Dodge made headlines last year when it announced its return to NASCAR for the 2026 season in the Truck Series. Viewed as a first step toward Dodge returning to the Cup Series, there’s new buzz around the garage on when that may happen.
On X, Rammin is Racin reported that they’ve spoken to five different people who have recently said that if Dodge is going to enter the Cup Series in 2027, it will have to use a different manufacturer’s engine.
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“We are way past the deadline for when body and engine needed to be submitted for a new OEM to be eligible for the 2027 season. We are several months past it in fact and yet this is all still very possible…We have heard from five different people in the last couple weeks. Some are content creators and some are highly respected people within the industry that if Dodge is to enter the 2027 Cup Series it will be with a rebranded white labelled engine aka…. A different manufacturers engine.”
Rammin is Racin on Dodge potentially joining NASCAR Cup Series in 2027
As RIR pointed out, this would be a direct violation of current NASCAR rules that do not allow for an OEM to use an engine or car body that is created by another manufacturer. However, it seems NASCAR officials might be willing to be lenient if it means getting a fourth OEM into the Cup Series.
It certainly feels like Dodge would be rushing it by joining the Cup Series in 2027, especially given what’s happened this year in the Truck Series. Ram, in partnership with Kaulig’s Truck Series team, had to scramble just to get trucks out on the track. Through 16 points races, Ram is last in the manufacturer standings with zero wins and it trails third-place Chevrolet by 214 points while sitting 257 points back of Ford in first.
To its credit, Kaulig has fared relatively well in the Cup Series this season despite not having manufacturer support nor sims for its drivers. Across 22 points races, A.J. Allmendinger ranks 22nd in points ahead of the likes of Todd Gilliland, Zane Smith, John Hunter Nemechek and Austin Dillon.
Both NASCAR and Dodge clearly would like for the Charger to be part of the Cup Series in 2027, but it would likely require tweaking rules and further sacrificing of performance. It might be in everyone’s best long-term interests to take a patient approach, but it seems very possible that Dodge is back in the NASCAR Cup Series next year.
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