Chevrolet is currently the manufacturer of many teams in the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2023 season. Some of these teams include Hendrick Motorsports, Trackhouse Racing, and Richard Childress Racing.
The manufacturer came close to a Cup Series driver and owner’s championship last season; however, Ross Chastain came up just short of Ford driver Joey Logano for the Cup Series title at Phoenix Raceway.
The 2023 NASCAR season has started out strong for Chevrolet with two victories in the first two races. However, the manufacturer is planning something that could possibly decrease the strength of its Cup Series lineup moving forward.
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Chevrolet shows interest in Formula 1, stresses it will not negatively affect its NASCAR plans
Last month, Andretti Autosport paired with General Motors in pursuit of a Formula 1 entry as early as the 2026 season. This means Chevrolet would be joining the racing series with the American-based team if they are accepted.
While Formula 1 teams are trying to significantly raise the entry fee for newcomers, this has created questions about Chevrolet’s future in the NASCAR Cup Series. Would this new journey potentially hurt their NASCAR efforts?
Jim Campbell, Vice President of Performance and Motorsports for Chevrolet, talked about how joining Formula 1 would affect the NASCAR teams that are backed by the manufacturer ahead of the 2023 Daytona 500.
“I would say for (Chevrolet), we are early in the process. Just this past week we submitted our expression of interest to the FIA, so there are a number of steps before we would be considered in the series…So, I would just say we are early in the process, but this would be complimentary and we believe in the platform as a way to bring value to our company, but also to promote our bands and driver business.”
Jim Campbell on Chevrolet’s future in Formula 1 and the impact for NASCAR
It appears that Chevrolet believes a potential entry into Formula 1 would end up benefiting its NASCAR teams. This is not surprising as the manufacturer also competes in the NTT IndyCar Series with no issues.
Trackhouse Racing team owner Justin Marks has come out and expressed his love for Chevrolet amid Toyota’s plan to expand its program starting in 2024. If there were truly any concerns, maybe Marks would have not ruled out Trackhouse Racing switching sides.
As of now, the manufacturer will continue to push for another Cup Series championship. Chevrolet has been a part of NASCAR since the 1955 season and it would be shocking to see them put less focus on the sport any time soon.