Stellantis names former NASCAR crew chief North American Motorsports Competition Director

The moves for Stellantis in NASCAR keep coming. The automotive manufacturer has named a new executive to oversee competition. Kevin Kidd, a former NASCAR crew chief, will be the new North American Motorsports Competition Director for the company.

Kevin Kidd mostly has experience as a crew chief in the Xfinity Series. He managed to win races with drivers such as Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. He was also a Cup Series crew chief in 2008 with Elliott Sadler for one race.

Now, Kidd is taking his NASCAR talents to Stellantis. In his new role, Kidd is set to direct the Dodge NHRA brand from a competition perspective, as well as the reestablishment of Ram Trucks in NASCAR.

“The intersection of engineering and competition has always been my passion,” said Kidd in a press release. “Stellantis’ innovative approach to motorsports, especially in partnership with Kaulig Racing, presents a unique opportunity to push boundaries. I’m looking forward to contributing fresh ideas to help drive these efforts forward.”

Stellantis will have Kidd working closely with Kaulig Racing in NASCAR. They will also work with Tony Stewart Racing and Direct Connection Engineering.

So, does this show that Stellantis is serious about being in NASCAR? There are fears that the auto manufacturer could be using NASCAR as a PR tool. Jump in for a few years, jump back out. Hopefully, this is a sign of a long and successful era in the sport.

Kevin Kidd to help Stellantis re-enter NASCAR

Getting Stellantis in NASCAR is a big deal. The sport has been dying for another manufacturer to rejoin, since Dodge and Ram left all those years ago. Now, they have the Ram Trucks brand back, and appear ready to get the Dodge brand back racing in time.

There is potentially another manufacturer that is thinking about jumping into the sport. Could we still see Honda or Hyundai make the decision and enter stock car racing? Both brands have a strong hold in other motorsports and have had success in racing.

A lot of people believe that motorsports are still in this upswing. There is continued interest in motorsports across the board, and NASCAR has to take advantage of that and make itself a viable option for those new fans as well as its current fanbase.

Stellantis is taking the NASCAR thing seriously. Kevin Kidd knows how the sport works and will be a valuable asset to the Kaulig Racing Ram Trucks organization.