Dodge Returns to NASCAR Cup Series Next Year

Dodge will race in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027. This timeline is one year sooner than most industry experts predicted. The announcement was made on Monday in Las Vegas during the Specialty Equipment Market Association Show.

The return brings a fourth manufacturer to the top tier. Dodge will join Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. The 2027 schedule consists of 36 races. The season starts in mid-February and ends with the championship in early November.

Kaulig Racing will field the initial two Dodge cars. These vehicles are based on the Dodge Charger. They are scheduled to debut in the exhibition race called the Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 13. The team’s first competitive race is the Daytona 500 eight days later.

AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are expected to drive for Kaulig. NASCAR will confirm the official driver assignments during the championship weekend in Homestead, Florida.

Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands at Stellantis North America, explained the fast pace of the project. He stated that a three-year development cycle would have been safer. Instead, Dodge planned, tested, and perfected the car simultaneously on the track. Kuniskis described this approach as exponentially harder but true to the brand’s DNA.

Dodge last competed in the Cup Series in 2012. The brand left the top tier after Brad Keselowski won the championship that year with Penske Racing. That victory was Dodge’s first title since Richard Petty won his sixth championship in 1975.

The automaker returned to NASCAR’s Truck Series in 2026 under the Ram brand. Kaulig’s five trucks finished outside the top 10 in the standings heading into the Homestead finale. Kuniskis said Ram aims to use NASCAR’s estimated 20 million fan base to reach 80 or 100 million people. To meet the deadline, Dodge partnered with Earnhardt Childress Racing to build Dodge-spec engines. The other three manufacturers agreed to this arrangement because they believed a fourth competitor would benefit the series.