Not really

Dodge was twiddling there thumbs

Ford offered Team Penske an offer they couldn’t refuse - And that engine shop was the major key



Sources familiar with the negotiations suggest that had Dodge moved more decisively to re-sign Penske, an agreement could have been reached. But with parent-company Fiat looking over Dodge’s shoulder—the Italians seemingly unable or unwilling to grasp the gravity of NASCAR in this country—that opportunity came and went before a decision could be made.

So Dodge began, leisurely at first, looking for a team to spend its money on. It needed a top-level team, preferably one with plenty of research and development experience, as well as its own engine shop—a like-for-like replacement for Penske, essentially. No such luck. Teams that met Dodge’s criteria were tied up by Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet. The few teams that still have engine shops, such as Hendrick Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, earn back much of their investment by supplying engines for other teams. But if no other teams are running Dodges, that revenue stream disappears.



Stands not full - When they went to those 2007 Wing Cars of Tomorrow and the cars really really looked identical

Dale SR passing away
Dale JR retiring

Alot of the big names are now retired

And of course all the rule changes