Could Honda actually join NASCAR and be its fourth original equipment manufacturer?
It’s that rumor that seems to pop up every couple of years for at least the past decade. It’s that rumor that we’ve heard so many times that it’s become the racing world’s version of The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
But could it actually, finally be happening?
Talks of Honda coming to NASCAR reignited Feb. 28 when the Sports Business Journal’s Adam Stern posted on X (formerly Twitter) a quote from The Marshall Pruett Podcast.
“If you’re a Honda fan and you like NASCAR, you’re probably going to be really happy here in the future,” Pruett said.
Pruett didn’t outright say that Honda is coming to NASCAR. But he hinted at it strongly enough to where if it doesn’t happen then it would come back to bite him. With a quote like that, Pruett is putting his reputation on the line.
And for NASCAR fans not familiar with Pruett, he has a great reputation and a lot of connections in the NTT IndyCar Series garage.
Plus, anyone on NASCAR Twitter knows that when Stern posts something, it usually happens. Put these two guys together, and I feel more confident about Honda coming to NASCAR than at any point over the past decade.
It’s no secret that NASCAR has yearned for a new OEM to join ever since Dodge left at the end of 2012. NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell said as much in the State of the Sport press conference at Phoenix Raceway last November.
“… To be able to see a new OEM or two with our car owners and bring some interest into the sport, it remains a goal,” O’Donnell said.
A big reason NASCAR won’t increase horsepower at the Cup level despite many drivers and fans clamoring for it is because it’s trying to entice new manufacturers. The switch to the Next Gen car also made it easier for new OEMs to join.
So after all that catering, NASCAR may finally be getting what it wanted. And that’s a great thing if Honda joins. It not only creates a buzz around the series, it will also get more money flowing all throughout the sport in a chain reaction.
Sure, there will be some fans yelling about how a foreign car is invading their American sport. But just remember, those same folks probably have a Honda Civic or Accord sitting in their driveway.
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