Yep..it's official...yeeee haaawwww!!!
It's Time. Dodge Division Goes NASCAR Winston Cup Racing In a Very Different Way
Countdown Begins for 2001 Daytona 500
NEW YORK, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In a highly anticipated and historic move, Dodge today announced it will join NASCAR's Winston Cup series and make its inaugural appearance at the 2001 Daytona 500 -- some 500 days away. Dodge, a top competitor in NASCAR from the 1950s through the 70s, plans to bring a competitive presence to the racetrack and field championship-caliber teams in its first season.
Dodge will partner with its almost 3,000 dealers to produce a race program in what is a different and unique approach to NASCAR's most popular series. The partnership between dealers and the brand will field at least two teams and five cars using the award-winning Dodge Intrepid. Ray Evernham, former crew chief for three-time series champion Jeff Gordon, will run one of the teams. Additional team structures were not announced. Drivers for the teams will be announced sometime next year.
''It's time,'' said Jim Julow, Vice President - Dodge Division, of the dealer and brand's decision to go racing. ''The popularity of the NASCAR Winston Cup series, our growing customer base and lineup of high performance cars, trucks, minivans and SUVs make the decision to enter Winston Cup the right decision at the right time. It's time to give our Dodge owners, Dodge dealers and our employees the opportunity to cheer for their brand.''
''Involvement with NASCAR Winston Cup is a natural extension for the Dodge brand's motorsports activities,'' said Carl Galeana, owner of Van Dyke Dodge in Warren, Mich., and past Dodge Dealer Association Executive Committee Chairman. ''Almost to a person, all of our dealers around the country saw this as an opportunity to give their customers another chance to say 'I am proud to drive a Dodge' and a great way to publicize the brand
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