[ilmor]

A Ford Mustang in NASCAR in 2009? Maybe: A source at Ford Motor Company says the motorsports division expects the Ford Mustang to replace the Fusion in the NASCAR Busch [Nationwide Series in 2008] series. "We're expecting to run the Mustang in 2009," the source said. It's the first confirmation from a manufacturer what I [Cole] first reported in early 2006 - that the cars in the NASCAR Busch series, which will be called the Nationwide series in 2008 and beyond - may soon be substantially different from the cars in the top-tier Nextel Cup series. NASCAR is expected to require the Busch cars to be built to a safety specification similar to the Nextel Cup "Car of Tomorrow," which becomes the standard car at the Daytona 500 in February. If a makeover will be required anyway for the 2009 season, logic suggests that would be a good time for a nameplate change, as well.
That said, it may not be a done deal. Reportedly Chevrolet is balking at running the Camaro in the NASCAR series. Rumors suggest that Dodge is considering a Busch series version of the Challenger, which just went on sale at a price of under $38,000, for delivery in 2008. Dodge will build 5,000 Challengers in 2008, and expects to increase that number by sevenfold for 2009. Sales expectations for the Chevrolet Camaro are higher. With the discontinuation of the Monte Carlo, Chevrolet has no sports coupe aside from the Corvette and the small Cobalt SS, and won't until the Camaro is introduced. The Corvette will continue to race in the American Le Mans and Grand-Am series, though one contingent within General Motors is pressing for a body change for the ALMS GT1 class, where GM's two factory Corvettes literally have no competition: They'd like to see those Corvettes rebodied as Camaros to help launch that model, which won't hit the market until well after the Challenger.
Also, the move to "pony car" coupes could cause a problem for Toyota. The Camry Solara, a two-door sedan version of the top-selling car in the United States, may disappear after the 2008 model year. Sales are dismal; Toyota is expected to build only about 30,000 Solaras this year, compared to about 400,000 Camry sedans. One possibility at Toyota: Automotive News says that the company is expected to introduce a new Celica sports coupe in Europe in 2009. If that car comes here, it could be raced in NASCAR. The discontinued Celica made some appearances in the now-defunct NASCAR Dash series. If the move to the Mustang, et al, is to be made for 2009, that announcement would be expected soon after the first of next year.(Orlando Sentinel)(12-1-2007)

[68fastback]

Newpapers! What do they know?!

It's like reading the NY Times auto-show special section in April -- they're so clueless.

---

Actually I think NASCAR will do a pony-car series of some sort but, for NASCAR, that's likely just reskining a Busch=series car with a different CF body <yawn -- lol> NASCAR has a one-track mind: reduce everything to a common formula except for the driver ....minimize brand so you are immune to manufacturer and brand-loyalty pressures ....sell this homoginized BS to the public under the wrapper of "safety." NASCAR, you gotta love their single-minded marketing insanity.

I like the one on GM wanting to reskin the GT1 Vettes as Camaros. If they permit that it will be an outrage!!!! Maybe Ford should petition GrandAm to reskin the Manracers as Festivas so the FordGTs can be reskinned as Focusses

Who knows?!

I hope SCCA beings back real TransAm racing with real cars AND I hope they revitalize a retro TransAm series too -- time to exercise some of those improved Boss 302 FRP redux pieces!! ;-)

[Super Snake]

I'm giving up on Nextel Cup
I'm just going to watch the Trucks now

[68fastback]

They've been doing really good this year too!

[1970boss302]

68fastback, on Dec 4 2007, 11:59 AM, said:

They've been doing really good this year too!

NASCAR better do something after pissing off there base of support.

I stopped watching NASCAR years ago. Dirt Sprint Cars are much better.

[Parnelli Cajones]

1970boss302, on Dec 5 2007, 05:56 PM, said:

NASCAR better do something after pissing off there base of support.

I stopped watching NASCAR years ago. Dirt Sprint Cars are much better.

It'd be right nice seeing a new muscle car era in NASCAR instead of TCOT. I have watched less and less over the years as NASCAR has been sanitized and the playing field leveled so far with restrictor plate racing and identical cars, that its become just plain boring! More fun in the Grand Am Rolex series.

[MustangFanatic]

NASCAR has become so totally dominated by Hendrick and Chevy, at least until Toyota buys a few more teams. I've completely lost interest in NASCAR, it is basically a spec series with cookie cutter cars, cookie cutter drivers. If a Ford team had run the table the way the Hendrick cars dominated this past season, they other teams would have been crying foul and demanding NASCAR change the rules to slow down the Fords.

This post has been edited by MustangFanatic: 10 December 2007 - 07:13 PM

[ShelbyPilot]

...because Mr. Roush has never done his share of complaining.

[68fastback]

I thought maybe it was just me!

Really makes me better to know I'm not the only one who tuned out as the sanitization of NASCAR dumbed-down the sport. As COT replaces all the remaining prior cup cars there's been talk of pushing them down into Bush. Not sure I'm reading the tea leaves right, but the Busch cars might then get reskinned as Ponycars. If so, what a waste!

I can see the business merit of that -- after all, the conversion to COT was a very expensive roll-over -- but I'd rather see the Busch cars that are displaced by the cup-car push-down (if that's the case) go into an E85-series or something like that and make any pony-car series have some real semblance of the actual cars under the skin -- real factory road racing as it used to be! ;-)

If they just homoginize pony-cars too they will have missed their opportuniety to lure me back into NASCAR interest. Maybe just as well -- GrandAm Rolex and Koni series are well-done and the Mustang in in the European series too (GT3?). who knows, maybe well see a real TransAm series after all?! Sure hope so.

--

...WELCOME TO SU, Parnelli Cajones (great name <lol>), hope you're enjoying the site!!!

Dan

[Parnelli Cajones]

68fastback, on Dec 11 2007, 12:53 AM, said:

I thought maybe it was just me!

Really makes me better to know I'm not the only one who tuned out as the sanitization of NASCAR dumbed-down the sport. As COT replaces all the remaining prior cup cars there's been talk of pushing them down into Bush. Not sure I'm reading the tea leaves right, but the Busch cars might then get reskinned as Ponycars. If so, what a waste!

I can see the business merit of that -- after all, the conversion to COT was a very expensive roll-over -- but I'd rather see the Busch cars that are displaced by the cup-car push-down (if that's the case) go into an E85-series or something like that and make any pony-car series have some real semblance of the actual cars under the skin -- real factory road racing as it used to be! ;-)

If they just homoginize pony-cars too they will have missed their opportuniety to lure me back into NASCAR interest. Maybe just as well -- GrandAm Rolex and Koni series are well-done and the Mustang in in the European series too (GT3?). who knows, maybe well see a real TransAm series after all?! Sure hope so.

--

...WELCOME TO SU, Parnelli Cajones (great name <lol>), hope you're enjoying the site!!!

Dan

Thanks, Politics killed Trans Am. I had friends that tried to run in it and it was costing them a million dollars of their own money each year, even with sponsors. Hard to compete with Paul Gentilozzi with his limitless funds. I don't recall the death knell, but it was after he took control.

It would be nice to see T/A resurrected. With all the homogination going on in racing, it would be nice to see some more outlaws again. Other than dirt, I think Grand Am Daytona Prototypes are the closest IMHO. But I do miss the old days of NASCAR in the 70s and when a privateer could still enter the fray and compete in most organizations. No more.

This post has been edited by Parnelli Cajones: 11 December 2007 - 05:53 PM

[68fastback]

Parnelli Cajones, on Dec 11 2007, 08:52 PM, said:

Thanks, Politics killed Trans Am. I had friends that tried to run in it and it was costing them a million dollars of their own money each year, even with sponsors. Hard to compete with Paul Gentilozzi with his limitless funds. I don't recall the death knell, but it was after he took control.

It would be nice to see T/A resurrected. With all the homogination going on in racing, it would be nice to see some more outlaws again. Other than dirt, I think Grand Am Daytona Prototypes are the closest IMHO. But I do miss the old days of NASCAR in the 70s and when a privateer could still enter the fray and compete in most organizations. No more.

Exactly... I like the Miller spec-racer Ford is pusshing down the AAI line for that reason... a class mere mortals can afford. Dan davis sure seems to be doing a heck of good job at Ford Racing.

[AstroDan]

In what world could the Camry ever compete with a Monte Carlo or Charger!
It's all about show me the money.... After a couple years and a Japanese championship, it'll be on to the next thing for Toyota and to H3ll with American (NASCAR CUP) racing!
NASCAR got their last dollar from me whe they put the Toyota into the CTS... and now they win 1/3 of the races and back to back championships.
If the Mustang races against a Camry, Solara or whatever, as long as the playing field is level... :hysterical:hmmmm

Buy, Build, Be American.
my .02

This post has been edited by AstroDan: 12 December 2007 - 12:50 PM

[0824SGT]

Amen! I guess we should thank America and especially Californians for givin Toyota all the money to buy their way into everything! Well they wont get any of this Americans money! Dont blaim me! I'd push a '77 pinto wagon before i drive a foriegn car!!

[68fastback]

0824SGT, on Dec 29 2007, 08:49 PM, said:

Amen! I guess we should thank America and especially Californians for givin Toyota all the money to buy their way into everything! Well they wont get any of this Americans money! Dont blaim me! I'd push a '77 pinto wagon before i drive a foriegn car!!

+1,000,000,000 And they keep all the key R&D jobs in Japan -- we're just a workforce and less-shipping expense for them. PLUS, they suck every dollar of profit they can out of our economy since the important work isn't done here. If yout want American products to win here, BUY ONE! I too vote with my wallet -- American!

Btw, WELCOME to Stangs Unleashed!!! A lot of great folks here, so enjoy!! ;-)

Dan

[whtstdhrse]

good job guy's,been saying the same for years,finally had to quit the nascar thing when they started taking about the JAP JUNK coming to the sport.all has not been right since Winston was forced out,down hill from there.then the jumping ship from the Blue Oval to the GM brands and now to the money mongrals asian junk. thanks for the place to let the steam out. Keep it Ford,Keep it American or instead of pushing 1 for english it could end up 1 for japanese 2 for spanish.