While Stallantis CEO Tim Kusinskis has continually stated that he would like to bring the Dodge brand back to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, he has consistently acknowledged that his ambitious hope would likely be too far out of reach. However, to his credit, Kusinskis has never publicly stated that he has given up on that ambitious goal.
On Thursday, a new report from Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic suggests that Dodge could indeed go racing in the NASCAR Cup Series as early as 2027. Bianchi, who cites multiple industry sources, says the manufacturer is working to finalize the plan to compete in 2027.
According to the report, Dodge’s Challenger body has already gone through preliminary wind tunnel testing, and Stellantis has supposedly had a breakthrough in how it would produce engines for a NASCAR Cup Series program next season.
If Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series comes to fruition, this would be a massive story for NASCAR, the sanctioning body, as the Cup Series would have four manufacturers for the first time since Dodge exited the sport at the conclusion of the 2012 season.
And it would be an even bigger development for Kaulig Racing, which fields two full-time entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, the No. 10, driven this season by Ty Dillon, and the No. 16, driven this season by A.J. Allmendinger.
The team, which is serving as the flagship five-truck operation for the manufacturer in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season, currently fields Chevrolet race cars in the NASCAR Cup Series, but due to the team’s partnership with Stellantis, Kaulig Racing has been kept out of Chevrolet’s information loop with Chevrolet’s mega teams such as Hendrick Motorsports, Spire Motorsports, and Richard Childress Racing.
If Dodge is given the green light to return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, it would likely mean one less lost season for Kaulig, which will look to build the foundation of its hopefully successful future with Dodge in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Even without factory support from Chevrolet, Kaulig Racing has been mildly successful this season. A.J. Allmendinger ranks 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series championship standings after 17 races, and finds himself ahead of drivers from Spire Motorsports (Michael McDowell), Trackhouse Racing (Ross Chastain, Connor Zilisch), Front Row Motorsports (Zanr Smith, Todd Gilliland, and Noah Gragson), 23XI Racing (Riley Herbst), Richard Childress Racing (Austin Dillon), Wood Brothers Racing (Josh Berry), Hyak Motorsports (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.), Haas Factory Team (Cole Custer), and Rick Ware Racing (Cody Ware).
With Dodge back in the Cup Series and Kaulig Racing in the driver’s seat for the brand, the team stands to gain a lot of ground, eventually, from a competitive standpoint in the NASCAR Cup Series.
