Dodge joins Ford in pulling NASCAR engine

UPDATE A reader adds, Dodge joins Ford in pulling NASCAR engine. This tells a real story. DCX and Ford would not do this unless they plan to take their bat and ball to another arena. Let's face it, if win on Sunday sell on Monday really works in NASCAR why is Toyota taking Ford and DCX's market share? Tim DeCesaro

09/18/06 Dodge executives have joined Ford in unexpectedly withdrawing plans for a new NASCAR engine for 2007, Dodge's Mike Accavitti, the company's new racing boss, said yesterday.

The moves by Ford and Dodge portend a looming engine-rules debate in the Nextel Cup garage, since Toyota will have a new engine for its tour debut next February. And it is unclear just what is at play in this growing engine debate.

Ford's Jack Roush said that NASCAR has changed its 2007 engine plans several times this season, leading to his decision.

Chevrolet officials are awaiting word from NASCAR about their own proposed new engine. Chevrolet's current engine design is the oldest on the tour, and NASCAR has rejected GM's last two proposed new engines. More at Winston Salem Journal

[Editor's Note: Word we hear in the garage area is that everyone is worried about Toyota. They are now dominating the truck division and we hear that even though they submitted an engine to NASCAR Cup for approval that met every one of NASCAR's specifications, the engine was rejected because it was the most powerful engine NASCAR had ever seen. No other manufacturer wants to get caught with their pants down and when word got around how much HP the Toyota engine was making, the others pulled their proposed engines and went back to the drawing board.]