Dodge Returns to NASCAR Cup Series in 2027

Dodge announced its return to the NASCAR Cup Series for the 2027 season, becoming the fourth manufacturer in the series alongside Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford. The announcement was made at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas on Monday evening.

The Dodge entry will be unveiled at the Snowball Derby in December. The manufacturer will partner with Kaulig Racing, which currently runs Chevrolets at the Cup level but also fields a fleet of Ram 1500s in the Truck Series.

Matt Kaulig, owner of Kaulig Racing, expressed excitement about the partnership, noting the team's history of overcoming challenges and its role as the anchor team for Dodge's return. The team will retain its current driver lineup, with an official announcement expected during the Homestead race weekend.

Though not officially confirmed, Dodge's entries are expected to use engines built by ECR, which provides Chevrolet engines to teams like Richard Childress Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and Kaulig Racing. The team's drivers, A.J. Allmendinger and Ty Dillon, have previously secured two Cup Series wins for Kaulig Racing.

Dodge has a long-standing history in NASCAR, dating back to 1950. The brand won two manufacturer titles in 1970 and 1975 and contributed to several driver championships, including Richard Petty's three titles in the 1970s and Brad Keselowski's 2012 Cup Series victory.

Dodge left the Cup Series when the Gen-6 car was introduced in 2013, reducing the number of manufacturers to three. The return comes as the Next Gen car may simplify the process, allowing Dodge to leverage NASCAR's existing supplier network rather than building the car from scratch.