LAS VEGAS (AP) — Dodge is returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, a year earlier than initially expected.
The Stellantis-owned Dodge brand announced its return at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Monday.
Dodge will once again give the Cup Series four manufacturers, joining Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota in fielding entries to compete in a 36-race schedule that begins in mid-February and crowns a champion in early November.
Kaulig Racing will use the Dodge Charger to field a two-car team, likely beginning with the exhibition Clash at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13. A more telling debut will come in the Daytona 500 eight days later.
AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are expected to fill those Kaulig seats, although a formal driver announcement is planned for NASCAR’s championship weekend in Homestead, Florida.
"Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year. We said, 'Watch this,'" said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands at Stellantis North America. "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."
Dodge raced in NASCAR through the 2012 season and left the same month it celebrated the Cup title with Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing. It was Dodge's first Cup championship since Richard Petty's sixth of seven titles in 1975.
"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, Kuniskis 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."
Dodge re-entered the NASCAR Truck Series with its Ram brand in 2026, with eyes on expanding to the premier Cup Series in 2028. Kuniskis vowed to be disruptive while doing it "unlike anyone else."
Kuniskis said Ram planned to tap into NASCAR's estimated fan base of 20 million "and turn it into 80 or 100 million." Kaulig had five trucks race this season, all of which are outside the top 10 in the series standings heading to Homestead.
Normally, it would have taken Dodge years to get ready for the Cup Series. But Dodge reportedly bypassed part of the timeline required to develop a new engine by partnering with Earnhardt Childress Racing to build Dodge-spec powerplants alongside its regular Chevrolet operations.
The Athletic reported that Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota allowed that unique partnership in part because they believed a fourth manufacturer in NASCAR would be good for the overall health of the racing series.
John Probst, president of NASCAR Event Management, said the sanctioning body continues to search for additional manufacturers and noted that an appealing entry point could coincide with a new engine platform planned between 2030 and 2032.
"The North American car market is probably one of a handful in the world that there’s money to be made on car sales," Probst said. "And I think that when you're trying to sell cars and trucks and using motorsports as a platform to talk to your fans and your customers, there's no better place to be than in NASCAR."
