Dodge has smaller Sprint Cup lineup, 'high hopes' for 2009
Although it will have fewer cars on the track and fewer promotional displays after cutting 30 percent of its NASCAR budget, Dodge has not cut back its Sprint Cup research and development and hopes that even with fewer cars it will have better results after a season in which it failed to put a car in the Chase For The Sprint Cup.
With Chip Ganassi Racing’s merger with Dale Earnhardt Inc. eliminating three Cup teams from where Dodge started in 2008, the manufacturer has at least one less organization to support in 2009. And Dodge could end up with only six cars this season if the Gillett Evernham Motorsports-Petty Enterprises pending merger eliminates two more from the stable, which also included Robby Gordon in 2008. Gordon has switched to Toyota for 2009.
That leaves three Dodge entries at Penske and three or four at the GEM-Petty consolidation.
“You want to have a portfolio of drivers that can at any given time deliver a top-five or a victory,” said Mike Accavitti, director of the Dodge, Chrysler and Jeep brands. “We feel with the lineup that we have remaining that we can do that. … The seven cars that we have – or eight cars or six cars or whatever it ends up to be – will be sufficient.
“We can give Dodge customers a good show. We can give NASCAR fans a good show, and we can represent the brand well.”
Accavitti said that his budget was set and would not get increased by the authorization of the bridge loan for Chrysler. He said it will remain at 30 percent below 2008, just as it was planned prior to President George Bush’s approval of the loan last month.
“The entire operation was contingent upon the bridge loans being passed,” he said. “It was a critical element for the viability of our company, and we’re very appreciative to have that behind us and be able to move forward.
“Our NASCAR plans were established and we were working towards them independent of the bridge loan situation. We were not going to spend more because of it.”
According to Accavitti, the cuts come from not having Ganassi, ending all support in the Camping World Truck Series (a decision made a few years ago) and having “severely dialed down” plans for displays, promotions, contests and sponsorships at selected tracks.
Accavitti did not think a GEM-Petty merger would have a big impact on his budget.
“I don’t anticipate that if there is a reduction associated with a merger, that it would be a significant reduction because we have agreements in place with both teams that we would have to [figure out] once they come to an agreement of what they’re going to do,” Accavitti said.
By cutting out significant at-track activation, Accavitti said the company will have to rely more on Internet and e-mail campaigns.
One area not cut was research for Cup engineering.
“Our on-track performance, hopefully, will improve,” Accavitti said. “We didn’t trim back our engineering [in Cup]. … We do feel that the guys really learned a lot last year. We got the new engine that the teams will be rolling out. We have pretty high hopes.”
Dodge also could use a boost on the track a year after it had no driver in the Chase. Did that impact sales?
“There were so many other things going in the [sales] environment,” Accavitti said. “At the same time as the Chase was happening, we had the financial collapse, [our financial issues] and all the negative publicity that was associated with that. You had the buying preferences of the U.S. population shifting with gas prices and the ability to buy a car was a problem.
“So there were so many things going on, we couldn’t attribute a direct link to say that because we didn’t make the Chase that we lost sales. I will tell you that obviously making the Chase and being involved in the Chase is important for us as you get the extra press coverage that is associated with it.”
Accavitti has overseen Dodge motorsports for the last three years and remains involved despite now having other duties with the company. He also has seen his senior motorsports manager Mike Delahanty take an early retirement package.
