Here's Why The Dodge Hemi Got Banned From NASCAR - HotCars

As far as hard-line rules go in sporting events, few are as intense as those of motor racing. Regardless of the series you're in, the rules, regulations, and overall driver/rider standards are usually changed every year. Places where you can see this most is in GT racing, LMP racing, Formula One, and NASCAR.

Comparatively, Formula One is the most intense in regards to regulation changes, but NASCAR isn't too far off either. After all, NASCAR is about to undergo some serious redesigns for 2021. Though, we're not concerned with the future right now, but the past. To be specific, how and why NASCAR decided to ban the Dodge Hemi.

There's more to the story than what most would see at the surface level: such as power-rankings, politics, and more. So, to fully explain the Hemi's absence, we've gathered everything we could find on the Hemi's ban from NASCAR... 

A Mechanical Masterpiece

The Florida Times-Union

The whole story begins in the early-1950's with Dodge's success in vehicle design. After the World War had ended, Chrysler (owner of Dodge) took everything they'd learned from wartime manufacturing and put it into their cars. They used a 'hemispherical combustion chamber' in their upcoming V8's, which would eventually come to be known as the 'Hemi.'

Since then, Dodge has used the Hemi to great effect, particularly with their 1964 'Doomsday Machine:' a stock car racing spec 426 cubic D.O.H.C. V8. For the time, the 426 Hemi was a monster of an engine; capable of producing 425-hp and ~472 lb-ft of torque.

Because of the 426 Hemi's lightweight, overall power, and usability, it's no surprise that the Hemi became such an icon in both motor racing and street racing alike.

RELATED: The Secret Origin Of The Hemi Engine

Keeping The Races Interesting

Motor1

The Hemi's problem was a novelty of sorts. It wasn't criticized for its poor design, rather, the opposite. The 426 Hemi was just too good at its job, and that was to win! During the 1964 stock car truck series, the Hemi was responsible for "winning 26 of 62 races."

Though that's only 41.9% of all races, that's still a lot for one engine manufacturer. Nearly half of all the races in 1964 were swept by Chrysler/Dodge, as well as years prior, too. Eventually, fans got bored of the constant winning. Or, at least, that's what NASCAR executives thought (more on that later on).

As an aside, this isn't too far off from what we see in motor racing today, especially in Formula One. Since 2016, Mercedes-AMG has easily walked away with every constructor's championship, along with driver's championships too. So, with that in mind, you can see how being too good can actually be a negative overall, as less people will be interested in a race who's ending is already known...

Instead of trying to change the rules and regulations to force Dodge to redefine their Hemi's, NASCAR just straight-up banned the Hemi all together. Because of this, 1965 would see no Hemi engines, though, Dodge and Chrysler would still be competing.

At least the Hemi's removal from NASCAR wasn't for nothing, since it did lead to the creation of the Dodge Daytona four-years later.

RELATED: Winged Wonder! The 440 6-Pack Powered 1969 Dodge Daytona In Focus

Caught In Political Minutiae

RDForum

Now, it's obvious that Dodge and Chrysler we're very happy with their Hemi's performance. However, the same couldn't be said for the competition. Just as there is 'politics' in modern day racing, so too was there the same back in 1965.

NASCAR didn't ban the Hemi from the series out of concern for fan enjoyment alone. No, it was mostly because of political infighting and maneuvering among other teams and higher-ups. Bill France, the then head of NASCAR in 1964, was the final nail into that agenda.

According to various sources, the Hemi was banned "not for technological reasons, but because it wasn’t readily available in cars from Dodge or Plymouth assembly lines, 'readily' being the key concept." The thrust of the argument being that it was too costly of an option for the average buyer.

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To us, that seems incredibly malicious, as the cost of the engine shouldn't matter, just whether it reaches the proper production number. Heck, if that were to be implemented today, virtually none of the cars on the current grid would be eligible...

Hot Rod Network

The same sources state that "the same thing to Ford just before the 1964 Daytona 500, ruling that Ford’s new OHC 427 wasn’t eligible because it wasn’t a production engine and would cost too much for the average person to buy." Simply unbelievable.

Though, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As we said previously, the Hemi's ban led to the Dodge Charger Daytona later on, one of NASCAR's all-time greats. To add to that, the Hemi is still alive and kicking today with no signs of slowing down (no pun intended).

So, for all the reasons to be kicked out of something, it's better to have been too dominant rather than of too worthless.

NEXT: 10 Hilarious NASCAR Moments