Racing fans, start your speculation now as to which car manufacturer might join the sport next.
Is there room for another car manufacturer in NASCAR besides Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota? Chairman Brian France says yes.
But only one more.
Those were the takeaways when “SiriusXM Speedway” on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio asked France recently (via NBC Sports) about whether we could see other car companies jump into NASCAR soon. France didn’t make it seem inevitable but definitely hinted it was very possible, citing “aggressive” talks with other manufacturers.
"“There’s a lot of work going on on that. Clearly we believe that the sport could not only absorb but welcome another manufacturer. These are tricky things to do. They’re very difficult to pull off. We’re just going to work toward that goal.”"
France’s comments echo what other NASCAR execs have been saying about trying to lure more manufacturers into stock car racing. However, the chairman drew a line at just one more company, for a total of four.
"“I think there is a limit. There’s only so many key teams that a manufacturer can get their hands on and that takes time. They want to have good performance and the right team alignments. Most importantly, they want to align themselves to the right teams and sometimes the teams aren’t available to do that."
He’s right about that. Sometimes it seems like there aren’t even enough top teams to support three manufacturers, though an argument can be made that Chevy, Ford and Toyota all have multiple competitive organizations under their respective umbrellas right this second. That doesn’t change the fact that it’s a zero sum game, and a fourth manufacturer would likely have to “steal” one of the best teams from someone else to make an immediate impact.
So which car company could jump into the fray? Dodge would be the obvious pick since it has a history in the sport and seems to want to regain its racing reputation. Nissan rumors have been gaining steam over the last few years, and it fits NASCAR’s definition of a “mass” brand. And while Honda has a pretty full plate in other racing series all over the globe, you can’t count it out completely.
Next: More from Brian France: Still hope for NASCAR renewal
But it appears that whichever one makes a move to enter NASCAR will mean the others are left out, at least for now.