Chrysler has backflipped on plans to join the V8 Supercar series next year.
Nissan had already announced plans to break the Holden-Ford duopoly on the series from next year, and Chrysler had been in negotiations with Garry Rogers Motorsport to also become part of V8 racing.
The manufacturer had indicated as recently as the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide earlier this month they were keen to be part of the series in 2013.
But Chrysler Australia’s US parent company has decided against financial support for the bid, meaning there are unlikely to be more than three manufacturers on the V8 grid for next year.
“Essentially at this point in our organisational development it doesn’t make financial sense,” Chrysler Australia spokesperson Lenore Fletcher told website V8x.com.au on Friday.
“When you work it out on a dollar-per-vehicle basis and you look at what you have to spend in terms of supporting and promoting your commitment, it just makes it very difficult and high cost.”
But Chrysler told the online magazine they might consider another bid for the series from 2014 onwards.
V8 chairman Tony Cochrane has said the series was keen to eventually have five manufacturers involved.