No Dodge In The Chase For The Championship
Kasey Kahne Is Shutout Of NASCAR's Title Hunt
Sep 10, 2008
Well, you could see it coming over the course of the last two or three years- a Chase for the Championship without a driver representing the Dodge brand. In 2005, three Dodge drivers- Jeremy Mayfield, Ryan Newman, and Rusty Wallace, qualified for the Chase for the Championship in the sleek Dodge Charger body style; however, it has been a laborious task ever since for DaimlerChrysler.
In 2006, despite five wins in the first twenty-six races, Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Kasey Kahne marginally made the ten-man cut. In fact, Kahne was the only Dodge driver with even a prayer as the 2006 Chase for the Championship neared.
In 2007, Penske Racing driver Kurt Busch barely squeezed into the twelve-man hunt after winning two races. His teammate Ryan Newman almost made the cut, but a string of mid-season misfortune set that team back.
In 2008, Kasey Kahne and Ryan Newman were Dodge’s only hope, and then Newman began to fade in the early summer months. Kahne’s place in the Chase for the Championship appeared secure, especially after two early summer wins, but a couple of hiccups late in the race to the Chase all but sealed his fate. Dodge now finds themselves with absolutely no chance at a Sprint Cup championship in 2008.
Chevrolet boasts six teams, and Ford and Toyota each have three representatives in this year’s championship chase, which is further confirmation that something is terribly amiss with the Dodge outfit.
Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman will depart the Penske Racing operation, leaving Dodge with one less star driver. He will join Stewart Haas Racing, which fields Chevrolets. In fact, Newman even stated that he was surprised by the lack of interest from opposing Dodge teams. David Stremme is his replacement, and no offense to Stremme, but he is no Rocketman. Chip Ganassi Racing is seemingly in shambles, as sponsor issues have reared its ugly head. Juan Pablo Montoya remains committed to Ganassi, but Reed Sorenson will join Gillett Evernham Motorsports at the end of the year, and the Dario Franchitti experience was a complete failure.
Speaking of Gillett Evernham Motorsports, other than Kasey Kahne’s two wins, it has been a nondescript season for the organization. Elliott Sadler has yet to match Jeremy Mayfield’s accomplishments, and Patrick Carpentier is job hunting before his rookie season has concluded. Petty Enterprises merged with Boston Ventures, but there are rumors of a minor family squabble, and Kyle Petty is not expected to drive the 45 Dodge in 2009. General Mills left for the greener pastures at General Motors’ Richard Childress Racing.
The future of Dodge Motorsports is bleak. With the departure of Ryan Newman; Kurt Busch, Kasey Kahne, and Juan Pablo Montoya carry the torch for Dodge, and they are a far cry from the star power at Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. If things fail to change or improve, Dodge could lose Kurt Busch and Montoya within the next year.
Dodge has been falling behind their rival manufacturers ever since they switched from the Intrepid body style to the Charger in 2005. No sign of resurgence has been manifest, so is Dodge simply going to fade into NASCAR oblivion, again?
