"We are certainly setting the bar high" - Tony Stewart excited to work with Dodge in NASCAR after 10 years

NASCAR Hall of Famer and Stewart-Haas Racing owner Tony Stewart is thrilled to work with car manufacturer Dodge in NASCAR’s top series after 10 years.

Earlier this year, Stewart announced a partnership with Dodge to field two NHRA cars in the 2022 Camping World Drag Racing Season after marrying NHRA driver Leah Pruett in November 2021. It should be noted that Stewart has a long history with the manufacturer from his pre-NASCAR career.

Stewart-Haas Racing, who currently fields Fords in the Cup Series and Xfinity Series, could play a major role in Dodge’s return. Earlier this year, Stewart, in the NHRA announcement, expressed his feelings about working with Dodge again. He said:

“It’ll be nice to work with Dodge and Mopar again after sharing success together in USAC and the World of Outlaws nearly two decades ago. We are certainly setting the bar high and look forward to being competitive from the start.”

Since Dodge left the sport in 2012, the sport's governing body has significantly opened up to the idea of having more manufacturer field cars and trucks in the sport's three national series.

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“It’s been widely rumored that Dodge is one of those or closest”- NASCAR President

Rumors have been circulating about whether Dodge will return to the sport in the coming years. Last year, NASCAR president Steve Phelps mentioned the possibility of Dodge’s return during his State of the Sport press conference at Phoenix Raceway.

He said:

“It’s been widely rumored that Dodge is one of those or closest. I won’t confirm or deny that. It is important. We’ve made no bones about the fact that we want to have a new (original equipment manufacturer) in our sport. I think we got delayed with the pandemic. With that said, we are an attractive place, I believe, for OEMs to come into the sport.”

In a recent appearance on The Racing Writer’s Podcast, Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell also spoke about the possibility of a new manufacturer in the sport.

He said:

“We are in daily dialogue with one (OEM) in particular that’s close to the finish line, depending on who you ask. It’ll be terrific for the sport if we can get that.”

If Dodge is to return to the sport, it will need a leader and lead organization. Stay tuned for more updates on this topic.