Dodge Confirms 2027 NASCAR Cup Return, One Year Ahead of Expectations

Dodge will field two cars in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, a timeline that arrives one year earlier than industry analysts predicted. The announcement was made on Monday in Las Vegas during the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show. This move returns the brand to the top tier after a 14 year absence, restoring a four manufacturer grid that includes Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.

The path to this return began with Dodge's re entry into the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026 under the Ram brand. That campaign served as a testing ground for the new platform. Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands at Stellantis North America, explained that the team chose to plan, test, and perfect the car simultaneously rather than following a traditional three year development cycle. He described this accelerated approach as exponentially harder but consistent with the brand's history of avoiding slow paces.

Kaulig Racing will operate the initial two car team. The vehicles, based on the Dodge Charger, are scheduled to debut in the exhibition race known as the Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 13. The team's first competitive race will be the Daytona 500 eight days later. The full 2027 season is set to include 36 races, starting in mid February and ending with the championship event in early November.

Formal driver assignments have not been finalized. AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are widely expected to hold the two Kaulig seats. NASCAR plans to announce the official drivers during the championship weekend in Homestead, Florida.

To meet the tight deadline, Dodge partnered with Earnhardt Childress Racing to build Dodge spec engines alongside their existing Chevrolet operations. The other three manufacturers reportedly agreed to this arrangement because they believed adding a fourth competitor would improve the series' competitive balance. John Probst, president of NASCAR Event Management, said the sanctioning body is still seeking additional manufacturers, noting that a new engine platform planned for the 2030 to 2032 window could attract more automakers.

NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell called the partnership a milestone for the sport. He expressed excitement about seeing Dodge on the racetrack, particularly at the Daytona 500. Kuniskis stated that the Ram Truck Series campaign helped the brand leverage NASCAR's estimated 20 million fan base to reach a much larger audience of 80 to 100 million people.