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Before the last race of this season, the president of NASCAR, Steven Phelps decided to talk about the season behind us, the events, the disputed moments, but what is important is that Phelps pointed out that a new manufacturer has joined the sport. Recently, it has been rumored that Ford, Toyota, or Chevrolet could join NASCAR.
Phelps didn't want to reveal which brand he was talking about, which sparked the fan's imagination.
A well-known name in the NASCAR scene, Kevin Harvick is someone who advocates for the arrival of new manufacturers, and with this announcement by Phelps, it is clear that things are about to change.
In the conversation on his podcast, Kevin put the accent on Honda, thinking that they could come to the NASCAR scene. The experienced NASCAR driver points out that he doesn't know how much truth there is in the rumors that have been circulating for years, but he wants a new manufacturer. Harvick points out that this could open many opportunities for other teams, and affect the progress of NASCAR.
“We’ve heard a lot of rumors about Honda coming into the sport,” Harvick said on Happy Hour.
“Whether it’s them or not, I don’t know that to be true, but they keep bringing up the fact that there’s a new manufacturer coming into the sport, and I want to see it. I mean, I think that, if we can get another manufacturer to come into the sport, it just opens up opportunities for so many different teams."
Harvick reflected on the arrival of Toyota on the big stage, and the CEO of General Motors spoke to the group. He received an interesting question regarding Toyota: What are we going to do about the arrival of Toyota into truck racing? The CEO gave an interesting answer, stressing that he is going to make them see their back bumper.
After that, the next step was to find truck teams. An experienced face of the NASCAR scene found himself with a truck team that General Motors had established with them, with the desire to compete against Toyota. Harvick marks such a moment as the beginning of full KHI truck racing.
Harvick continues, pointing out that the arrival of another manufacturer opens competition between manufacturers, but also the pocketbook between them, so that manufacturers spend more money, with fewer teams. Kevin goes on to point out that the arrival of a new manufacturer changes the scope of what the particular team they have chosen to be their lead team is. A well-known name in the NASCAR scene reflected on the moment with Joe Gibbs Racing when Toyota entered. As an example he gave Bill Davis, who raced on the truck side. He points out that this changed a lot for KHI, considering that Chevrolet did not want Toyota to beat it.
The arrival of a new manufacturer would change the situation on the NASCAR scene, considering that teams like Ford, Chevrolet and Toyota would have to slow things down and raise their level. It is still not known when we can expect a new manufacturer, but it is clear that the arrival of new faces on the NASCAR scene can change a lot.
NASCAR President Steve Phelps reacts
Steve Phelps, president of NASCAR, talks about negotiations with car manufacturers (OE - Original Equipment). He says that they are in different stages of these negotiations, but that some manufacturers already have a buy-out for their presence in the races. Phelps explains that it all depends on a business deal that will be beneficial for both parties, as well as whether the NASCAR team is right for a particular brand.
“Yeah, we’ve had a number of discussions. We’re in different phases depending on the OEs (manufacturers). I won’t get into exactly where those are and who they are, but we have an OE that is close. That OE has buy-out from those that are in the racing portion of that. So it really just comes down to the business portion and can we strike a deal that is advantageous for them and for us? Are we the right fit for their brand?"
Steve Phelps emphasized that he's cautiously optimistic, which means he's a bit optimistic, but at the same time cautious and aware that things aren't over yet. He then mentions that they need to speed up talks with other car manufacturers, as they feel that five OEMs would be ideal for NASCAR.
“But I’m cautiously optimistic, and then we need to being accelerate the other discussions we’ve had because I think, in our opinion, five is probably the right number of OEs. Obviously, we’re at three right now. We are a couple of years away."
English (US)