Unable to replace Penske, Dodge to leave NASCAR competition next season

Chrysler's Dodge brand said today it will withdraw from NASCAR stock-car racing at the end of the 2012 season, following a decision earlier this year by partner Penske Racing to switch to Ford from Dodge in 2013.

Penske Racing, which is using two Dodge Chargers this year in NASCAR's premier Sprint Cup series, is ending a 10-year relationship with Dodge.

Ralph Gilles, CEO of motorsports and the Street and Racing Technology brand at Chrysler Group LLC, confirmed via a conference call Aug. 7 that the decision was made last Friday.

Since Penske's shift to Ford was unveiled in March, Gilles said Chrysler has not been able to assemble a complete structure to meet the company’s high standards so we could “go out and race with confidence.”

"Clearly this is an extremely difficult decision to have to share with our employees, our fans and the NASCAR community," Gilles said. "Following our thorough, five-month-long process of evaluating all options for our future involvement in the sport, we decided to withdraw from NASCAR competition at the end of the 2012 season.

“We couldn’t go forward with a structure that met our standards,” Gilles said. "We feel the pain. We don't take these decisions lightly."

Dodge, which returned to NASCAR in 2001 after a long absence from the sport, had developed a new racing version of the Charger designed to meet the sanctioning body's new rules for the 2013 season. [8/8/2012]

Chrysler, Dodge hovercraft in new ‘Total Recall’ movie

The Chrysler brand has launched a new co-branded commercial for the Chrysler 200 Convertible as part of a multi-tiered partnership with “Total Recall,” the highly anticipated action thriller just released.

Futuristic Chrysler and Dodge branded hovercraft vehicles will appear in the film.

As the fast-paced TV spot demonstrates, the Chrysler winged logo is more than just a badge, it is a commitment to give drivers wings. The ad, titled “Wings,” sets out to show how the driving excitement that the Chrysler hovercars provide in “Total Recall” in the year 2084 is the same that can be experienced today behind the wheel of a 2012 Chrysler 200 Convertible. This parallel is clearly visible when both the branded “hero” hovercraft and the Chrysler 200 Convertible effortlessly dance through an urban environment, only to merge into one at the end.

The spot was created by Los Angeles-based Mandrake/Rogue Agent in partnership with the Detroit-based Doner agency. A similar spot featuring the Chrysler 300 will be created internationally for the international extension of the movie co-promotion. [8/8/2012]