Dodge returns to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, becoming the fourth manufacturer on the grid alongside Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford. That’s a year earlier than most predictions, and the turnaround will be tight for next season.
It was officially announced Monday evening at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and the car will be revealed at the Snowball Derby in December.
The manufacturer will partner with Kaulig Racing, which currently operates Chevrolets at the Cup level. However, the team also has a fleet of five Ram 1500s in the Truck Series, which Stellantis brought back to NASCAR’s third tier ahead of the 2026 season.
“Everyone said there was no way we could come back in a year. We said ‘look at this,'” Kuniskis said. “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. LFG.”
Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing, added: “This is a very exciting time for Chris Rice and me. We started Kaulig Racing ten years ago and have overcome so many challenges together, which makes it even more remarkable to be announced as the flagship team for Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series. What a monumental moment to be a member of Kaulig Racing. We realize what a responsibility this opportunity represents for the men and women of Kaulig Racing, and we are ready to rise to the occasion. of the stability and support that this partnership brings to our organization, which allows us to build a winning program for many years to come.
Although not officially announced yet, Dodge entrants will use engines built by ECR, which supplies Chevrolet engines to teams like Richard Childress Racing, Trackhouse Racing and Kaulig Racing.
Kaulig is also expected to retain its current driver lineup of AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 and Ty Dillon in the No. 10, with an official announcement coming during the race weekend at Homestead. The team has two Cup Series victories, both with Allmendinger, at the Indianapolis Road Course in 2021 and at the Charlotte Roval in 2023.
Dodge has a long history in NASCAR, dating back to 1950. They won two manufacturer titles in 1970 and 1975, but they also won several driver championships. NASCAR legend Richard Petty drove a Dodge to three of his seven Cup Series titles in the ’70s, and Brad Keselowski won the 2012 Cup title in a Dodge in what ultimately became their final year of competition until this latest revival.
They disappeared from the grid when the Gen-6 car was introduced in 2013, and since then there have only been three manufacturers at the Cup level. The Next Gen car could make the transition easier, as they won’t need to build the entire car from scratch like previous eras and will instead utilize NASCAR’s extensive network of external suppliers.
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