LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dodge returns to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, a year earlier than originally planned.
The Dodge brand, owned by Stellantis, announced its return to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas on Monday.
Dodge will once again offer four manufacturers to the Cup Series, joining Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota in entries to compete in a 36-race schedule that begins in mid-February and crowns a champion in early November.
Kaulig Racing will use the Dodge Charger to field a two-car team starting with the Daytona 500. AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are expected to fill those seats, although an official driver announcement is expected for the NASCAR Championship Weekend in Homestead, Florida.
“Everyone said there was no way we could come back in a year. We said, ‘Look at this,'” said Tim Kuniskis, head of U.S. brands at Stellantis North America. “Sure, we could spend three years planning, testing and perfecting…or we could do all three in real time, on the track. It’s going to be exponentially more difficult that way. But slow has never been part of Dodge’s DNA.”
Dodge raced in NASCAR throughout the 2012 season and left the same month he celebrated the Cup title with Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing. It was Dodge’s first Cup championship since Richard Petty’s sixth of seven titles in 1975.
“Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series is an important milestone for the sport,” NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “This commitment demonstrates Dodge’s confidence in our sport and gives fans another reason to be excited about what lies ahead.”
“The partnership between NASCAR, Kuniskis and the entire Stellantis team has been nothing short of phenomenal. They have a deep passion for NASCAR and its ability to showcase the world’s greatest brands, and we can’t wait to see Dodge on the race track for the Daytona 500 and beyond.”
Dodge re-entered the NASCAR Truck Series with its Ram brand in 2026, with plans to expand to the premier Cup Series in 2028. Kuniskis vowed to be disruptive while doing it “like no one else.”
Kuniskis said Ram plans to take NASCAR’s estimated 20 million fan base “and turn it into 80 or 100 million.” Kaulig has competed in five Truck races this season, all of which are outside the top 10 in the series standings heading to Homestead.
Normally, it would have taken Dodge years to prepare for the Cup Series. But Dodge reportedly circumvented some of the timeline required to develop a new engine by partnering with Earnhardt Childress Racing to build Dodge-spec powertrains alongside its regular Chevrolet operations.
The Athletic reported that Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota allowed the unique partnership in part because they believed a fourth manufacturer in NASCAR would be good for the overall health of the racing series.
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