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Dodge is reportedly eyeing a return to NASCAR.
According to The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi, Dodge has begun the process to re-join the Truck Series as soon as 2026. The American car manufacturer would then aim to compete in the Cup Series in 2027 or 2028.
"NASCAR is reviewing Dodge’s submission to field a truck through its 'Ram' brand and an answer is expected soon, sources with knowledge of the plans said," Bianchi wrote. "While there are no guarantees, sources expect that the league will eventually approve Dodge returning. Such approval would need to happen within a few months to allow Dodge to effectively test its Ram truck before potentially hitting the track in an actual race next year."
After 21 years of operation, Dodge left the Truck Series in 2016. Bobby Hamilton Sr. and Ted Musgrave won back-to-back titles for the manufacturer in 2004 and 2005.
Dodge joined the Cup Series in 2001. Brad Keselowski won a Cup Series title in 2012, the company's final year in NASCAR's top division.
Dodge could soon join Toyota, Chevrolet, and Ford on the NASCAR track. Although Dodge left due to costs, Bianchi noted that car manufacturers no longer must build their own engines.
Ahead of last Sunday's Daytona 500, NASCAR president Steve Phelps spoke to Sports Business Journal about adding a new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) soon. He cited "a lot of benefits" to a new OEM creating more funding and advertising opportunities.
"We're in some discussions," Phelps said. "It's a lot of work, right? There's a lot of prep work that needs to happen even if we came to an agreement today. I don't know what that timing is. To me, it's really more about getting it done, making an announcement for a fourth. Ideally, we'd have a fifth."
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Denny Hamlin says this major NASCAR change would postpone his retirement
As the debate surrounding NASCAR's playoff format rages on, Denny Hamlin has made it clear what side of the fence he's on. It's speculated that Hamlin, who signed a two-year contract extension on Friday, will likely retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the conclusion of the 2027 season. But the future Hall of Famer says a change to NASCAR's points system could convince him to stay behind the wheel for a little longer. "As a person that now only has a couple years left, I told Jeff Gluck (that) if they (NASCAR) get a legit format down, I might go longer," Hamlin said on Monday's episode of "Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin." "Because I feel my chances might be better on a more typical sample size. The one-race (championship), my chances are 25%. If you go to 36 races (full-season points format), my chances are a bit better than that. "I believe you need to legitimize your sport first, (and) the people will tune in," Hamlin continued. "Do I love that NBC has the biggest voice in what our championship format is? Absolutely not." NASCAR has had some form of a playoff system in place since 2004, with the current format originating in 2017. The current format includes 16 playoff slots, four rounds over 10 races and a one-race, winner-take-all championship between the four drivers that qualify for the Championship 4.
Fever Coach Stephanie White Has Given One Player the Green Light Amid Caitlin Clark's Injury
Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
WNBA Icon Rebecca Lobo Makes Demand Involving Indiana Fever Star
All eyes were on College Park Center for Monday night’s primetime matchup between the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty. The stars came out to support the Wings in their home matchup against the defending champs. This included Paige Bueckers’ rumored girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, who had a special message for the Dallas rookie during the game. Rebecca Lobo's Intriguing WNBA Proposal WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo was also watching the matchup intently. What caught the attention of the Hall of Fame center was the incredible performance of Wings star Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale made history on Monday after a first-half performance that was literally for the books. The four-time All-Star joined Caitlin Clark as the only two players in the last 20 years to record at least 10 points and 10 assists in a single half. Ogunbowale had 15 and 10 at the break, leading Dallas to a 63-36 lead over the Liberty. Ogunbowale’s eye-catching performance drew an immediate reaction from Lobo during the game. According to the 51-year-old, she would like to see Ogunbowale go toe-to-toe against Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell. “Give us a 1-on-1 game between Arike Ogunbowale and Kelsey Mitchell during next year’s All Star Weekend,” Lobo posted on X. Ogunbowale finished the game with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, a rebound, 14 assists, one steal and two triples in 32 minutes of action. The Liberty mounted an impressive comeback attempt, but the Wings held on for a 92-82 victory. Kelsey Mitchell Has Been Tearing It Up for the Fever Much like Ogunbowale did on Monday night, Mitchell also led the charge for the Fever in their last game. The three-time All-Star went off in Sunday’s 93-78 victory against their biggest rivals, the Chicago Sky, at United Center. Mitchell dropped 35 points on the Sky on 12-of-19 from the field, along with two rebounds, six assists, three steals and seven triples. With Caitlin Clark missing time due to a lingering groin injury, Mitchell has stepped it up for the Fever, firmly establishing herself as one of the top guards in the WNBA today. Lobo clearly sees Mitchell as one of the best one-on-one players in the league, and she’s now demanding a showdown against Ogunbowale. To be clear, there is currently no one-on-one competition in the WNBA All-Star weekend. This could be something the league considers for next year’s festivities, though, and a Mitchell-Ogunbowale clash would not be a bad idea at all.
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