NASCAR: Penske Plans Manufacturer Shift in 2013; Reuniting With Ford

Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Penske Racing will reunite with Ford for the 2013 NASCAR season.

The move, first reported by Autoweek, was announced Thursday. 

Roger Penske, who currently fields cars for Brad Keselowski and AJ Allmendinger in the Sprint Cup Series, worked with Ford from 1995-2002. Penske Racing switched to Dodge in 2003 and has been with the brand ever since.

“This is an historic day for our racing program, and we are thrilled to see another member of the extended Ford family coming back,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas. “Working together with Penske Racing gives Ford another championship-level program, and we are excited to take our racing program to all-new levels.”

Team owner Roger Penske said he is excited about the move.

“We look forward to joining the Ford Racing NASCAR program beginning in 2013,” he said. “We appreciate the long-term commitment that Ford has made to Penske Racing and for their continued support of the sport.”

The addition of Penske Racing will elevate Ford’s Sprint Cup effort to nine full-time teams. More important, Ford gains two 30-or-under drivers to its roster with Keselowski and Allmendinger. Both have plenty of blue sky ahead.

In the 29 seasons that Penske has competed in NASCAR, his teams have amassed 68 victories in 1,327 starts. Penske won its first NASCAR title in the Nationwide Series with Keselowski in 2010, but a Sprint Cup title has eluded the organization during its tenure in stock cars. Penske Racing’s best Cup showing was second-place with Rusty Wallace in 1993.

The engine component of Penske Racing’s switch to Ford has yet to be determined. Roush Yates Engines currently supplies all the Fords in Sprint Cup. However, Penske Racing currently builds its own engines.

“It was important to get this agreement in place early so that we can plan ahead for the debut of the new 2013 NASCAR Fusion,” said Jamie Allison, Ford Racing director. “We will work with Roush Fenway on the final development of the new car during this season, but we want to be able to have our teams building their new cars for the 2013 season before the end of the year, as the transition to the new body is taking place.

“With the operations and technology resources Penske brings from all forms of racing, we know they will be a strong addition to our program, and we look forward to working with them and all our teams to create a stronger Ford NASCAR program with even greater depth.”

As for the future of Dodge, Robby Gordon Motorsports would be the lone team at this point. But Dodge has also reached out to other teams, including Richard Petty Motorsports, according to owner Andy Murstein. Earnhardt Ganassi Racing officials said they had not been approached by Dodge but added that the team is happy with Chevrolet.

Ralph Gilles, Dodge president and CEO–SRT Brand and Motorsports, issued a statement later Thursday addressing the announcement.

“Dodge has enjoyed a successful partnership with Penske Racing for 10 years,” he said. “It’s a partnership that has produced results for both parties on and off the track. Roger has made a business decision to accept an offer with another manufacturer. We wish Roger and Penske Racing much success in the future.

“We are committed to work with Penske Racing to compete at the highest level, win races and contend for championships this season.

“Our motorsports involvement isn’t limited to NASCAR. We do value our NASCAR program and will be evaluating the opportunities available moving forward. As those opportunities materialize, we’ll reveal our 2013 plans, not only in NASCAR but in other forms of motorsports.”

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