NASCAR Insider gives his verdict on the impact of RAM-Dodge’s entry

With NASCAR announcing the entry of a new OEM, Jordan Bianchi explained why it's a win-win situation for the sport. During a recent episode of The Teardown podcast, the NASCAR insider spoke about the benefits of RAM entering the sport through the Truck Series route.

Before RAM, NASCAR had three OEMs: Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford. But with the imminent arrival of a fourth manufacturer, Bianchi claimed that it'd push the other three to raise the bar further.

"What more OEMs do is that it raises the level of competitiveness in the garage, it helps, it injects money into midpack teams. It elevates those teams that go from second or third in those respective manufacturer camps, to all of a sudden, they're P1 in that camp. It just raises the overall level of competitiveness, plus there's the marketing side. New OEM comes in, they spend a lot of money, they do things in the fans, they help promote the sport. It also helps the other OEMs want to see this as well because it pushes them to do better and to be more competitive," Bianchi said [58:50].

Bianchi emphasized that, overall, NASCAR getting RAM as a new OEM is 'a great thing' in several different ways.

It's worth mentioning that Bianchi's co-host on the show, Jeff Gluck, touched on the part of the RAM announcement that he wasn't entirely entertained by. Gluck claimed that while the announcement of a new manufacturer entering NASCAR for the first time in 20 years is a great thing, RAM could've done without 'having all the leaks.'

Jordan Bianchi on the expectations surrounding RAM's future in NASCAR

Speaking further on RAM's entry into NASCAR via the Truck Series, Jordan Bianchi claimed that people wanted proof because of the duration for which the talks of a new OEM were being teased. But with RAM's announcement, Bianchi said NASCAR's 'white whale' moment is over.

He claimed that while the manufacturer has decided to enter the sport through the Truck Series, its intent and expectations are much higher.

"I know this is the Truck series, I get that, and they had Dodge ... RAM has said, 'Hey, we want to be in the Cup Series. That is our intent to be in the Cup Series.' People I've talked to, it is there, almost an expectation of that. It is going to happen at some point, whether they announce it today, tomorrow, or next year, is that sometime in the not-too-distant future, you're going to see a Dodge-branded car back in the Cup Series, and that is a good thing for the sport," Bianchi said [1:00:10].

That said, it'll be interesting to see when RAM or Dodge decides to move from the Truck Series to the Cup Series in NASCAR.