Dodge will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027 with Kaulig Racing, the manufacturer announced Monday at the 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
The two-car team will field Dodge Chargers in the manufacturer’s reintroduction to NASCAR’s top level after a 14-year hiatus, following its departure after the 2012 campaign.
Brad Keselowski won the 2012 NASCAR Cup Series championship driving a Dodge Charger and earned the manufacturer its 217th and most recent win at the Cup level that fall at Dover Motor Speedway.
“Dodge’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series is a significant milestone for the sport,” NASCAR Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell said. “This commitment speaks to Dodge’s belief in our sport and gives fans another reason to be excited about what’s ahead. The partnership between NASCAR, Tim Kuniskis and the entire team at Stellantis has been nothing short of phenomenal. They have a deep passion for NASCAR and its ability to showcase the world’s top brands, and we can’t wait to see Dodge on the race track for the Daytona 500 and beyond.”
John Probst, president of NASCAR Event Management, views Dodge’s re-entry to the sport as a signal both to the sport’s rising status as well as that of the automobile industry, particularly the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) currently in the sport as Dodge rejoins Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.
“I think it shows not only the strength of the North American car market, but also the value that NASCAR plays with these OEMs in that market as the premier motorsports in North America,” Probst said in a Monday teleconference.
Dodge’s latest tenure in the Cup Series spanned from 2001 through 2012 with 57 victories over that time. Its return marked the first new manufacturer to enter NASCAR’s top ranks since 2007, when Toyota first entered the Cup Series. Stellantis, Dodge’s parent company, re-entered NASCAR in 2026 by partnering with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The organization fielded five full-time trucks and featured stars like three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart, 2010 Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 champion Jamie McMurray and 2008 Daytona 500 champion Ryan Newman behind the wheel.
Dodge has been on the fast track to returning to the NASCAR Cup Series — something Kuniskis, head of Stellantis North America’s American Brands, SRT Performance and Direct Connection division, has embraced in the high-octane world of racing.
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