Dodge-ing the question

The 'Big Three' automakers are well represented in NASCAR. But for how long?

General Motors with its Chevrolet brand has been the top dog in NASCAR for a while now with Ford not too far behind. But Dodge seems to be quietly heading for the exit.

In 2001, Dodge made a triumphant return to NASCAR after nearly 30 years out of the sport, but only seven years later, it looks like they may go back into hibernation. It was announced recently that Chip Ganassi Racing, who fielded Dodges in 2008, will merge with Dale Earnhardt Inc., who fields Chevrolets, for 2009. With the move, the team will likely switch to Chevy, and two Dodges will disappear from the field. This is in addition to Ganassi already axing a third team midway through the '08 season. But they're not alone.

Petty Enterprises, who, along with Ganassi, joined the Dodge brigade in 2001, will close up and merge with Gillett Evernham Motorsports. GEM already fields Dodges, but the move will close out one car, turning five cars into four. And now it appears that Robby Gordon Motorsports, a single-car effort, will make the switch from Dodge to Toyota for the upcoming season.

This is already after Daimler-Chrysler said it is backing out completely from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for next season. Dodge was already down to less than a handful of trucks. They were one of the original three to pioneer the series back in 1995.

2008 was already a tough year for the manufacturer as they claimed victory just four times in 36 races (Ryan Newman-Daytona, Kurt Busch-New Hampshire, Kasey Kahne-Charlotte, Pocono) and placed none of its drivers in The Chase.

This leaves just a limited number of Ram-headed teams in the Cup Series. Penske Racing South, who switched to the Dodge brand in 2003, fields three teams to go with GEM's four cars for 2009. That's a far cry from when Dodge re-splashed into NASCAR in 2001 with Sterling Marlin as a championship contender and in 2002 when the manufacturer won the Daytona 500 with Ward Burton.

It won't be long before Dodge is out of NASCAR for good. But the bigger question is, with the recession, will they be making cars at all in a few years?