NASCAR
Dodge Making NASCAR Return with Kaulig Racing for 2027
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Announced at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, Dodge unveiled plans for a full-fledged NASCAR return. Teaming up with Kaulig Racing for the 2027 Cup Series season, the new year will mark Dodge’s first time in America’s premier stock car division since 2012. Dodge is the first manufacturer to join the Cup Series since Toyota in 2007.
Dodge and NASCAR have been tied to each other from the racing series’ founding era. Dodge originally entered Cup in 1950, and won their first race with Hall of Famer Lee Petty in 1953. A Dodge Charger Daytona was also the first stock car to break the 200-mph qualifying barrier at Talladega Superspeedway in 1970 with Buddy Baker. Dodge’s last win in their first NASCAR stint came with Neil Bonnett at Ontario (Calif.) Motor Speedway in 1977, before the brand dropped out of racing in 1984.
2001 saw Dodge make a triumphant return to NASCAR, aligning with Petty, Evernham, and Ganassi’s teams. Eventually joining their lineup would be Team Penske, who delivered Dodge the Cup Series championship with Brad Keselowski in 2012. This hurrah marked Dodge’s most recent factory-backed NASCAR effort until 2027, ending a 15-year absence from the sport. Other drivers to win Cup titles for Dodge include ‘The King’ Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Bobby Isaac, all NASCAR Hall of Famers. Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, and Kurt Busch are more recent stars to pilot Dodges to Cup success.
“Everyone said it was impossible to get back in one year,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, Stellantis North America. “We said, ‘watch this.’ 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.”
Under the RAM brand, Dodge did make a 2026 comeback into the Craftsman Truck Series with Kaulig Racing. Their five-truck effort has seen a best result of fourth with Justin Haley at Bristol. The No. 25 RAM free agent has also seen many top-name drivers get in its seat, including NASCAR legend Tony Stewart.
Dodge and Kaulig Racing will announce their 2027 driver lineup this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. They will also reveal their new Cup Series racecar at the 59th Snowball Derby on December 4. Happening alongside the famed late model race will be a celebrity race, ‘The Dodge Sno-Brawl,’ pitting several contestants against each other in late model challenges.
This story will be updated when more details are available.
Written by Peter Stratta
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Photo Credit to Peter Stratta/TSJSports
