Burton’s victory on Sunday, Burton was nine years old. Buddy Baker, driving a Dodge owned by Petty Enterprises, won the 1971 Rebel 400 by beating the Dodges of Dick Brooks and Dave Marcis(The State), the last Dodge to win the Southern 500, was also Buddy Baker in the 1970 race(9-3-2001)

BGN Dodge and Testing News: A sneak preview of Dodge's first foray into the BGN will be on display at Richmond International Raceway on Tuesday and Wednesday. Steven Christian will be testing a Dodge on the .75-mile oval in preparation for the Autolite/FRAM 250 Busch race at RIR on Sept. 7. Michael Waltrip, Hal Goodson and Carl Long also will be testing Busch cars at RIR. The sessions are open to the public, and gates will be open from 8:00am to 5:00pm/et each day(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-12-2001)

Dodge Rules Change: NASCAR officials announced today that modifications to the front air dam for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series 2001 Dodge Intrepid will go into effect beginning with next weekend's NASCAR Winston Cup event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This modification will allow Intrepid teams to extend their front air dam two inches forward below the bumper from the current measurement. The front air dam is described as the area below the bumper. The bumper will remain in its standard position(NASCAR PR)(7-27-2001)

Dodge Engine Approved for BGN: NASCAR will allow any Busch Grand National teams to use the new Dodge engine after Aug. 1. The new engine replaces the Dodge engines that have been used in the truck series. There are no Dodge BGN teams but there could be a Dodge that runs later in the year in the series(Racing Extra)(7-21-2001)

New Dodge Engine? UPDATE: Dodge teams might receive help from NASCAR in the near future. Dodge has tested a new engine block that is 26 pounds lighter than the one its teams currently use. Dodge teams have been searching for a way to displace some of the front-end load, and this might be the answer. NASCAR is expected to make a decision soon(Sporting News)(6-4-2001)
UPDATE: Jim Julow, who heads the Dodge motorsports program, said he's looking for competitive changes in his Winston Cup fleet of Intrepid R/Ts. The Dodge engine weights more than 25 pounds more than a Ford or GM motor. "We think we got some weight in the engine we can take out, we think there are design changes that will help us in terms of making the car a more credible competitor," said Julow. "We're pursuing those . . . I think there are some we can incorporate this year, assuming NASCAR agrees they are not significant or wholesale changes, that they are in the realm of continuous improvement."(Daytona Beach News Journal)(6-5-2001)

Dodge Clock: The infamous Dodge countdown clock was broken with a sledgehammer by Ray Evernham on Saturday morning at Daytona International Speedway. The clock was started at 500 days and was set to end with the start of today's 500. Evernham, who guided Dodge back into Winston Cup, got the jump on the calendar(Speed Magazine)(2-18-2001)

Dodge tests at the Rock: #19-Casey Atwood tested at North Carolina Speedway on Wednesday, looking to find qualifying speed. Atwood was on hand at the 1.017-mile oval with #92-Dodge driver, Stacy Compton in the second of what will be four days of testing for Dodge riders at the track. Atwood ran as fast as 153.188mph but hopes to get to the upper 155mph range before leaving. Compton ran for the second straight day at Rockingham Wednesday and still feels that his Melling Racing team has work to do(SpeedVision)(2-1-2001)

One Dodge: Bill Elliott is the only Dodge driver eligible to run Feb. 11 in the pre-season Budweiser Shootout. The special Daytona non-points race features pole winners from last season and past winners of the event that had been called the "Busch Clash" until 1998 when it was the Bud Shootout from 1998-2000.(CNN/SI). See my Budweiser Shootout page for info(1-29-2001)

#77 at the Wind Tunnel, no Dodge UPDATE: hearing that Jasper Motorsports is testing a #77 Daytona car and a Intermediate car in the wind tunnel at N.A.S.A.'s Langley Research Center/ODU Wind Tunnel located in Hampton, VA today. Also, Dodge was scheduled to test some Cup cars this weekend, but canceled(1-26-2001)
UPDATE: The ODU Wind Tunnel test was scrubbed but Ganassi Racing is instead taking a Dodge to the Martin Marietta Wind Tunnel in GA, today for a full day of testing(1-27-2001)

Dodge News: Chrysler is losing more than $1 billion a quarter and over about three years, as many as 6,000 of Chrysler's 30,000 white-collar jobs, 10,000 to 15,000 of its 95,000 manufacturing workers, and about six of its 41 plants will be shut down, The Wall Street Journal reported Jan. 22. However, Dodge Motorsports officials maintain DaimlerChryler's new head's decisions won't affect its racing program(Winston Cup Scene-sub required to read)(1-25-2001)

CNN/SI: NASCAR Notebook - Dodge to unveil massive ad campaign around Cup return by Mike Fish(1-6-2001)

Dodge Test at Vegas UPDATE 2: Hearing there is a private Dodge test scheduled for this Sunday and Monday(Jan 7th-8th) at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Drivers scheduled to test are #22-Ward Burton and #93-Dave Blaney of Bill Davis Racing, #40-Sterling Marlin for Chip Ganassi Racing, #92-Stacy Compton for Melling Racing, #19-Casey Atwood and #9-Bill Elliott for Evernham Racing and #43-John Andretti, #45-Kyle Petty and #44-Buckshot Jones for Petty Enterprises. The test is closed to the public(1-5-2001)
UPDATE: hearing Dodge's two-day test was cut short because of rain that wiped out the afternoon session on Monday. Unofficially Stacy Compton was fastest on Sunday and Sterling Marlin was fastest on Monday. There were 11 drivers here testing including Bill Elliott and Casey Atwood (Evernham Motorsports), Marlin (Ganassi), Compton (Melling), John Andretti, Steve Grissom, Kyle Petty, Buckshot Jones (Petty), Ward Burton, Dave Blaney, Scott Wimmer (Bill Davis). Richard Petty visited the track briefly on Monday and Jimmy Vasser, who lives in Las Vegas, was hanging around the Ganassi team on Sunday. There were no incidents and most seemed to feel it was a pretty successful test(1-8-2001)

Dodge Lives.....: been many questions speculating on Dodges demise before it even hits the track next month. So with that in mind, from a column at CNN/SI: Look for Daimler-Chrysler to kickoff a huge advertising campaign trumpeting the return of Dodge to NASCAR Winston Cup racing in the coming days. Everything is in place for the debut at Daytona, from the engineering and track tests to the selection of the drivers and the approval from NASCAR to go racing. Now, Dodge is ready to roll out what a company spokesman boasts will "probably be the single biggest marketing program in America this year." Full story at CNN/SI's NASCAR Notebook - Dodge to unveil massive ad campaign around Cup return AND in a story at the St Louis Post Dispatch, it is mentioned: ....that even though there have been some cutbacks in the automobile industry as a whole in recent months, the Dodge venture back into NASCAR has not been affected. "We're committed to this program, and any talk of cutbacks has not been an issue here in engineering. This is a major event for Dodge."(1-6-2001)

Las Vegas Review Journal: Dodge teams feeling pressure by Jeff Wolf

Fayetteville Observer: Is Dodge doomed before green waves? by Thomas Pope(new link)(12-5-2000)

Dodge News UPDATE 2: Lou Patane, Vice President of Motorsports for DaimlerChrysler and the man responsible for carrying out the launch of Dodge's new NASCAR Winston Cup effort, has decided to retire, effective date unclear, it was learned over the weekend. Company representatives said the retirement was voluntary. "It's not a sports resignation, not a part of the merger or the change in motorsport," said Debby Robinson, vp at Chicago-based Golin/Harris, which handles aspects of Dodge's publicity.(SpeedVision)(12-18-2000)
UPDATE: Lou Patane says his decision to retire sometime next year is a family and lifestyle one, not a corporate one. Patane revealed Friday that he would retire from DaimlerChrysler at some time next year. Patane says he plans to move to the Charlotte area first of the year to pursue business opportunities, but he makes clear that he intends to maintain his involvement with DC racing, at least through the near future(SpeedVision)(12-19-2000)
UPDATE 2: Regarding Lou Patane's announcement of his retirement sometime in the future as the head of Dodge's racing programs, the StockCarFans Newsletter reports that a good source speculates that Patane's position will probably be eliminated as all the motorsports decisions will be coming from Germany in the future. Daimler-Chrysler is unfortunately becoming less and less of an American company and almost totally a German one. Also don't be surprised if Patane ends up being involved in ownership of a NASCAR team somewhere along the way(12-22-2000)

Dodge Update: A regular update on the Dodge NASCAR Winston Cup Program from team owner and development leader Ray Evernham. On the Development Program: "We're working on our race team development right now. With the end of the season, all the teams are back at square one, so we're all on the same playing field for 2001. No good driver will tell you they are really ready, but with the time left until the Daytona 500, we're in a really good place. I've watched that clock tick down day by day from 500 days down to 250 days to less than 100 now. But be aware - I'm going to smash that clock on the afternoon of the Daytona 500. We're just moving into our Statesville shop. It's going pretty well. We've been painting, rebuilding and modifying the space to meet our needs. We'll open the doors on December 15, and when the guys walk back in the door, I don't want them to have to worry about anything but racing.
On the Engine Program: "We just finished a test at Talladega where we were working to make gains on our restrictor plate engine. We've spent a lot of time in the wind tunnel, on the track and on the dyno to make sure we're ready come February. The development of the engine is really a search for speed versus endurance. One is a function of the other. Everyone wants horsepower, but with too much horsepower you can run into durability problems. We're working to find a balance between the two.
On Management Changes at NASCAR: "Congratulations to both Mike Helton and George Pyne. They are great assets to NASCAR and will continue to bring great things to our sport. Mike Helton has a lot of the same personality characteristics as Mr. France, and he will be a great leader for this organization."(Golin/Harris International PR)(12-1-2000)

Dodge in Danger? Just months away from popping the cork on their first Winston Cup race in 16 years, Dodge officials are looking over their shoulders as their parent company restructures its top executives and considers deep budget cuts. After DaimlerChrysler posted a $512 million loss in the third quarter — the first quarterly loss in nine years — German executives now in charge of the newly merged company began ousting top American managers. Although the company says there are no plans to curtail racing and marketing budgets, some in NASCAR racing circles are wondering if the high-level reorganization is a signal of cutbacks in the Dodge division's fledgeling NASCAR racing program. One encouraging sign is that Jim Julow, vice president of DaimlerChrysler's Dodge Division, and Lou Pataine, the company's racing operations manager, remain in their jobs. Another indication that it's full-speed ahead came when Darlington Raceway announced Tuesday that Dodge will sponsor the track's Spring NASCAR Winston Cup event. See Full story at FoxSports(12-1-2000)

Dodge Testing UPDATE 6: hearing that Bill Davis Racing cancelled their Dodge test at Kentucky Speedway for Monday through Wednesday and that Evernham Motorsports will test the week after Thanksgiving(11-18-2000)
UPDATE: hearing Bill Davis Racing will now test at Kentucky on November 29th and 30th
UPDATE 2: Evernham Motorsports will test at Talladega on Monday(NASCAR2Day)(11-19-2000)
UPDATE 3: with the race delay, the test was pushed back to Tuesday(11-22-2000)
UPDATE 4: The Dodge test team will be testing at Kentucky Speedway from Nov 29th thru Dec 1st(rain date), teams testing: Petty Enterprises, Ganassi Racing and Bill Davis Racing. Also hear former #55 BGN driver Michael Ritch is helping as a Dodge test driver(11-27-2000)
UPDATE 5: hearing that Ganassi Racing was the only team to show up on Wednesday for the first of a two day Dodge Test at Kentucky Speedway(11-30-2000)
UPDATE 6: Teams/drivers testing - Bill Davis Racing: Ward Burton, Dave Blaney; Petty Enterprises: Buckshot Jones; Ganassi/SABCO - Sterling Marlin. Testing continues till the end of Friday as they are testing engine durability(12-1-2000)

Evernham and Valvoline: Evernham Motorsports has chosen Valvoline as a technical partner for the return of Dodge to NASCAR Winston Cup racing next season. Valvoline becomes the official motor oil of Evernham's Dodge Dealers Intrepid R/Ts and, in addition to lubricants, will supply Zerex coolant technology and Eagle One appearance products to the team. Evernham has been using Valvoline synthetic motor oil in the testing of the new Dodge Winston Cup engines. Valvoline will also partner with MB2 Motorsports to own the #10 Valvoline Pontiac to be driven next year by Johnny Benson(Valvoline Newsletter/PR)(11-21-2000)

Evernham Associate Sponsor: Bill Elliott's and Casey Atwood's Dodges, will carry Stihl as associate sponsors next season(AJC)(11-20-2000)

Evernham Crew Chiefs: Ray Evernham announced Tuesday that Mike Ford would remain Bill Elliott 's crew chief next season when Elliott joins Evernham's team. Patrick Donahue will be Casey Atwood's crew chief. Elliott will drive the #9 Dodge Dealers Dodge and Atwood will drive the #19 Dodge, sponsor unknown(Roanoke Times)(11-8-2000)

Dodge Engine Approved: Dodge Motorsports today reached another milestone in its return to Winston Cup Racing with the approval by NASCAR of the engine for its Dodge Intrepid R/T race car. Dodge Motorsports presented engine parts to NASCAR for approval on September 27, including cylinder block, heads and three intake manifolds, along with other Dodge engine parts such as the water manifold, head gasket, water pump and fuel pump. The 358 cubic inch V-8 Dodge Magnum engine features an open deck and a deep skirt for high-powered performance. Termed the R5-P7 engine, it is the new millennium's first addition to the Dodge Magnum family of engines designed and produced for racing by Dodge Motorsports. For Ray Evernham, Dodge team owner and leader of the development effort, approval of the engine was the final hurdle between Dodge and the Daytona 500(Dodge PR, see full story/PR at NOL)(11-6-2000)

Dodge Templates Approved UPDATE: Dodge teams received the NASCAR-approved templates for the 2001 Dodge Intrepid Tuesday morning. The teams can start building cars and working on getting the engine approved as it has not been submitted to NASCAR yet(Times Dispatch) AND NASCAR has approved and delivered the body templates for the 2001 Dodge Intrepid. Now armed with the legal definition of a legal body teams are hard at work shaping sheetmetal to fit the templates. Speedway Illustrated checked with a couple of body specialists and was told because so much preliminary work has already been done, the first cars with legal body's could hit the track in about 10 days--less if a team guessed right on the cars already cloaked in tin. Most think the first on-track tests will focus on restrictor plate tracks as mid-sized tracks now use almost identical body contours these days(Speedway Illustrated)(8-31-2000)
UPDATE: Bill Davis Racing had seven chassis waiting for the approval so team members could begin adding bodies. Chip Ganassi Racing had six cars ready(Roanoke Times)(9-2-2000)

Dodge and Sabco/Ganassi UPDATE: Felix Sabates says he and Chip Ganassi have "agreed to agree" on a transaction that could bring Ganassi aboard as majority partner in Sabates' NASCAR racing organization(SABCO). Such a deal, Sabates said, would likely happen in the next 30 days. SABCO, fields the #40 Coors cars(Chevys) for Sterling Marlin and the #42 BellSouth car for Kenny Irwin. Sabastes says they have not discussed drivers and that any deal must be done in the next two or three weeks. Reports last fall had said Ganassi would link with Pontiac, which may be in need of teams with the defections to Dodge of Petty Enterprises and Bill Davis Racing. More recent rumors, however, pointed Ganassi in Dodge's direction(in part from SpeedVision)(5-17-2000)
UPDATE: Speedway Scene has learned that it is likely that the Chip Ganassi/Felix Sabates SABCO collaboration are expected to make the change to Dodge sheet metal in 2001. Where SABCO will fit into the program as far as team alignment goes is unknown, but Bill Davis, owner of the #22 and #93 Pontiacs says that they'll not be part of the three team consortium that includes himself, Ray Evernham and Petty Enterprises(Speedway Scene)(6-25-2000)

Why #92? as heard during the MRN Qualifying broadcast: Mark Melling said it stands for 9 the second time around as the team reinvents itself(6-9-2000)

Some Dodge Rumors UPDATE 2: hearing Ray Evernham will meet with Valvoline this week AND heard that Dodge tested at Greenville Pickens Speedway earlier this week(6-7-2000)
UPDATE: hearing that the meetings with Valvoline are about a primary sponsorship of the #19 Dodge that Casey Atwood will drive in 2001 and an assoc deal with the #9 Dodge Bill Elliott will drive
UPDATE 2: the Dodges testing at Greenville Pickens Speedway were not cars but trucks, supposedly testing the new Dodge engine that will be used in Cup next year(6-8-2000)

4th Dodge team, #92 UPDATE 3: Dodge will announce the 4th Dodge team at Michigan International Speedway Friday, June 9th. Hmm...the same day Melling Racing will announce it's new car number. The other three teams are: Evernham Motorsports(#'s 9 and 19), Petty Enterprises (#'s 43 and 44) and Bill Davis Racing (#'s 22 and 93). Melling Racing gave up it's #9 to Evernham Motorsports for Bill Elliott to drive(6-2-2000)
UPDATE: Melling Racing has scheduled a news conference for next Friday at Michigan Speedway and is expected to announce that it will field Dodge Intrepids in 2001(That's Racin')(6-3-2000)
UPDATE 2: made the announcement on Thursday instead? - from SpeedVision: The #92 Kodiak Intrepid R/T was unveiled Thursday by team owner Mark Melling and Lou Patane VP of Motorsports Operations and Mopar Performance Parts. Melling Racing's entry will join two-car efforts from Evernham Motorsports, Bill Davis Racing and Petty Enterprises(SpeedVision)(6-8-2000)
UPDATE 3: See the official Press Release and an image of the car at Melling Racing.com(6-9-2000)

Evernham News Conference UPDATE 3 It's OFFICIAL: Dodge has scheduled an announcement for May 25th a Charlotte thought to be the day when Ray Evernham will announce his 2nd driver, rumored to be BGN driver Casey Atwood(Winston Cup Scene Magazine)(5-12-2000)
UPDATE: the announcment will be held at Victory Circle at Lowes Motor Speedway from 8:45-9:30am/et. Purpose is to reveal the second car and driver for Evernham's two-car team(PR)(5-19-2000)
UPDATE 2: may be some other announcements concerning some other Dodge teams... UPDATE 3: Two months after naming Bill Elliott to drive his #9 Dodges, Ray Evernham announced that Elliott's teammate will be.........surprise......19-year-old Casey Atwood, who current;y drives the #27 Castrol Oil Chevy in the BGN for Brewco. No other announcements mentioned(NOL)(5-25-2000)

Evernham Announcement -- It's Official: Ray Evernham is ready to announce at least one of his drivers this week at Atlanta Motor Speedway. And he's preparing for a major media event at Homestead in three weeks, putting his first NASCAR prototype Dodge on the track(PitNow)(3-5-2000)
UPDATE: Ray Evernham is scheduled to announce his first driver, expected to be Bill Elliott, for his Dodge racing team at a news conference Friday March 10th at 9:35am/et at the Atlanta Motor Speedway(That's Racin')(3-6/10-2000)
UPDATE 2: Ray Evernham named 1988 Winston Cup Champion Bill Elliott to drive for one of his two Dodge Intrepid teams in 2001, but get this, he will be in the familiar car #9. The driver for the second Evernham Motorsports entry, car #19, will be announced at a later date. Also moving to Evernham Motorsports with Elliott will be key members of his current leadership at Elliott Racing, most notably general manager Eddie D’Hondt and car chief Mike Ford(NOL) no word on what number Melling Racing will switch to in 2001 and the #9 by the way: It's the same number Elliott drove to the NASCAR Winston Cup title while driving for Melling Racing from 1982 to 1991 and in which he got 34 of his 40 race wins, the other 6 were when Elliott drove the #11 for Junior Johnson from 92-94. Also from That's Racin' - As part of Elliott's move to the Dodge organization, he will become a part owner in the #9 team and Evernham will purchase Elliott's current team and all its assets(that means Owners Points and Provisionals for 2001, if needed, plus the Past Champ Provisional. Also hear Bill Elliott speak about the Dodge move at the Bill Elliott Racing Site(3-10-2000)

THE DODGE ANNOUNEMENT at DAYTONA: In an announcement made in Victory Lane at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday morning(2-19-2000), Bill Davis Racing and Petty Enterprises joined Ray Evernham's previously-announced NASCAR Winston Cup operation in bringing back the Dodge nameplate to stock car racing's premier division for the 2001 season. See full Press Release: Dodge/Petty/Davis Announcement(PR)(2-19-2000)

UAW and Evernham: Dodge and the United Auto Workers(UAW) union today formally announced at the Detroit Auto Show that Dodge's dealer network and the UAW will team up to sponsor Ray Evernham's new Cup Dodge racing program, which returns to the series at the 2001 Daytona 500. Dodge's 2900 dealers will be the team's primary sponsor, while the UAW will be the most prominent associate sponsor(PRN Newswire)(1-11-2000)

Dodge Announcement...Exclusive UPDATEs: sent in by J.J. Harddrive.com, exclusively for this site. J.J. who is at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit reports the 'Winston Cup Dodge Announcement': With a roar of V-8 power, Dodge "officially" unveiled its Winston Cup Intrepids this morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Two #19 Evernham Motorsports cars appeared in their overall red race livery, with sponsorship from Dodge, the Dodge dealers, and the UAW. Team owner Ray Evernham confirms that this is the way the cars will race; there will be no additional sponsors. Once NASCAR approval is received (which they expect early- to mid-summer), Evernham Motorsports will build 28 cars for its two teams. Contrary to rumor, Petty Enterprises was not announced as a Dodge team for 2001. In an exclusive Jayski.com interview, Evernham said that he hopes to make a driver announcement shortly, but the decision's made and waiting for issues to be resolved with the driver's current contracts. "The guy that we do announce, he is the first and only guy that I've talked to." He expects to run one veteran and one younger driver, although not necessarily a rookie. The two Evernham teams will be set up the same way, with the younger driver's team largely populated by younger crewmen, so they can learn from the more experienced crew, as his #24 crew did with other Hendrick operations. His ideal driver for the #19 car? "25-year-old Richard Petty." Evernham expects the first Intrepids to be on track by late March or early April. His effort is open-book; all subsequent Dodge teams will have access to all of Evernham's data when building and setting up their cars. "In fact, we're putting some equipment in place to help the other teams build their own cars." His new shop is structurally complete, but not yet ready for move-in. The two cars on show: one a short-track, one superspeedway, are built on old Hopkins and Laughlin chassis, respectively. Both were built by Evernham, the superspeedway car expressly for the Detroit unveiling. While he has six Hopkins chassis in house, Evernham intends to build his own chassis (he even called it a "Dodge" chassis.) A scale model has been in the wind tunnel. The first wind tunnel test will take place before the end of the month. He expects to retain the large Dodge crosshair grille, which was largely open on the show cars. "We might not be able to do that at Bristol, but it doesn't matter because it would get knocked off anyway. But I believe that most places we go, the car can race in this configuration." Lou Patane, head of DaimlerChrysler Motorsports, told Jayski.com that announcements on more Dodge teams can be expected within 3-4 weeks. He won't comment on Petty Enterprises or, indeed, any specific team. Dodge will not provide a formal support program for Late Model or other local series, but he expects that once NASCAR approves the Intrepid body and engine for Winston Cup, a number of local teams will switch to Dodge. Thanks J.J. -- UPDATE: the Detroit News has a story up: Dodge to return to NASCAR racing, doesn't say much, but the DaimlerChrysler has a great section and even an image of the car at: It's Here: All-New Dodge Intrepid R/T Winston Cup Race Car Make Its Debut at North American International Auto Show with a slew of stories linked there. Also from Carpoint: Dodge Goes NASCAR Racing with many images(1-11-2000)

more Petty and Dodge: It didn't take a lot of investigative reporting to find out that Richard Petty met with representatives of Dodge's new Winston Cup effort on Saturday. That's because their brief meeting was held in the corner of the track's infield media center. Dodge wants to have at least five teams ready for the 2001 Daytona 500. Two of those would be owned by Ray Evernham. There is speculation that Petty Enterprises could field a Dodge Intrepid for Adam Petty in 2001 while leaving John Andretti and, perhaps, Kyle Petty in Pontiacs(That's Racin/Jim Utter)(10-17-1999)

More Dodge: hearing one driver will be named within the next few weeks for the Evernham Dodge team, also TNN's Raceday reported that Dodge was talking to the Joe Gibbs Racing and Penske-Kranefuss teams(10-17-1999)

Evernham And Dodge UPDATE: former #24 Crew Chief, Ray Evernham will have a two car Dodge Cup team with one team sponsored by Dodge(RPM2Nite). No other sponsor named and no drivers yet. Jeff Gordon was wooed by Dodge/Chrysler but recently signed with Hendrick Motorsports for life with ownership involved. Also, Evernham will continue with Ingersoll-Rand as a spokesman(Winston Cup Scene Magazine) listen to an interview on the ESPN Auto Racing page(10-15-1999) -- UPDATE: Jim Julow, vice president, Dodge Division, said he hopes to have as many as four cars on the track in time for the 2001 Daytona 500, with Evernham scheduled to field two – both red and both sponsored by Dodge. Other sponsors will be welcome on the other cars, with the Dodge Dealers maintaining a presence.(Racer Magazine Site)(10-16-1999)

The Dodge Announcement: Dodge Division announced its return to Winston Cup racing in a news conference live from New York City today. Dodge will field two teams in the NASCAR Winston Cup series, beginning with the 2001 Daytona 500. Ray Evernham will own and manage one team; additional owners have not yet been announced(DaimlerChrysler Site) AND In a highly anticipated and historic move, Dodge racing officials announced at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York that their company, which already has 160 NASCAR Winston Cup Series victories, will rejoin the series and make its inaugural appearance at the 2001 Daytona 500. Dodge, a top competitor in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series from the 1950s through the '70s, has been involved in the relatively new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Company officials announced plans to field at least two NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams and five cars using the Dodge Intrepid(NOL has an image) AND Dodge will partner with its over 2,900 dealers to jointly fund the race program in what is a different and unique approach to NASCAR's most popular series. The partnership between dealers and the brand will field two teams and five cars using the award-winning Dodge Intrepid(Car and Truck) AND Dodge plans to unveil a version of the Winston Cup Intrepid at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January 2000, and will test the car throughout next year prior to making its debut in the 2001 Daytona 500(Racer Magazine) that pretty much covers it...for now(10-14-1999)

BGN Dodge? UPDATE and IMAGES: From ESPN's Matt Yocum ESPN Chat when asked about Chrysler/Dodge: ....."In fact, one Busch Series team already has an Intrepid in their race shot built on their own without any deals with Dodge or Chrysler. But they certainly would like be part of the Dodge program. Although none of the team members would go on record admitting the car has been built and is in their shop. But I will give a hint: It's red and white and has a two-time Busch Series champion as its driver". Sounds like the #1 James Finch team and Randy LaJoie(ESPN)(10-8-1999) -- UPDATE/IMAGES: Heard this from a few readers and was able to score a few images of the car - The Sports Director for WJHG in Panama City, FL, Scott Rossman, did a phone interview with James Finch(BGN #1 owner) yesterday about the new Dodge. The interview aired at 6pm, here it is in part: "On another racing front, of all the racing garages in the land, Dodge has chosen Phoenix Racing in Lynn Haven to house it's racing prototype. Dodge is expected to get back into Nascar in the next couple of years with this Intrepid. I talked with Phoenix Racing owner, James Finch today. He says his crew is working on the Intrepid, and expects to begin testing in the next month, and run it several times by the end of the year. Finch told me that Dodge will make an official announcement on Thursday about it's foray back into Nascar in 2001. James adding he's not sure if he will jump his Phoenix team from Chevy to Dodge. He says it's still too early to know what kind of car the Intrepid will be. I asked him why Dodge chose his garage to work and house this prototype, and he said probably because it's the furthest South from Charlotte, the manufacturer obviously wanting to keep it a secret, at least until Thursday." I also hear that Joe Ruttman, who drives the #18 Dana Dodge in the CTS will handle the testing duties. See two images of the car on my Paint Schemes Page(NOTE: need JAVA enabled to see the images)(10-12-1999)

That's Racin' Evernham Coverage:
Evernham's departure accelerated
Meet the new crew chief
Reactions from the racing world
Opinion: Gordon will still win(9-30-1999)

Dodge Changes and Engine: The corporate shakeup at Chrysler this week could affect Dodge's new NASCAR program, particularly its budget, according to Detroit sources. And the Chrysler situation puts pressure on NASCAR executives, who are banking on the return of the brand to the stock-car tour to help give the sport a new marketing tool. Supposedly some of the new Dodge team owners are second-guessing their decision to make the switch, in part because of continued engine problems AND NASCAR has officially OKed a backup engine program for Dodge if the company's new Winston Cup engine continues having problems. But it's a backup program Dodge doesn't want -- its Truck tour engine(PitNow)(11-18-2000)

Elliott to Dodge? UPDATE: Ernie that is. Engine builder Ernie Elliott, Bill's brother, who builds Ford engines for the #'s 94, 11 and 9 teams, will supposedly build Dodge engines in 2001 for the Ganassi Cup team (#01(was 42) and #40) and possibly the #92(is now #9) Melling team. Supposedly Elliott is building a new shop in the Charlotte area but will kewp the current Georgia shop. No word on if Elliott will still build Ford engines for the #11 Brett Bodine team. Bill Elliott will be driving for Ray Evernham in 2001 who has his own Dodge engine dept(7-14-2000)
UPDATE: A NASCAR engine builder will begin construction soon on a $2 million shop on 7 acres near Concord. Land at 7165 Mount Pleasant Road has been cleared for Ernie Elliott Inc. to build the 12,500-square-foot shop, and plans are complete for the building. "All the hard stuff is done," says Tony Santanicola, spokesman for Ernie Elliott. Santanicola expects the building to be complete in April. The engine builder, which has nine employees, has worked from the former Cale Yarborough shop at 4200 Stowe Road in Concord. Now the shop needs more space, Santanicola says. Elliott builds engines for his brother's company, Statesville-based Bill Elliott Racing, which fields the McDonald's Corp.-sponsored Winston Cup car(Business Journal of Charlotte) and Bodine gets Yates Engines in 2001, see the past news on the #11 Team News and Links page(11-13-2000)

More Dodge Testing UPDATE: Dodge teams will conduct tests this week at Talladega and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. Bill Davis, owner of the #22 and #93 teams that will be converting to Dodge next season, said his teams and the teams from Petty Enterprises will be at the Charlotte track working with the engine package that is still awaiting final approval from NASCAR. Davis said that the teams owned by Ray Evernham would be working at Talladega(That's Racin')(11-5-2000)
UPDATE: Dodge's test schedule has been altered. A scheduled manufacturer test at Las Vegas this week was postponed until Jan. 6-7, 2001. Dodge teams will test at Talladega and Charlotte on Nov. 14-15. Dodge also has a test scheduled Nov. 20-21 at Kentucky Speedway(Roanoke Times)(11-8-2000)

Dodge Cancels Vegas Test? UPDATE yes: Dodge has canceled a major planned test at Las Vegas because of continued engine problems. Production difficulties with the casting of blocks has forced Dodge to recall a number of pieces, and Dodge drivers and teams aren't happy, considering their Daytona 500 debut is only 106 days off(PitNow) BUT later in the same Notebook column it says: Dodge is scheduled to hold a three-day test session at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Monday through Wednesday. The test will be closed to the public. So which one is it??
UPDATE: Dodge has cancelled its three-day test at LVMS(LVMS PR)(11-4-2000)

Dodge Testing at Daytona UPDATE 4: The Chip Ganassi Racing team with driver Sterling Marlin and the Melling Racing team with driver Stacy Compton will be at Daytona International Speedway Tuesday, October 31, and Wednesday, November 1, for a two day Dodge manufacturers test. The test will be CLOSED to the public and the press(DIS PR)(10-28-2000)
UPDATE: added TWO images of the #92 running at DIS in the Paint Scheme Gallery
UPDATE 2: see a story about the testing at Speed Magazine: Dodge gets busy at Daytona (11-1-2000)
UPDATE 3: Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates driver Sterling Marlin and Melling Racing driver Stacy Compton completed a two-day test of the Dodge Intrepid R/T today on the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the Feb. 18 Daytona 500. The drivers shook down their Intrepids with the new Dodge engine that’s still awaiting NASCAR approval. Both Marlin’s and Compton’s Dodges were fitted with restrictor plates and NASCAR’s aerodynamic package that was recently used in the Winston 500 at Talladega. Marlin and Compton were both pleased with the results of the test and said the Intrepid picked up speed from its recent test session at Daytona’s sister track. At least 10 teams will field Dodge Intrepids for the season-opening Daytona 500 and preparing for the season’s biggest and most prestigious race is no easy chore. Marlin is confident that the car and engine can compete for a victory in the restrictor-plate race. “They had a little trouble in Talladega, but it was a core that slipped in a block,” said Marlin, a two-time Daytona 500 champion. “That got fixed. Casey has been to Kentucky and they’ve run like 1,400 miles on a motor turning 9,200 rpms(DIS PR)(11-2-2000)
UPDATE 4: hearing that the teams used Ford engines at the testing at Daytona(11-3-2000)

Engine Submitted: Ray Evernham, the lead developer of the Dodge Intrepid that will debut at the 2001 Daytona 500, said Friday he submitted the Dodge engine to NASCAR for approval on Wednesday(That's Racin')(9-30-2000)

Dodge Engine News: Ray Evernham, owner of Evernham Motorsports and leading the development of the Dodge Intrepid, said he plans to present the new Dodge engine to NASCAR for approval in early October(That's Racin')(9-23-2000)

Dodge Engines: NASCAR supposedly has decided not to limit the bore size of the new Dodge engine, according to NASCAR sources, and that means the new engine could be this sport's first 10,000RPM motor. The design of the new Dodge has worried both Ford and GM engineers, who have politicked NASCAR to put some limits on the design(PitNow) AND see a story at That's Racin': Evernham says engine work `coming along'(9-9-2000)

Wind Tunnel Test..after Indy? UPDATE: NASCAR officials expect to be in the Lockheed wind tunnel next week with Dodge's new Winston Cup tour Intrepid, after a track test at Atlanta(Aug 7-8th see story below). And if NASCAR likes what it sees, it will cut official templates for the 2001 season for the car. NASCAR also is expected to wind-tunnel test some other Winston Cup cars, quite possibly the top three finishing makes in the Brickyard 400. NASCAR hasn't done a major wind-tunnel test since March, though the sanctioning body has had some Daytona 500 test cars in the tunnel for examination of possible body changes in advance of the Aug. 15 (Aero/Restrictor Plate) test at Daytona(PitNow)(8-5-2000)
UPDATE: NASCAR officials began the approval process for the Dodge Intrepid when they took the car Sunday to the Lockheed wind tunnel in Marietta, GA(Roanoke Times) Didn't mention any other cars going to the wind tunnel(8-9-2000)

Melling to Dodge? UPDATE from goracing/Bill Kiser: Melling Racing owner Mark Melling, who current runs the #9 number, gave it up to Bill Elliott and the Evernham Dodge team. There was a price to be paid for securing the number, however - according to sources, Melling Racing will also become a part of the Dodge Motorsports program in 2001, bringing along current driver Stacy Compton. So that is 8 Dodge teams/cars(3-10-2000)
UPDATE BUT.....: a story by Lee Spencer indicats that Melling is considering Dodge but probably will not go in that direction, see the full story at: Harry Melling on Son's Mind(3-11-2000)

A BGN Dodge? Here's the story and an image: a follow up on a story from Oct 8th, 1999. The Dodge Intrepid that was built in Lynn Haven, FL has been detailed and ready to be tested. The following is how the story was reported in WJHG's (channel 7) 10pm news on Wednesday, January 19th... "To racing news and the Phoenix Team is just about ready to test the Dodge Prototype it's been building the past few months. Crew Chief Mark Reno kind of unveiling the Phoenix Dodge for us today...Marc says the Intrepid is headed for a car show in Pennsylvania this weekend, then the week after next the team will take it to Atlanta or Lakeland for some track testing. Phoenix owner James Finch is footing the bill for this Prototype, which Reno says is all Dodge, including the engine. Marc says they revved that engine for the first time yesterday, and it gave everyone working on it a real charge." A quote from Reno from the newscast: "We've watched the truck series and watched the kind of help they've (Dodge has) given the teams and General Motors doesn't do a whole lot for the Busch teams so to get some factory help and some technical help, that's a big deal in racing so we're not 100% sure we're gonna change to Dodge, but we're gonna be ready if we do."(paraphrased) The Phoenix Racing team is the #1 Bob Evans BGN team with 2 time champ Randy LaJoie as the driver. See the image on the BGN Paint Schemes page which is linked on the Paint Scheme Gallery(1-21-2000)

Dodge Talladega Test UPDATE: One year into Dodge's Winston Cup project and everything is right on schedule. At least that's what Bob Wildberger, senior manager for Dodge's NASCAR operations, said Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. On-track testing, which began May 2, continues with all five teams recruited by Dodge scheduled to take part in tests on Talladega's 2.66-mile oval on Monday and Tuesday(Total Sports/AP) AND Ray Evernham, the lead developer of the Dodge Intrepid that will begin competition in the 2001 Daytona 500, said he is pleased with the durability of the Dodge engine. Engine parts were submitted to NASCAR for approval earlier this month and Dodge is still awaiting a decision(That's Racin')(10-14/16-2000) Dodge Test at Talladega: see the Press Release and Pictures: Dodge Marks One-Year Anniversary Of Winston Cup Launch With Inaugural Speedway Test At Talladega(10-16-2000)

Mountain Dew? UPDATE 3: hearing Mountain Dew, a Pepsi soda product, may be the sponsor of the #19 Evernham Motorsports Dodge that Casey Atwood will drive in 2001. Motorola may also stick around as a major associate(10-3-2000)
UPDATE: now hearing Mountain Dew will be part of a rotating sponsorship package of some sort, not sure what other companies or brands may be involved(10-4-2000)
UPDATE 2: from what I understand, there will some sort of roatating sponsorship between the seven original Dodge teams, Evernham Motorsports(#'s 9 and 19), Bill Davis Racing(#22 and #93) and Petty Enterprises(#'s 43,44,45), sounds pretty unique
UPDATE 3: as known, many of the new Dodge drivers are Coca Cola drivers, how this will affect them or how it may work is unknow. It may only include some of the sponsors and some of the drivers. Anyhow, something unique seems to be happening in reqards to sponsors with some of the Dodge teams, time will tell(10-5-2000)

More Dodge Testing: Dodge will be testing the Dodge Intrepid at Kentucky Speedway Oct 3-4, 2000. Ray Evernham will have drivers Casey Atwood, and Buckshot Jones testing(Kentucky Speedway PR)(10-2-2000)

Dodge Testing Schedule: One of the five Dodge manufacturers tests this fall will be at Martinsville Speedway. NASCAR rules permit Dodge to have five manufacturers tests at tracks the series races. There is no limit to testing at other tracks. The two-day manufacturer tests are open to all Dodge teams. Most tests have a third date as a rain date. The Martinsville test is scheduled Oct.24-26. The other tests are at Talladega on Oct.16-17 and Nov.14-16, Daytona on Oct.31-Nov.1 and Las Vegas on Nov.6-8.(Roanoke Times)(10-1-2000)

Dodge Testing UPDATE: Dodge Winston Cup teams test at Daytona for a critical, two-day manufacturer's test scheduled to start on Halloween day. Ray Evernham will lead the Dodge charge on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The Speedway expects the entire Dodge roster to gather for this preliminary shakedown of the Intrepid in preparation for the 2001 Daytona 500 where the car will make its competitive debut. The teams and drivers invited by Dodge and expected to participate include Evernham Motorsports (Casey Atwood, Bill Elliott), Petty Enterprises Inc. (Kyle Petty, Buckshot Jones, John Andretti), Bill Davis Racing (Ward Burton, Dave Blaney), Team SABCO (Sterling Marlin, Ted Musgrave) and Melling Racing (Stacey Compton). This probably will be the first time all the teams representing the incoming Dodge brand will assemble at the same track together. The test comes immediately following