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American automaker Dodge is set to make a return to NASCAR in 2027, becoming the fourth manufacturer on the grid alongside Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford. The comeback arrives a year earlier than initially anticipated, prompting an accelerated development program.
The announcement was made official at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, with the race car scheduled for its public unveiling at December's Snowball Derby. In NASCAR's premier Cup Series, Dodge will partner with Kaulig Racing, which currently fields Chevrolet machinery. The team is already running five Ram 1500 trucks in the third-tier Craftsman Truck Series after parent company Stellantis restored its presence there for the 2026 campaign.
"Everyone said pulling off a comeback in just one year was impossible. Our response was: 'Watch us,'" said Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis. "We could have spent three years planning, testing, and fine-tuning, or we could do it all in real time on the track. It's going to be infinitely tougher this way, but going slow has never been part of Dodge's DNA."
Kaulig Racing team owner Matt Kaulig expressed his delight with the landmark agreement:
"This is a momentous day for both myself and Chris Rice. We started Kaulig Racing a decade ago and faced plenty of hurdles along the way, so being selected as the flagship team for Dodge's return is an incredible honor. We know the weight of the responsibility we're taking on and we're ready to deliver. This partnership brings stability and the foundation to build a long-term winning program."
While official confirmation is still pending, the new engines are widely expected to be built by ECR Engines, which currently supplies Chevrolet powerplants to teams such as Richard Childress Racing, Trackhouse Racing, and Kaulig Racing.
Kaulig is expected to retain its current driver lineup of AJ Allmendinger in the No. 16 car and Ty Dillon in the No. 10, with an official announcement anticipated during the Homestead race weekend. The organization boasts two Cup Series victories to date, both delivered by Allmendinger — at the Indianapolis road course in 2021 and the Charlotte Roval in 2023.
Dodge's NASCAR heritage dates back to 1950, highlighted by two manufacturers' championships in 1970 and 1975 along with multiple drivers' titles. The legendary Richard Petty captured three of his record seven championships behind the wheel of a Dodge in the 1970s, while Brad Keselowski delivered the brand's most recent Cup Series crown in 2012, just before Dodge exited the sport ahead of the Gen 6 era in 2013. The current Next Gen platform is expected to streamline Dodge's re-entry, as regulations rely heavily on spec components from approved single-source suppliers rather than ground-up bespoke development.
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