NASCAR President Steve Phelps reveals details about potential new engine manufacturer entering sport

Ahead of the season finale for NASCAR this weekend at Phoenix Raceway, President Steve Phelps and Chief Operating Officer Steve O’Donnell held a press conference regarding the current state of the sport.

There’s been talk regarding a new OEM (original equipment manufacturer) joining Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota in NASCAR over the next couple of seasons. While Phelps wouldn’t confirm or deny any particular brands, such as a manufacturer like Honda, he did elaborate on conversations the decision-makers are having, and how many OEMs he’d like to have in the sport.

“We’ve had some — we’ve had a number of discussions,” Phelps stated. “So, what I would say is that we’re in different phases, depending on the OEM. So, right now, we’re in discussion with several OEMs about coming in. I won’t get into exactly where those are and who they are, but we have an OEM that is close. The OEM has buy-off from those that are in the racing portion of that, and so it really just comes down to the business portion, and can we strike a deal that is advantageous for them, and for us. Are we the right fit for their brand, are we not? But I’m cautiously optimistic.

“Then, we need to accelerate the other discussions we’ve had. I think, in our opinion, you know, five is probably the right number of OEMs. Obviously, we’re at three right now. Would the front runner, if you will — we are a couple years away. It takes a while, obviously, to get up and running.

“But we’re excited about it, because we would like to have another OEM or two. So do our existing three OEMs. They want to have additional competition from additional OEMs, for a number of reasons.”

NASCAR hasn’t had an OEM outside of the current three since Dodge left the sport, and Pontiac before it. If they’re able to add a new manufacturer or two, it could help level the playing field throughout the sport, as certain teams wouldn’t be forgotten about by their manufacture, in favor of larger organizations.

Time will tell when a new OEM is added to NASCAR, and which direction they go in, but it’s evident discussions are ongoing, and Steve Phelps is doing everything in his power to ensure the sport moves into a new era.