Dodge announces its NASCAR Cup return for 2027, a full year ahead of the expected 2028 timeline

A comeback a year early

Dodge is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, which moves its comeback up by a full year from the previously anticipated 2028 timeline ^[1]. The brand has been away from NASCAR's top division for 14 years, so Cup fans and Dodge followers get a fourth manufacturer sooner than expected ^[1].

Dodge announced the return on Monday in Las Vegas as the SEMA show kicked off ^[2]. The announcement came during the 2026 SEMA Show ^[1]. Dodge said gasoline-powered performance is back at the center of the brand and that Dodge is heading back to Cup racing ^[2].

What Stellantis said

Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection for Stellantis North America, confirmed the accelerated timetable ^[1]. He said everyone had called a return in one year impossible, and that Dodge would prove them wrong ^[2].

Dodge is following Ram, which announced its return to NASCAR in June ^[2]. The move is part of Stellantis's turnaround plan, which calls for 60 new vehicles and 50 refreshes by 2030 ^[2].

Kaulig Racing makes the switch

Kaulig Racing currently fields Chevrolets for AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon ^[1]. The organization will switch from Chevrolet to Dodge for the 2027 season ^[1].

Dodge will use the NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 6-8, to announce the 2027 driver lineup for its factory-backed team partnered with Kaulig Racing ^[2]. Kaulig CEO Chris Rice has said he had not spoken with Brad Keselowski about a potential Dodge seat if the manufacturer returns ^[3].

The engine question

Before the official announcement, a report from The Athletic's Jordan Bianchi said Dodge was on track to return for the Daytona 500 ^[3]. According to that report, Dodge was exploring an arrangement with ECR Engines, the engine shop linked to Richard Childress Racing ^[3]. The reported engines would need to be technically distinct from Chevrolet power units ^[3].

Rice responded to critics after reports that Dodge was close to returning in 2027 ^[3]. He explained that Kaulig Racing would prefer to develop its own engine program but remains open to other options ^[3]. He said the remaining hurdles had gotten smaller but had not disappeared ^[3].

As of Oct. 15, 2026, no official announcement had confirmed Dodge's return to NASCAR ^[3].

Dodge's history in the Cup Series

Dodge last competed in the Cup Series in 2012, when Brad Keselowski won the championship with Team Penske ^[3]. NASCAR has raced with only three Cup manufacturers, Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota, since Dodge departed following that season ^[1].

Dodge's NASCAR history includes Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Isaac, Lee Petty, Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace, despite a history interrupted over the decades ^[1].