The time has finally come for a fourth OEM to join the Gen 7 era of the NASCAR Cup Series. Dodge is officially returning to the sport, 15 years after winning the championship with Brad Keselowski.
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The announcement came in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show. Dodge confirmed that it will partner with Kaulig Racing, expanding a relationship that started in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Kaulig Racing is the Stellantis factory team, and it fields five full-time Ram 1500 trucks.
The two-car Cup Series team will feature Dodge Charger race cars. Kaulig Racing has said multiple times that AJ Allmendinger will continue to drive full-time as long as he desires. The expectation is that Ty Dillon will also return to the team for his third full season.
The team will officially set its driver lineup this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will unveil the new Dodge stock car on Dec. 4 at the Snowball Derby. Fans can watch the Snowball Derby via livestream on FloRacing and on the NASCAR Channel courtesy of Flo Racing.
Dodge, Kaulig Racing, and NASCAR all declined to provide details about the engine that the cars will have in 2027. This will be the result of collaboration from the industry, but the involved parties will provide more details in the future.
"Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year. We said, 'watch this,'" said RAM CEO Tim Kuniskis. "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 harder this way. But slow has never been part of Dodge DNA. LFG."
Dodge raced in NASCAR for decades while celebrating dozens of wins dating back to 1953, as well as multiple championships. However, the OEM departed the Cup Series after Brad Keselowski and Team Penske won the 2012 title in a Charger.
"Dodge's return to the NASCAR Cup Series is a significant milestone for the sport," NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell said in a statement. "This commitment speaks to Dodge's belief in our sport and gives fans another reason to be excited about what's ahead.
"The partnership between NASCAR, Tim Kuniskis (Ram CEO), and the entire team at Stellantis has been nothing short of phenomenal. They have a deep passion for NASCAR and its ability to showcase the world's top brands, and we can't wait to see Dodge on the racetrack for the Daytona 500 and beyond."
