List of eligible models that never ran (Start Your Engines!)
The following is a list of car models that were eligible to run in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1987, but never did. They may have been run in other series, however.
Eligible models
Company | Marquee | Model | Years Eligible | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
General Motors | Chevrolet | Cavalier | 1982-2008 | Also eligible in Whelen Modified Tour, where it still runs |
Celebrity | 1981-1993 | |||
Corsica | 1987-1999 | Ran in Busch East Series 1990-1994 | ||
Nova | 1984-1991 | Ran in Busch Series 1984-1988 | ||
Impala | 1994-1999, 2005-2008 | Seventh and eighth-generation models were eligible, but never ran; ninth-generation model ran in Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series competition 2009-2012 | ||
Caprice | 1965-1999 | Ran in Goody's Dash Series 1986-1993 | ||
Corvette (various types) | 1955-present | Several teams have attempted to adapt the Corvette to NASCAR standards, but all have been rejected by NASCAR due to not conforming to any template | ||
Malibu | 1997-present | Third and fourth-generation model ran in Cup Series 1973-1982 | ||
Cobalt | 2005-2010 | |||
Cruze | 2008-present | Almost ran with the advent of the New Body Program in 2013, getting as far as a Cruze being tested by Tommy Baldwin Racing at Preseason Testing, but ultimately, the team elected to fall in line and use the SS | ||
Pontiac | LeMans | 1988-1997 | Sixth generation model never ran in NASCAR; fifth-generation model was run in the Winston Cup Series in the 1970s, as late as 1983 | |
Sunbird/J2000 | 1981-1991 | Also eligible in the Whelen Modified Tour | ||
Grand Am | 1984-2006 | Third, fourth, and fifth-generation models never ran in NASCAR; second-generation model briefly popped up in the Winston Cup Series in 1979, if Wikipedia is to be believed | ||
Bonneville | 1987-2008 | |||
Firebird | 1967-2005 | Frequently used as a pace car, never turned a lap as a race car despite several efforts over the years; the Trans-Am version finally made its competition debut at the 2019 Daytona 500 | ||
Buick | Skylark | 1975-2001 | ||
Century | 1982-1996 | |||
Skyhawk | 1982-1992 | An effort was made by Stavola Bros. Racing to adapt this model in 1989, but nothing came of it | ||
Electra | 1959-1993 | |||
Skylark | 1985-1994 | Ran in Goody's Dash Series 1987-1996 | ||
Roadmaster | 1991-1999 | |||
Regal | 1997-2013 | Surprisingly, despite pulling out in 1991, Buick never actually closed its NASCAR program, continuing to create and submit race versions of the Regal that were approved by NASCAR, but no team ever used; they continued making Regals for NASCAR until going defunct in 2010 due to the Great Recession | ||
LaCrosse | 2013-2020 | |||
Oldsmobile | 98 | 1985-1999 | ||
Toronado | 1966-1995 | |||
Achieva | 1991-2001 | Like Buick, Oldsmobile never actually closed its NASCAR program, which was how the Alero competed in 1997-1998, mainly because Alero sheetmetal happened to be the cheapest for the new SAFER Car (though Oldsmobile reiterated in documentation that they wanted nothing to do with engine development) | ||
Intrigue | 1998-2005 | There was much debate as to whether this was the identity of the Aleros that ran in 1997-1998 | ||
Cadillac | CTS | 2018-2023 | Cadillac began designing bodies for NASCAR competition in the wake of their IMSA success; to date, there have been no takers | |
Ford Motor Company | Ford | Escort | 1980-2006 | Ford heavily pushed for teams to run this model; the closest it came to doing so was when Bud Moore Engineering tested it in 1990, but found the Thunderbird faster |
Tempo | 1983-1997 | |||
Contour | 1995-2003 | Ran in Goody's Dash Series 1997-2000 | ||
Taurus | 2008-present | Despite being replaced by the Fusion in 2006, Ford created a new version of the Taurus that it made available to teams after its 2008 reintroduction, even to the models bitter end in 2019 | ||
EXP | 1982-1991 | Ran in the Goody's Dash Series 1984-1993 | ||
Probe | 1989-2000 | Ford created a NASCAR version in response to the Chevrolet Lumina; the model ultimately never ran due to all Ford teams being dedicated to the Thunderbird | ||
Mercury | Grand Marquis | 1992-2002 | ||
Tracer | 1988-2002 | Mercury attempted to break back into NASCAR with the Tracer in 1988; it ultimately took until 1994 for them to make a comeback with the Cougar | ||
Lincoln | Town Car | 1998-2011 | ||
LS | 1999-2009 | |||
Chrysler Corporation | Dodge | 600 | 1987-1990 | Actually ran most of the 1987 Winston Cup Series with Pacific Coast Racing as an interim car until the Chrysler LeBaron could debut in 1988; several Busch Series teams ran this model in 1988 and 1989 |
Shadow | 1988-1997 | |||
Stealth | 1990-1999 | Also eligible in the Whelen Modified Tour, where it still runs | ||
Avenger | 2007-2010 | The original coupe ran in the Winston Cup Series in 1997-1998, before being replaced by the Intrepid in 1999; Dodge marketed the sedan as a viable short track car, but no teams bought any Avenger sheetmetal | ||
Monaco | 1990-1995 | Marketed to teams as a viable short track car, this model was a staple in the Goody's Dash Series in the mid-90s | ||
Stratus | 1995-2009 | This is still being hotly debated in the NASCAR community, as technically, the Stratus DID run in the Nextel Cup and Busch Series between 2004-2006; however, only Pacific Coast Racing referred to it as such (Penske and Evernham also eventually adopted the term), as Dodge wouldn't specify the model, and NASCAR referred to it as an Intrepid, which was Dodge's model from 1999-2003; as of 2020, the debate rages on | ||
Dynasty | 1988-1996 | |||
Neon | 1993-2008 | This model will be used in the revived Dash Series starting in 2021 | ||
SRT-4 | 2003-2008 | |||
Chrysler | Imperial | 1990-1996 | The sixth generation model ran in the Winston Cup Series from 1981-1985 | |
Concorde | 1993-2007 | |||
LHS | 1994-2004 | |||
Cirrus | 1995-2003 | Chrysler referred to their Winston Cup Series entry from 1995-1996 as the Cirrus, but in truth, these cars still used LeBaron sheetmetal; actual Cirrus sheetmetal was never run | ||
300 | 2005-present | |||
Plymouth | Acclaim | 1989-1998 | ||
Sundance | 1989-1997 | Also eligible in Whelen Modified Tour, where it still runs | ||
Laser | 1989-1997 | Also eligible in Whelen Modified Tour, where it still runs | ||
Breeze | 1996-2003 | |||
Toyota Motor Corporation | Toyota | Corolla | 2007-present | Although the Camry is the primary model used in the Cup Series, Toyota also developed several other models for possible use in NASCAR; none have been accepted by any teams to date, though they have seen use in regional and local stock car leagues such as CRA and CARS have used these models |
Celica | 2000-present | Once Toyota entered the Goody's Dash Series, the floodgates for further involvement in NASCAR opened, and to that end, in 2000, Toyota designed a NASCAR-legal Celica; its eligibility came and went without no teams picking it up, not even when Toyota formally entered the Nextel Cup Series and Busch Series in 2007 | ||
Avalon | 2007-present | Toyota has, since 2007, been constantly designing and updating NASCAR-legal versions of the Avalon | ||
86 | 2012-present | This model will be run in the revived Dash Series starting in 2021 | ||
Supra | 2019-2020 | When the Supra was reintroduced in 2019, Toyota heavily pushed for Joe Gibbs Racing to adopt it; while there were initially no takers in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, 99% of Xfinity Series teams signed with Toyota eagerly adopted the Muscle Body version; with the advent of the "New Body Program II" in 2021, Toyota will withdraw the Camry from the Cup Series to force all of their Cup teams to use the Supra, though after Joe Gibbs threatened to go back to Pontiac, Toyota relented and allowed the Camry to remain eligible | ||
Lexus | GS | 2007-present | When Toyota entered the Nextel Cup and Busch Series in 2007, they also made Lexus models eligible; Toyota teams balked at the idea of tearing up luxury cars, yet Lexus still designs NASCAR-legal cars every year | |
LS | 2007-present | |||
ES | 2007-present | |||
IS | 2007-present | |||
Honda Motor Company | Honda | Insight | 2018-present | Despite mainly fielding the Accord and Civic across the Cup and Xfinity Series, the Insight is also an eligible model |
Acura | TLX | 2015-present | ||
RLX | 2015-2020 | |||
ILX | 2015-present | |||
Mazda Motor Corporation | Mazda | MX-5 Miata | 2017-present | After finding success in the NASCAR Peak Mexico Series, Mazda attempted to break into the Cup Series in 2017; as of yet, there are no takers, but they're not giving up, having designed a NASCAR-legal version of the MX-5 to the specifications of the New Body Program II; Mazda finally managed to break into American NASCAR in 2021 when a team in the newly-revived Dash Series announced they would be using a Mazda Miata, possibly planting the seeds for a run in the Cup and Xfinity Series |