UPDATE: It’s official. Dodge doubles down on American performance, returning to NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2027 with Kaulig Racing.
Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, Stellantis North America, shared the news during a sneak preview of the Stellantis display at the 2026 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA , opens in a new tab) Show. For Dodge, the message is simple: gasoline-powered performance is back at the center of the brand, and Dodge is heading back to NASCAR Cup Series racing.
“Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year. We said, ‘watch this,'” said Kuniskis. “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. LFG.”
Dodge’s storied history in NASCAR Cup has helped shape, mold and push the series forward, from the first Dodge NASCAR Cup win in 1953 to a championship for the No. 2 Blue Deuce Dodge Charger in 2012, the brand’s final year in Cup. Today, that story begins a new chapter.
That new chapter builds on momentum already underway across Stellantis’ North American motorsports portfolio. Ram’s 2026 return to NASCAR competition with Kaulig Racing, which will now serve as Dodge and Ram’s anchor team, has reestablished a factory-backed presence at the track and created a foundation for the next phase of the company’s commitment to American motorsports. Now, Dodge is preparing to carry that momentum back to NASCAR Cup Series racing.
Spearheading the Dodge return to the NASCAR Cup Series is Dodge SRT Racing, which leads all North American motorsports efforts, including NASCAR, NHRA and additional motorsports series.
The road back to NASCAR Cup Series racing will include several key moments leading into the 2027 season:
- During NASCAR Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kaulig Racing will announce its driver lineup for the 2027 season
- The next stop will be the 59th annual Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida, where Dodge will hold The Dodge Sno-Brawl. Celebrity drivers will take to the track in a head-to-head challenge in equally prepared Dodge Charger late-model stock cars for some friendly competition. Additional race details will be announced at a later date. Dodge will also reveal the race car that will wear the brand’s livery in NASCAR Cup Series competition
Fans can watch the reveal of the new Dodge stock car at the 59th annual Snowball Derby via livestream on FloRacing , opens in a new tab and on the NASCAR Channel courtesy of Flo Racing on Dec. 4.
The wait is over. Dodge is back.
— Kaulig Racing —
ORIGINAL POST: Dodge will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, a year earlier than originally anticipated. The announcement was made Monday at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Kaulig Racing will field two Dodge Chargers beginning with the Daytona 500, with AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon expected to drive the entries.
Dodge last competed in the Cup Series in 2012, winning the championship with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske before departing the sport. The manufacturer returned to NASCAR’s Truck Series under the Ram brand in 2026, initially targeting a Cup Series return in 2028.
The accelerated timeline was made possible through a partnership with Earnhardt Childress Racing, which will build Dodge-spec engines alongside its Chevrolet engine program. Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota supported the arrangement, recognizing the benefits of adding a fourth manufacturer to the Cup Series.
— Associated Press —