Last week's announcement that Penske Racing would be switching from its long-time association with Ford to Dodge chassis and horsepower for next season has had much of the Winston Cup world talking among itself ever since.

As a result, there's been a lot of head scratching, beard and mustache twisting and quizzical looks out upon the horizon -- particularly from team owners, drivers, crew chiefs and team members affiliated with Ford, Chevrolet and Pontiac teams -- about team owner Roger Penske's motivation in making such a radical move.

More than anything, one question keeps surfacing: "What does Roger know about Dodge that we don't?"

And, if Penske feels Dodge is the way to go in the future -- or at least for the next three seasons, which is the length called for in the team's first contract with Dodge -- does that mean even more teams may consider switching to Mopar performance in the next few seasons?

There's no doubt that Penske is one of the greatest leaders in motorsports annals, be it in open-wheel or Winston Cup competition. The man knows success, knows how to win and is one of the most astute businessmen around. It's no wonder he's a multimillionaire.

His move to Dodge in 2003 will likely be another example of his vision and competitive foresight. Like Mary and her little lamb from fairy tale land, where Penske goes, you can bet the house that a lot of other lamb-like team owners will be sure to follow, happily singing along the way, "If it's good enough for Roger, it's good enough for me."

"Suffice to say, the Penske operation, (and) Rusty Wallace, this was a huge deal for Dodge," said Jim Julow, vice president of Dodge Motorsports. "I think it marks a whole new level of what we can do in motorsports."

Much of the likely reason Penske is shifting allegiance from Ford to Dodge isn't that hard to understand. With common body templates to be the rule in 2003 in Winston Cup racing, much of the supposed advantages Chevys and Fords have had over Pontiac and Dodge will be wiped away. In theory, it'll be a level playing field for everyone.

	Penske will run Dodge cars for Newman, left, and Wallace, right, in 2003.

But Dodge's sleeker and more aero-friendly styling of the Intrepid R/T, plus the accomplishments and impact the brand and manufacturer have made in Winston Cup in less than two full seasons, are enough to warrant Penske casting his lot with Dodge for the foreseeable future. He's getting in while the getting's good, hoping that it will lead drivers Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman to the Cup championship right off the bat next season.

"We wanted to look at it technically," Penske said. "We looked at aerodynamics. In fact, (we) actually put a car together to take a look at. We took an engine and took the pieces available and ran those on a dynometer. This just wasn't deal where we said we're going to switch because we want to switch or it's a money situation. We looked at the technology that was available to us and the opportunities to go forward.

"In less than 24 months, Dodge has become a major player in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. They've won key races. They've led the drivers' points standings most of the year. And just as importantly, they have incredible resources and an enviable, unique approach."

Added Wallace, "If we were ever going to do it, this was the year to do it. Next year the bodies are going to be almost identical. We didn't have to say we might be at a disadvantage with the body or a disadvantage to this or that because now all the bodies are about the same."

Of Wallace's 54 career Winston Cup wins, 22 have been behind the wheel of a Ford (the other 32 were in a Pontiac, including those in 1989, when he won his only Winston Cup championship). After nine seasons with Ford, he also feels it's time for a change.

"Our team is completely committed to finding the best race cars to keep us running at the front," Wallace said. "Dodge has earned a great deal of respect in the NASCAR garage since returning last year. We're pleased to be part of a program that's found such a fast road to success. It's a great move."

Sharing within the stable
With the addition of Wallace and Newman, the Dodge lineup in 2003 will increase the current crop of Dodge-powered cars competing in the series full-time to an even dozen, up from 10 this season. What's more, the debut of the new Penske team couldn't come at a more notable place: next February 16 at Daytona, Fla., for the season-opening and 45th renewal of the crown jewel of Winston Cup and stock-car racing, the Daytona 500.

Not coincidentally, after a nearly 20-year layoff, Dodge won the pole its first time out at the 2001 Daytona 500, and came back for an even greater encore when Ward Burton put Daimler-Chrysler in Victory Lane at this year's season-opener at Daytona.

"Dodge has been by far the best manufacturer I have driven for throughout my career," Burton said. "They have given the teams unlimited access to all their resources, including countless hours in the wind tunnel. That is by far more than any other manufacturer has done. I think we go to the wind tunnel at least once a week. They made it clear that they're here to stay and it shows with their efforts."

Dodge would go on to win three of this season's first five races, and would also capture three events in a row at midseason, including the Brickyard 400. All told, Dodge's current win total entering Sunday's Old Dominion 500 at Martinsville, Va., stands at seven (which is also the same number of pole positions it has won this season), with the most recent triumph being this past Sunday's surprise victory by rookie Jamie McMurray, driving in only his second Winston Cup event, replacing the injured Sterling Marlin.

Conversely, Ford has 11 wins and 11 poles thus far this season.

Likewise, Dodge's so-called "one-team approach," which features a unique package of information sharing and trading among the other existing Dodge-powered teams -- Evernham Motorsports, Petty Enterprises, Bill Davis Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates, and Ultra/Evernham Motorsports -- will help Penske's transition from Ford to Dodge likely be extremely smooth.

"I think we find teams that are willing to work together," Julow said. "They still beat each other's brains out on Sunday, (but) one of the things I've enjoyed about so far in our racing return is how well the teams work together, how well they share information, how well they try to make each other faster until the weekend and then all bets are off. I like that. It's a great chemistry, and I think the Penske operation is going to add to that."

That one-team cooperative effort was one of the keys that attracted and convinced driver and team owner Kyle Petty to switch his three-car racing operation to Dodge when it returned to Winston Cup last season.

"You look at this year with the whole Dodge program; it was better this year and it was up," Petty said. "Sterling was a factor all year, Ray Evernham's teams ran decent, and Jeremy Mayfield was a good addition over there. Bill Davis and his guys picked up from last year. You look at our three teams. We were a lot better this year than last year. We're building to run in the top-five every week, and for us, the Dodge program is a part of getting us there."

And don't forget that Marlin and Dodge sat atop the Winston Cup points standings for 25 of the first 26 weeks of the season. That McMurray could step into Marlin's car with no prior Cup seat time and pull off a win in only his second start says not only a lot about him, but the Dodge that sits under him. While McMurray is still young, fresh and impressionable, even he sees the advantage of Dodge, particularly after his first Cup win.

	“	You sit back and think about it and people ask me what I'm doing. Is this career suicide or whatever? But to me it's the same thing we did when we went from Pontiac to Ford. Like Roger said, we've built the cars, we've run the motors, so we know what we're up against. You watch 'em run on the racetrack. I'm not concerned at all with the move. I think it'll be a really good move. Change is good. ”
		— Rusty Wallace

"I ran a Dodge truck a few years ago, (including sitting) on the pole at Michigan and Nashville," McMurray said. "I'm glad to be back with Dodge. I feel like their technical support and all the help at the racetrack is better than any other manufacturer. I was glad to get a chance to drive for Chip and Felix, especially since it's a Dodge. I know everybody with Dodge from the truck series, so it's nice to be back with those guys."

There are several other advantages that obviously caught Penske's eye. First, key open-wheel rival Chip Ganassi has made incredible gains in NASCAR competition since purchasing the majority share of Felix Sabates' Cup team two years ago. The type of success and how far Ganassi has come in Winston Cup in such a short time was definitely not lost on Penske.

This is the second time Penske has shocked the NASCAR world by switching nameplates. In 1993, Wallace won 10 races driving a Pontiac, only to have Penske tell him he'd be driving a Ford the following year. Nine years later, and it's almost like déjà vu for Wallace.

"This is the second time this has happened. I remember when we left Pontiac in 1993 we finished second for the championship," Wallace said. "We were going for the championship right down to the last race with Dale Earnhardt and he nipped me at the line in Atlanta. We switched over to Ford and that year we were able to win eight races.

"Any time you leave good people, it's a tough deal. There's no doubt about that. ... I think we've done a really good job for them. We haven't burned any bridges. I think we fulfilled our commitment to Ford. I hope they're happy with the job Penske Racing has done for them."

One of Wallace's best friends on the Winston Cup circuit, Bobby Labonte, can understand what his pal is going through, particularly when it comes to brand loyalty. Labonte won the 2000 Winston Cup championship in a Pontiac. He and teammate Tony Stewart -- who currently leads the points race -- continue to drive Pontiacs today. But when Daytona rolls around next February, Labonte and Stewart will be driving Chevrolets, which owner Joe Gibbs feels will give the team all the more chance for greater success and technological advantage over fellow competitors, much the same way Penske feels about going to Dodge.

"I'm sure that Roger's got his eyes on things that are going to help their team out," Labonte said of Penske. "They want to do whatever they can to win a championship, win races, and all that. That's what their goal is, and they believe they can do that in a Dodge.

"Our deal is to go from Pontiac to Chevrolets. We've had a lot of success in Pontiacs, won a lot of races and championships, and they've been great people to work with. But right now, it just seems like where we're at today, and history doesn't repeat itself from two years ago, we felt we might make a change to get better than where we are because other people are doing the same thing. It's just a situation where everybody feels they have to do what they have to do to be on top."

Wallace admits that when Penske first told him he was considering switching to Dodge, there was some concern. Wallace has been identified so long with Ford that such a major change affects not only what he does on the racetrack, but also off the track, as well.

"You sit back and think about it and people ask me what I'm doing," Wallace said. "Is this career suicide or whatever?

"But to me it's the same thing we did when we went from Pontiac to Ford. Like Roger said, we've built the cars, we've run the motors, so we know what we're up against. You watch 'em run on the racetrack. I'm not concerned at all with the move. I think it'll be a really good move. Change is good."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.