We’ll keep it short – Dodge is coming back the Cup Series next year. After leaving NASCAR altogether following the 2012 season, Dodge will return to the top level of stock car racing in 2027.
This move comes on the heels of RAM’s return to NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series this year. When that news was announced about a year ago, Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection at Stellantis North America, hinted strongly that a return to the Cup Series with Dodge was in the cards. We just didn’t know how soon it would happen, and now we do.
Since this news broke, Dodge has confirmed that Kaulig Racing will field its two-car team in the Cup Series with veteran drivers Ty Dillon and A.J. Allmendinger. Kaulig currently fields RAM’s five-truck attack in the Craftsman Series.
And if you’re wondering about the race car, you won’t have to wait long to see it. Dodge will reveal it during the Dec. 4 livestream of the 59th annual Snowball Derby which can be seen on NASCAR’s website.
Further details are available below. A teaser can be viewed here.
Note: We're using vintage Dodge NASCAR images here as the new Cup car has yet to be revealed. Most of these shots are from Dodge's most recent NASCAR era from 2009 through 2012. Brad Kesolowski (Miller Lite Dodge no. 2) won the Cup Series driver's title behind the wheel of a Penske Racing Dodge Charger in 2012. The no. 43 Charger is from 1972. It was driven here by Cup legend Richard Petty at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006.
The Brotherhood of Muscle Returns to NASCAR Cup Racing
November 2, 2026, Las Vegas – It’s official. Dodge doubles down on American performance, returning to NASCAR Cup Series 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) 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 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 and on the NASCAR Channel courtesy of Flo Racing on Dec. 4.
The wait is over. Dodge is back.
Photos courtesy of Stellantis North America
