Dodge exits NASCAR on high note with Keselowski's title

Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- As Penske Racing won its first Sprint Cup title, Dodge might have been capturing its last in NASCAR's premier series.

With a 15th in Sunday's Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Brad Keselowski became the manufacturer's first champion in 37 years. But there can be no repeat of Richard Petty's consecutive championships in 1974-75. As Penske Racing moves to Ford in 2013, Dodge is exiting NASCAR — at least for now — because it couldn't land on a title-caliber replacement.

"It's weird; it's bittersweet; it's exciting; it's amazing," said Ralph Gilles, who oversees Dodge's NASCAR program.

"I'm literally conflicted. It wasn't about winning or losing, whether we'd stay in or not. Those decisions were made many months ago for other reasons. But this is the best thing that can happen. The best way to look back on this as a feather in our cap. It's a Seabiscuit situation in a way."

After announcing its impending departure in early August, Gilles said Dodge was "able to put everything we got on this year. Every engineer we could touch with a heartbeat was on this thing. ... That was one thing we owed (team owner Roger Penske). After deciding to part ways, we shook hands and said we're not going to let each other down.

"We're going to win this thing if we can and put everything we've got into it. He kept his end of the deal, and we kept our end of the deal."

That was reflected in the performance of Keselowski's No. 2 Dodge, which won five times in 2012 and finished outside the top 10 twice in the Chase for the Sprint Cup

"Not one failure all year in that Dodge engine," Penske said. "I want to thank Dodge for what they've done for us."

Next year, Dodge will compete in the American Le Mans Series (before it merges in 2014 with Grand-Am) with the Viper and is counting on an invitation to the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"We still have a good footprint in motor sports," said Gilles, who added he would be watching every Sprint Cup race in 2013 while evaluating future possibilities and reflecting on Dodge winning the title despite having the smallest manufacturer lineup — Penske's two cars — in Cup.

"Three years ago, I remember everyone looked at us a bit sideways like, 'Your two cars are going up against the Goliaths?'" Gilles said. "That was our attitude. We didn't listen to the noise."