Since Peugeot exposed its wild and wingless 9X8 hypercar for the World Endurance Championship in 2022, Stellantis has actually been related to running it under a various brand name in America.
The international vehicle production corporation– which owns the brand names Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram Trucks and Vauxhall– had actually been tipped to race the cars and truck under the Dodge banner in IMSA SportsCar Championship competitors.
When Motorsport.com's sis title Motorsport-Total. com asked Stellantis's racing employer Jean-Marc Finot at the Spa 6 Hours whether such goals still existed, he responded: “I do not believe IMSA appropriates for a brand name like Dodge.”
He included: “Dodge produces muscle automobiles that are more matched to GT vehicles. The presence for Dodge would most likely be much better in NASCAR.”
Dodge was associated with NASCAR's leading department from 2001 to 2012 and boasts a flagship roadway vehicle design in the Challenger SRT Hellcat, which is not presently active in worldwide racing. Stellantis is likewise non-active in GT3 racing and would need to establish a client racing department to do so.
The previous Fiat-Chrysler Group was last associated with the American Le Mans Series and IMSA as a factory force with the SRT Viper a years earlier, while its most-recent look go back to the GTD success at the 2016 Petit Le Mans with a Viper GT3 design run by Riley Motorsports and driven by Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Marc Miller.
# 33 Riley Motorsports SRT Viper GT3-R: Ben Keating, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Marc Miller
Image by: Action Sports Photography
For Stellantis, the topic of IMSA is not on the program for the time being, according to Finot: “We have a vehicle, however we do not see any requirement to contend in IMSA. We have to take care of the efficiency of the Peugeot WEC group.
“You might think of the Maserati brand name, however we are currently associated with Formula E with this.”
In addition, DS Automobiles is likewise active in Formula E with Jay Penske's group, however this is not a barrier due to the group's electrification method.
Peugeot has actually run its 9X8 Evo design, that includes a rear wing, because the six-hour race in Imola, however has up until now not attained more than 2 seventh-placed surfaces.
The 9X8 will make its American launching in the upcoming WEC round at Austin's Circuit of the Americas on 1 September.
Aston Martin will end up being the very first maker to run a cars and truck in IMSA's GTP class constructed to Le Mans Hypercar policies next year, although its Valkyrie is a non-hybrid– unlike all of its LMDh competitors.
Check out Also:
-
WECPeugeot WEC focus shifts from dependability to efficiency
-
WECMuller leaves as Peugeot lines up replacement for 2025 WEC season
