It is happening. After a 14-year hiatus that stretched back to their departure following the 2012 campaign, Dodge is officially returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027. The massive announcement dropped on Monday at the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, confirming a two-car team fielding Dodge Chargers.
For anyone with a heart beating for American stock car racing, the memories of Brad Keselowski taking the 2012 championship in a Charger—scoring the manufacturer's 217th and most recent Cup-level win that fall at Dover Motor Speedway—are still fresh. Now, the legendary nameplate is stepping right back into the arena alongside Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. Stellantis, Dodge's parent company, has already laid groundwork by re-entering NASCAR in 2026 through a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series partnership with Kaulig Racing that featured five full-time trucks driven by stars like Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, and Ryan Newman.
Tim Kuniskis, head of Stellantis North America’s American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, made it clear they are wasting no time. "Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year. We said, 'watch this,'" Kuniskis stated, adding their classic philosophy: "Slow has never been part of Dodge DNA. LFG."
Kaulig Racing will serve as the anchor team to both Dodge and Ram under the guidance of Dodge SRT Racing, bringing a factory-backed presence back to the track. Team owner Matt Kaulig expressed his pride in reaching this monumental milestone a decade after launching the organization alongside team CEO Chris Rice. Meanwhile, NASCAR executives couldn't hide their excitement about finally securing a fourth manufacturer. John Probst, president of NASCAR Event Management, noted that Dodge was always the number one target throughout years of trips to Detroit.
The technical side is already rolling. Probst confirmed that Dodge and NASCAR have cleared the wind tunnel testing portion of the 18-month approval process, with production panels anticipated in the middle of November. While engine configurations were not revealed on Monday, Probst assured that the powerplant will be fully compliant with the rule book.
Fans won't have to wait long for the next pieces of the puzzle. Kaulig Racing will announce its 2027 driver lineup at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and the actual race car will be unveiled on December 4 at the 2026 Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. Dodge is also slated to host "The Dodge Sno-Brawl" featuring celebrity drivers in equally prepared Dodge Charger late-model stock cars.
Everything points toward the ultimate reunion when the 69th annual Daytona 500 kicks off the 2027 season on Sunday, February 21, marking Dodge's first points-paying start in the premier division in over a decade.
