• by Tanya Gazdik , Yesterday

Stellantis put out a press release last week stating that its "Bucking Hemi" thrill ride was stolen as they were breaking down the set of Roadkill Nights, an annual drag racing event.

“The mechanical bull has been part of a Ram marketing campaign, as the brand touts a return to NASCAR and the return of the Hemi V8 engines to its vehicles,” according to the Detroit Free Press. “The Ram brand said it ‘is actively collaborating with authorities’ and encouraged people to contact local law enforcement regarding the theft if they know anything. They even posted missing flyers on social media.”

Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Ram, said in the news release, "This is bull----."

But local authorities are calling it a stunt, and they aren’t happy.

“The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the theft never occurred, and it was just in the possession of people at the company, calling the investigation a ‘tremendous waste’ of time,'" according to Click On Detroit. 

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the county is checking to see if a crime was committed by the filing of a false police report.

“Ram doesn’t agree with this accusation from the local police, however,” according to Road and Track. “According to a Ram spokesperson Nick Cappa, everything boiled down to a mix-up with one of the contractors the automaker hired for the event.”

The Bucking Hemi was accidentally taken and packed away by one of the show contractors during the event breakdown.

“After 67 hours of uncertainty and a 1,200-mile roundtrip journey to and from North Carolina, Bucking Hemi has returned,” according to Road and Track. 

The show contractors realized the error after media coverage brought it to their attention.

The ride is shaped in the image of what the brand calls its “symbol of protest” logo.

“It first made an appearance at the Michigan International Speedway on June 8, as Ram was advertising its return to the NASCAR’s truck racing circuit next year,” according to The Detroit News. “At the Roadkill races, put on by MotorTrend and Dodge, it was part of the larger carnival-like zone near Woodward Avenue that also included drifting thrill rides and racing simulation games.”