"We had a great relationship": When Roger Penske reflected on parting ways with Dodge after a championship-winning season

Roger Penske split with Dodge following the 2012 season. In March 2012, Penske announced a switch to Ford's Fusion for the next year. Penske shared a reason behind parting ways with Dodge despite winning the 2012 Owners' Championship.

This move left Dodge without its flagship Sprint Cup team. The Michigan-based brand, which was the only full-time manufacturer running the Charger, confirmed it would exit NASCAR at year's end. Notably, the then-Penske Motorsports' No. 2 Dodge Charger driver Brad Keselowski took home the NASCAR Cup Series title that season.

When asked about the strange timing of the split with Dodge in December 2012 after the team's first Cup championship win, Penske reflected on their nine-year relationship. Roger Penske said (via Autoweek):

"Dodge has been a great partner. We've been iwith them for 10 years. The support they've given us over these last 12 months has been doubled up. We had a great relationship. We represent them in the retail auto network, so we're a big supporter of their products. It's one of those things where timing, budgets and other things really made the difference."

Penske won 29 NASCAR Cup races and a Nationwide championship with Keselowski since switching to Dodge in 2003. Penske also hinted at hope for a reunion in 2014.

"I hope they'll be back in 2014 and maybe our results might help accelerate them to get back in the sport on a full-time basis," he added.

However, Dodge could not find another strong team or sponsorship package to field their Charger competitively in 2012 and they exited NASCAR at the end of the season. Dodge, who had once before left the series in the later 1970s, had won 55 Cup races since rejoining in 2001. Rising costs and shrinking team interest also forced the decision.

"It wasn't about money" - Roger Penske on the move from Dodge

Roger Penske, who is one of the most successful team owners in motorsports, emphasized his clear motives. Earlier in 2012, he said that switching from Dodge to Ford was not about money.

"It wasn't about money. Let me make that clear," Roger Penske said (via Autoweek).

He added that he wanted to benchmark his team against other full Ford teams, which Dodge could not offer. Moreover, Penske's deal with Dodge was ending in 2012 and NASCAR required new car bodies for the following season. Penske could use his own engine shop and test their engines against Ford’s Roush‑Yates program.

Penske now has a long list of accomplishments with Ford in the Cup Series. The team has collected multiple race wins and four drivers’ championships since 2013, three straight in 2022-24. Penske's IndyCar Series team has also collected 20 Indy 500 wins and six IndyCar titles.