Roger Penske will switch to Ford in 2013

In five words or more

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120301/NASCAR/120309999

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Kinda makes this very intresting, as in to see what happens in the mid-summer races, thinking out loud again...

Thinkin one way or another, RG should have a killer motor for the rest of the plate tracks. RG's issues weren't exclusive to him, or really a reflection of his his engine dept...in this case.
I really believe Ralph Gilles arlready knows theres value in RGM. Robby & Ralph are doing the same thing with their brands. NASCAR is marketing for both products. However for RG it's also a revenue generating business.
A dodge deal is exactly what RGM needs. Also an RGM deal could be big for Dodge. Like WJM said, RGM has an engine program in place. RGM builds cars, trucks, side by sides, support trucks, & I think those barstool racers in house. Furthermore Robby Gordon loves competing in everything with wheels. What could Ralph Gilles want, that Robby can't build? New NASCAR Charger? He drives one now, & he designs all his own stuff. RG prolly has already built & refined one in his head. Easy on the wheel travel, Robby. Me, I'd looooove to see Robby try his hand in a rally car....in a winter(snow) event. Next up in SRT's program, new SRT4. Yes, I'm just dreamin. But wtf, go big or go home right?

Is RGM motors 100 % in house ? Are is it just some kind deal he has . Just asking.

watching California boys run in the snow must be amusing.

here's what you could do to help spread your opinion read folks read

http://www.randyayersmodeling.com/modelingforum/viewtopic.php?t=70348

what does reading a webpage link have to do with anything? Sometimes I wonder about you, Michael...

Personally, I love that RGM has its own engine program. It just makes RGM completely independent from other teams.

An independent engine program destroyed the teams/careers of Darrell Waltrip, Ricky Rudd and Bill Elliott just to name a few.

Bill Elliott? Isn't Ernie still building 'CUP' engines?!

Darrell was already in the twilight of his career.Same for Ricky Rudd. Both did not realize the expense of an engine program from the ground up.

I go down the list of Cup teams (sans rose-colored glasses) and RGM seems a most logical choice. Petty? Besides that fact they buy cars and engines off the rack from the Roush, King Richard at 74 doesn't quite fit the SRT Lifestyle demographic Dodge is targeting. So a deal with RPM would be about buying a devalued Petty name that has been sold more times than a Vegas hooker and "reviving the past" when Dodge, for the most part, rolled out one forgettable car after another (Dodge Aires with genuine Corinthian leather anyone?)

BK Racing, the Burger King drive-thru back seat conception of Red Bull and TRG may be an option. They do have a decent shop and they are currently in the top 35. Tommy Baldwin? Now that he's part of the Stewart-Haas-Danica Patrick ménage à trois there's no way he's letting go of that teet. Front Row? Just can't see it - I don't know why, but Furniture Row...a definite maybe. Although they've come on since their alliance with RCR and I don't know if they would want to throw that away....unless the money was right.

That brings us back to RGM. From a business perspective, investing and partnering with RGM makes the most fiscal sense. 1.) They have a small engine program going into its second year with Arrington Engines. Buddy Arrington has been synonymous with Mopar in NASCAR for over 50 years. (Fact: Arrington Engines is a official R&D partner of Dodge Performance.) So an established RGM-Mopar connection is already in place. 2.) They can and do build damn near anything that drives in-house. Cost effective. 3.) Year round marketing exposure and organic cross-promotion of several Chrysler brands including Jeep ("Imported from Detroit. Tested at Dakar.") , RAM Truck ("Test Our Metal, Baja Has."), and even Fiat (X-Games Rally?)

I convinced me. Where do I sign?

I agree with you about RPM but not the Tommy Baldwin deal. Tommy is partnered with Stewart/Haas because of the financial gain he gets today. My understanding is the #10 car with be TBR equipment when Reutimann is driving and Stewart/Haas equipment when Danica is driving. Yes TBR was said to be getting some tech support from S/H but this is all fine for the one year this deal is in place.

Next Year S/H will be a 3 car team and TBR will be starting over again. With Tommy's past relationship with Dodge, with the fact he will have to re-body all his cars anyways. I'm sure Tommy would love to have a manufacture deal.

I think the biggest factor is where will the engines will come from? BK racing, RPM, TBR and even RGM do not have the the resources or ability to be building engines. RG might own his engines, but from what I gathered he is having Joey Arrington rebuild them at his shop Race Engines Plus (Former Gillett Evernham Engine Shop). And my guess is if you are going to be building Dodge engines with Dodge support you will be required to build engines for other possible Dodge teams. I think Dodge has realized that having only one full time team and engine builder has hurt them. (All eggs in basket).

I also think for RGM to have a chance to put a full manufacture deal together, they will have to be a two car team and be locked into the top 35 for next year. There is no way Dodge will go into Daytona in 2013 with a team that is not locked in. Way to much risk for Dodge if their factory backed team is not guaranteed into the Daytona 500. Also any team Dodge backs with full support will have to be at least a 2 car team.

Lets see what Dodge does regarding having an engine supplier and see if TBR and BK Racing can stay in the top 35. If they do then I would think they would be top contenders. Maybe Dodge will want to support a few teams and then they could offer some support to RGM even if they chose to stay as a part time one car team.

I know the Vegas announcement was planned awhile ago, and that unless there is even something the insiders aren't telling us this isn't gonna happen but.. When I think of Vegas I think of Brendan Gaughan who has a history with Dodge in NASCAR and currently has a Dodge Body on his off-road truck (not sure if it's a Dodge based engine or not), and ever since I heard the Penske announcement I've been "daydreaming" of it being announced at Vegas that for 2013 RGM is the Factory Dodge team with 2 cars having Robby & Brendan as drivers (with sponsorship from Dodge as well as SPEED Energy & Southpoint) and all their various Off-Road stuff will be re-bodied/engined to Dodge too, including a 2013 2-vehicle Dakar effort.

Like I said just day-dreaming and it's never gonna happen unless it's already been planed and people have just been able to keep it secret and play dumb the entire time (which in Motorsports doesn't seem to happen often anymore, honestly surprised the Penske leaving for Ford rumors were non-existent).

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