Since Dodge pulled out of NASCAR after the 2012 racing season, American stock car racing has been a three-way battle between Chevy, Toyota and Ford. However, Honda has been eyeing the NASCAR circuit, bringing a potential fourth manufacturer back to the mix in stock car racing’s highest echelon.
Honda expressed interest in NASCAR back in 2019 before the advent of the Next Gen race car, although the automaker later dismissed the notion, saying it wasn’t interested in pursuing stock car racing alongside IMSA and IndyCar. However, in February 2024, NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell stated that discussions to bring a new manufacturer to the sport were “heating up,” and it’s no secret that the organization has been courting Honda for years.
Honda and Acura Motorsports Manager, Chuck Schifsky, released a statement to address the rumors, saying, “As part of our role managing American Honda’s motorsports programs, we need to investigate all forms of motorsport here in the U.S., and as a part of that process, educate ourselves on what race fans are looking for. With that said, we have nothing new to report in terms of our future motorsport direction.”
Honda and its luxury brand Acura are no strangers to racing on North American tracks. Honda Performance Development (HPD) helps field cars in IndyCar, while Acura competes in IMSA. Drivers behind the wheel of a Honda race car have helped the Japanese automaker win the Indianapolis 500 seven times since 2012, the drivers’ championship five times and manufacturer’s championship four times. Acura, meanwhile, has won the 24 Hours of Daytona multiple times, and is one of the fiercest competitors on the IMSA circuit against Corvette and Cadillac race cars.
It’s worth noting that Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), a current Cup Series team, is nearing the end of its contract with Ford, meaning it could be an opening for Honda in 2025. Additionally, the future of the Chevy Camaro ZL1 as a race car is unclear considering that its road-going counterpart has been discontinued, meaning that current Bow Tie teams could be shopping around for a new manufacturer in the absence of a solid plan from Chevy.
While Chevy could continue to compete using the muscle car, it’s more likely that it will be replaced by a vehicle that’s currently in production, perhaps even a crossover.
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Comments
I predict there will be a malibu ss for chevy and a honda accord in the near future,,,,,ug!!! Not so much against a malibu but still cant accept toyota let alone honda in nascar, but it will be what it will be no matter what i think! lol!
why cant you accept honda or toyota in nascar? Are you that old and racist that only the good ol boys are allowed in?
Some of us remember when politicians allowed the Japanese brands to be sold in this. country while American brands were not allowed to be sold in Japan. This could be considered reverse racism. It should be a level playing field for all. Now days things are somewhat better. If my WW2 Veteran Dad and his buddies had their way, no “pissy assed foreign tin cans” would be sold in America. Guys his age formed NASCAR. This probably explains a lot.
Being an American is not being a racist. America is a melting pot of all races, but we do have National pride and cherish our institutions we have created. Do we have a Japanese or Chinese baseball team playing in our Major leagues? Absolutely not. Nascar was created for American made vehicles. Guess you haven’t been paying attention or watching for many years. There’s lots of traditional fans out there including myself, but to call us racists is what woke liberal idiots always do. Let’s play the race card, and that’s when we are discussing car mfgs? That’s ridiculous and very immature. Like dealing with a bunch of spoiled children. I’m for America plain and simple. Our flag, our military, and our people whatever race they are. Yes, our cars too! If you are offended too bad! Suck it up buttercup!
Let’s get an established 4th engine builder for the new mfr. They already have NASCAR credibility and should be able to ramp up to handle Honda or whomever. That company is named Ilmor.
Why not a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing to replace the Camaro? If Chevy can’t deliver a car, tough nuggets. Why make everyone else change bodies to an SUV style because GM screwed up?
As little as what’s raced has in common with production cars (where’s that V8 RWD Camry?), why do the makers even bother with model names?
Just run “Chevy”, Ford”, “Toyota” etc. and let that be their advertising.
Don’t think anybody wants an “Equinox” or “Explorer” Cup-car because that’s what sells on Monday…
Does anyone remember the Ford Taurus? NASCAR raced a 4 door sedan next against 2 door coupes and the media responded with a shrug cause nobody cared. NASCAR fans all dress as empty seats so who really cares what they wreck now?
I read an article, That said Chevy is working on a new generation Chevy Impala SS !! I hope It is true !
Hopefully a real Impala SS with more than four cylinders, and not just a “badge engineered” job! And not some electric motored wonde either! Give us a real American car to be proud of!
That was a dumb remark, Other side ! None of the Toyota s or Honda offer a OHV V8 s , NASCAR allowed Toyota to develop their V8 engine off the Chevy LS racing engine . So if Honda comes in to NASCAR ,It will do the same Toyota , Mabe use the Ford engine, for its engine development who knows !
I’d kill to see the CT5V BW out there. However, A) Caddy races in IMSA and doesn’t need the advertising in nascar B) the overlap of Caddy fans and nascar fans is probably pretty small
Let’s get an established 3rd engine builder for Honda. They already have NASCAR credibility and should be able to ramp up to handle Honda ir whoever. That company is named Ilmor.
I remember when Toyota first joined how big of a deal that was.
And they got immediately penalized for jet fuel in one of the cars lmfao
Hi octane Aviation gasoline maybe. Jet fuel is basically kerosene.
Michael Waltrip was penalized in 2007 for fuel tampering after officials found “a property contained in jet fuel,” so yes, that’s likely correct.
I was gonna say to Booker. Jet fuel would be like adding diesel in a stock car. The car would just not work as it has a much higher flash point that race fuel.
I gave up on NASCAR after they changed their format. I believe a race should have only one objective, and that is to Win It.
You are 100% correct John Z. I have also given up on NASCAR after following it for over 25 years and attending many races in person. They should never have changed the format and never let Toyota in with the hand built race car made for them by NASCAR. And now Honda!!! What a shame.
NASCAR should move to France and run races of timed duration. Races cover distance, not time!. Who in the correct line of thinking decided to add “overtime” to a race that was distance only? The kiddie corps running nascar need to grow up and face reality. They seem to think they are too big to fail? Already have done that!.
Why the heck doesn’t dodge drop in? This would be perfect publicity for the new Charger.
Are you talking about the electric, or in-line 6 cylinder charger?
Besides, dodges are no longer about left or right turns, it’s all about straight line speed.
Dodge tried to come back, But there were no takers, Even Richard Petty turn Dodge down , Due to development cost !
Too busy just trying to stay in business.
I thought Toyota was bad enough coming into the sport and Traitor Gibbs switching from Chevrolet to Toyo was a slap in the face to any true red blooded American. Honda will make it even worse but will just be another car to finish behind the Camaros until Nascar decides to slow the Chevrolets down as they have done since 1985 when Dale Earnhardt Sr was smoking the field !
Nascar is a joke now. The whole premise of the series from 1949 till Toyota joined was AMERICAN stock car racing. It’s morfed into one big abortionated mess the last 20 years or so. Next they’ll allow one engine mfg for all the brands so it will be fair and equal-able. DEI used to stand for Dale Earnhardt Inc! Now it’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. I hope Junior copyrighted DEI. Maybe he can sue the bastards for millions!
Tell me you’re racist without telling me you’re racist
What the Hell does race have to do with the brand of cars? They are a inanimate object! They don’t have a race. People who call everything racist have a few screws loose in their head. I feel sorry for morons espousing racism everytime they post something. DEI Inc. Was around before the left stole it from Earnhardt. Go suck your thumb!
Looks like I touched a nerve huh? Seems like people who are mad about nascar not being “american” enough anymore because of A foreign make tend to be a little prejudiced toward outsiders. You’re right, cars don’t have a race, so why does it matter where they come from?
And lol @ the DEI thing, you’re right, whenever i hear it i think earnhardt, but nobody can own an acronym
Going to a NASCAR race in person used to be on my bucket list. With the way things have gone, it no longer is. It would be nice if Chrysler would get the new Dodge Charger in there. If Honda races it would be someone to growl at when they finished well. But GM better watch it!! If they don’t offer an affordable sedan better than the current Malibu, (can’t afford a Cadillac!) Honda and Toy yoda do actually look good.
The more the merrier. Honda, BMW, Audi and so on. There are plenty of manufacturers that sponsor race teams. More manufacturers would bring more fans. Expand the sport. The Garage 56 car was the darling of Le Man’s.
Speaking of the Garage 56 car, did you read about how it did on the lightning lap? I think nascar should adopt the paddle shifting from the 56 car. AJ would certainly be if it from a change to paddle shifting.
Kia.
When NASCAR desperation sets in, just watch….
NASCAR has the Infinity Series, Cup Series, and Truck Series, so why not an SUV series? Just kidding.
I want to remind everyone that does not like Toyota or Honde coming in to NASCAR and then ask what about Dodge ,Well Dodge is owned by a compony from Italy, No longer American !
Nascar unfortunately now is more about the product than it is about racing. If one team has a dominant season, the rules are changed to “provide the consumer a better product”. Racing to me should be all about staying within the parameters of the rules, and run what ya brung and hope ya brung enough (NHRA, anyone?) as opposed to changing rules for teams or brands who enjoy a dominant season so the others can be more competitive and provide a “better product”….or building a special body for someone when they don’t have a vehicle that meets specs because you want the corporate dollars
To be fair, the racing today is very tight and the drivers are very talented athletes.
What’s missing is fans in the stands – at least that’s what it looked like to me last weekend – and the brand association of old now that the cars are so similar that only a very devoted fan could tell them apart if they couldn’t read what flavor of manufacturer the car is allegedly representing. It probably won’t be long before NASCAR mandates a single body and single engine, both of which have to be purchased from NASCAR .
NASCAR evolved from dirt tracks to speedways and I don’t think the early fans cared what brands were represented past the desire for “their guy” and “their brand” to beat the other guys or put them in the weeds because they won last weekend.
RE racism and not allowing “brand x” or “brand y”…I think competition is a good thing..if you’re a manufacturer and you build a vehicle that meets the qualifications you should be allowed to run…but if your product isn’t competitive, NASCAR shouldn’t be changing rules to make you competitive because it helps their “product” …an entertainment “product” is already available that does that…I don’t know what it’s called now, but when I was a kid it was called “Big Time Wrestling” ..