There was so much news this week that I had to wait until Friday to write about the one story I personally cared about in The Morning Dump: Dodge is back in the top-level NASCAR Cup series. Yes, yes, yes, yes. America is so back, baby!
Other, less interesting people might argue that the news that former VW North America chief Pablo Di Si is getting the COO job here is the bigger Stellantis news, but nope, it’s the NASCAR thing. Oh, hey, remember when Audi announced a plant in Georgia, and it got all caught up in politics? Now that the elections are behind us, Audi is apparently looking to expand even more there than initially announced.
Remember Hertz? Hertz still exists, but it’s not going super well. Maybe they should rent V8-powered 911s? Those are fun.
Dodge And NASCAR Go Together Like Peanut Butter And Chocolate, Or A PB Cup And My Belly
The last year that Dodge ran in the top-level Cup series was in 2012, which was also the final outing of the 5th generation cars. They went out on top, with Brad Keselowski winning the championship. The then-Italian-American brand disinvested from NASCAR as it focused on other things. When FCA became Stellantis, it seemed even more remote that Dodge would return.
That all changed when the American arm of the company took over last year, and we were all treated to RAM running in the NASCAR truck series (you can watch our own Parker Kligerman racing tonight in a RAM). Rightly, everyone saw this as a prelude to the return of Dodge and its Charger to Cup.
And, yup, that’s what’s happened:
Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, Stellantis North America, shared the news during a sneak preview of the Stellantis display at the 2026 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show. For Dodge, the message is simple: gasoline-powered performance is back at the center of the brand, and Dodge is heading back to NASCAR Cup Series racing.
“Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year. We said, ‘watch this,’” said Kuniskis. “Sure, we could spend three years planning, testing and perfecting … or we could do all three in real time, on the track. It’s going to be exponentially harder this way. But slow has never been part of Dodge DNA. LFG.”
Hell yeah. I am really enjoying this new version of Stellantis. I only ask that Parker be put in the car at all the super speedways. Oh, and exec Pablo Di Si, who was maybe made the fall guy for VW’s failed EV rollout in North America, is now COO of Stellantis in North America.
Audi Might Make Its New Plant Even Bigger
Audi’s CEO Gernot Döllner went to Georgia to announce a new plant in that state, but his doing so at a Republican rally drew a lot of ire. It’s possible that this was quid pro quo, and that Audi very much got the better of it.
Either way, Republicans were removed from every single statewide office in Georgia this week, and I have a feeling that Democrats there will just be happy to take the win. Audi, according to Reuters, might be happy to sweeten the pot:
Audi announced plans on October 25 to build its first U.S. assembly plant near Macon, Georgia, to open in the early 2030s that will produce 200,000 SUVs annually and employ 4,500 workers. The automaker is considering a second phase that would cost another $3 billion and add 3,000 workers by 2033, according to documents released by the Mid-Georgia Gateway Development Authority.
Audi declined to comment.
The state is giving Audi the 1,500-acre site, providing $458 million in tax incentives and more than $120 million in grants for infrastructure, rail improvements, environmental site remediation and construction and another $430 million for water, road improvements, utility issues and workforce training and recruitment.
You know what’s not really partisan? Jobs. People want jobs. Politicians want jobs. Jobs.
Hertz Continues To Suffer From Bad EV Bet
One of the stranger victims of all the EV hype was Hertz, which partially tied its IPO to a plan to purchase a bunch of Teslas and Polestars. This didn’t work out so well for the rental agency, both because EVs make mediocre rental cars if you have to recharge them before returning them, and because a brutal EV price war made the resale value much lower than predicted. It’s been five years, and the company hasn’t fully recovered.
Hertz Global Holdings Inc. shares plummeted after the car renter cautioned it expects to end the year with less cash and borrowing capacity than previously expected.
Management now expects to end the year with about $800 million of liquidity, rather than around $1 billion, Chief Financial Officer Scott Haralson said during a quarterly earnings call Thursday. Hertz shares, which had already dropped after results missed estimates, plunged as much as 27% as of 1:30 p.m. in New York.
That’s rough.
Ohh… Ferrari V8-Powered 911
I remember going to SEMA with David in 2022 and happening upon a 911 with a WRX engine built by Faruk Kugay. While slightly blasphemous, it’s also logical, given that they share a similar cylinder configuration. Faruk is back at SEMA this year with Jimmy Oakes, and both have V8-powered 911s.
Japan’s largest oil company and supplier of motor oil and transmission fluids to the majority of Asian vehicle manufacturers – returns to SEMA and AAPEX this year. ENEOS will be part of a special activation with leading Japanese manufacturer RAYS Wheels, which is making its first official brand display in the Silver Lot in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center. RAYS has invited select industry partners – including ENEOS – to activate within their space, and ENEOS ambassador Jimmy Oakes will display his Ferrari V8-swapped Porsche 911 in the ENEOS pop-up booth, outfitted with a set of classic Volk Racing VRX-10 wheels, produced by RAYS in the ‘90s.
The V8-swapped Porsche theme continues with ENEOS ambassador Faruk Kugay performing drift demos at the Optima driving exhibition in SEMA Bronze Lot using his ENEOS-sponsored Porsche 911 GT3. Attendees may remember the car from 2023 when it debuted in the ENEOS booth with a Subaru STI motor, which has now been replaced by a monstrous 458hp LS2 V8.
Neat.
What I’m Listening To While Writing TMD
A week of songs about Karma comes to an end with Taylor Swift ft. Ice Spice singing “Karma.” I forgot how bizarre this video is.
The Big Question
What’s your favorite NASCAR stock car (or truck)?
Top photo: Stellantis
TBQ: I’m going to show my age here but the first gen that used the Chevy Monte Carlo and the last gen that used the Pontiac Grand Prix. Johnny Benson’s yellow Pennzoil car is the goat.