Dodge is very close to finalizing a return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, multiple people briefed on the situation but not authorized to speak publicly have told The Athletic.
Negotiations are still ongoing and hurdles remain, those people said, but all parties involved believe Dodge is on track to be the fourth manufacturer on the grid for the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 21. Stellantis, Dodge’s parent company, has already begun making plans to announce its return to Cup for the first time in over a decade.
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Dodge ultimately decided its best option is to align with an existing engine supplier — ECR Engines, owned by Richard Childress Racing (RCR).
The yet-to-be finalized partnership between Dodge and ECR is unique. RCR is a Chevrolet-supported team and ECR builds Chevrolet engines for several other Chevrolet organizations. RCR is not abandoning its longstanding partnership with Chevrolet, multiple sources briefed on the situation stressed to The Athletic. Instead, ECR is expected to build engines for both Dodge and Chevrolet.
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Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota agreed to the terms — with the understanding that this is a short-term solution, and Dodge would work in earnest toward finding a different engine builder — in part because they felt that a fourth manufacturer entering NASCAR would benefit them all and is good for the overall health of the league.
— The Athletic —