Avenger to be Dodge's choice for COT chassis

Avenger to be Dodge's choice for COT chassis

Manufacturer will stick with Charger model in non-COT races
By Mark Aumann, NASCAR.COM

January 9, 2007
11:52 AM EST (16:52 GMT)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Dodge's Car of Tomorrow is officially the Avenger.

With Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch and Juan Montoya in tow, DaimlerChrysler officials unveiled the new 2008 Dodge Avenger mid-size sedan Tuesday morning at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Adding another layer of complexity to a season already filled with new manufacturers, new teams, new cars and new drivers, Dodge will join Chevrolet in using different models for different chassis.

So Kasey Kahne's Charger will be racing against Tony Stewart's Monte Carlo at Daytona, but it'll be an Avenger versus an Impala at Bristol in March, when the Car of Tomorrow makes its debut.

"With Nextel Cup racing two distinct cars for 2007, it makes perfect sense to have the Avenger join the Charger in the Dodge racing family," said Mike Accavitti, director of Dodge Motorsports.

The announcement should also lay to rest rumors that DaimlerChrysler may be pulling out of NASCAR.

Senior manager of motorsports Mike Delahanty reaffirmed that position during a Dodge dinner in Daytona Beach on Monday night, saying the manufacturer wouldn't be going to all this trouble if it didn't see a future in the sport.

"We're not going anywhere," he said.