Chevy, Dodge to change models

By Bob Margolis, Yahoo! Sports
October 23, 2006




The Charger and Monte Carlo's days in NASCAR are numbered.

Beginning in 2007, Dodge and Chevrolet will campaign new models in Nextel Cup competition, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Dodge will run the Avenger, while Chevrolet will run the Impala SS, according to sources with some of NASCAR's manufacturers. The change also was indicated in a technical bulletin distributed to all teams last week. Both Dodge and Chevy soon will announce that they have been given approval by NASCAR to change to the new models, with Chevy's announcement possibly coming as soon as this week.

The street version of the new Dodge Avenger, which has been dubbed "the mini-Charger," was introduced at the Paris auto show in September. It is an all-new model that is smaller than, but similar in design to, the Dodge Charger currently being used in NASCAR.



The Avenger street model. (AP)
The Avenger is being touted as a direct competitor to the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry.

According to the sources, the stock car version has been approved for use by Dodge teams for both the current Nextel Cup car as well as the Car of Tomorrow version, starting next season.

Dodge had high hopes for the Charger when it was introduced back into NASCAR competition in 2005. However, it was plagued with aerodynamic handling problems during its first year because it was designed to make use of a larger rear spoiler that eventually was outlawed by NASCAR well after the final design for the Charger was completed.

Those aerodynamic issues weren't successfully addressed until this season.

The Avenger joins the Coronet, Mirada, Magnum and Intrepid as nameplates Dodge has used in NASCAR. The Charger nameplate was used twice, first in the 1970s and again in 2005.

Chevrolet's use of the Impala marks the second time around for that nameplate in NASCAR, as well. The Impala was the Chevrolet model of choice in NASCAR from the mid-'50s until the late '60s. Chevy also has campaigned the Bel Air, Lumina, Chevelle, Laguna and, of course, the Monte Carlo.

The switch from Monte Carlo to Impala could signal the end of the Monte Carlo name from the Chevrolet lineup, as its rear-drive design is used on its model alone and at the present time, no replacement is on the drawing boards at GM.

However, unlike its Dodge counterpart, the Impala SS will only be used by Chevrolet teams for their Car of Tomorrow, according to sources.

Manufacturers and NASCAR also are continuing to move forward with plans to change all of the models used in the Busch Series, perhaps as soon as the 2010 season. That change would put smaller, sportier models into competition, like the retro-designed Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro and Dodge Challenger – as well as the Toyota Solara.

 

I'm glad they are planning on switching to the Avenger. To me it is an insult to the Charger heritage in NASCAR to refer to the current Charger as being worthy of the same name. I'm still not in a good mood about them allowing Toyota into NASCAR. NASCAR should be between the American heritage cooperations. The only case that I will be happy that they choose to use the Challenger in NASCAR is if they use an actual Challenger, and not just everyone make a platform together, all using engines they don't offer in their cars anymore, with transmissions that haven't been used in their cars that they are advertising for.

I want NASCAR to go back to racing the cars they are advertising, not just throw a plastic cover over the same basic racing car that doesn't even look close to the advertised model!

 

I stopped watching asscar when Dodge came in and they IMMEDIATELY started changing rules to favor the generic motors and phord contingent. I kept track of all the "changes" allowed the other teams after 11 of these, I said to myself as you guys probably did too,"they dont want Ma MoPar to win" when petty,isaac,arrington ect was kickin all their butts, MoPar and france's relationship was adverserial at best! They have never liked Chrysler, never will. I wont watch next year but wonder if asscar will do the same to toyota,(spec engines,cars,ect, it will be hard to favor that 8 dude so they have their work cut out for them), I think it would be hilarious if toyota wins the whole shomoly, asscar would then be a "victim" of their own favoritism!!

 

From what I understand when TOYota got into the truck version of NASCAR, they forced the Big Three to help them build an engine and they got to use each of the Big Three's engine designs. TOYota in my eyes has no business running in NASCAR when they are using an engine that they have never had to use in any of their production model of cars.

If I've said it once I've said it a million times, NASCAR needs to go back to using the cars they advertise and not using engines they don't use in the cars line-up and transmissions they don't offer in any of their cars. They also need to use the production platform and not using the same platform no matter what brand it is.