Dodge Is Finally Coming Back To NASCAR: Report

Everything is on track for Dodge to compete in the Daytona 500 next February, but challenges remain.

Dodge Challenger NASCAR Nationwide Series Race Car

Photo by: Dodge

Anthony Alaniz

By: Anthony Alaniz

Oct 15, at 6:00pm ET

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Dodge's clock is ticking if it wants to return to NASCAR next year. The 2027 season begins in February with the Daytona 500, just four months away, and if everything goes right, fans will watch four teams compete in the nation’s most-watched motorsport.

According to a new report from The Athletic, citing “multiple people briefed on the situation,” Dodge should be racing in NASCAR’s season opener on February 21, or so the parties involved believe. Nothing is confirmed yet, and negotiations are ongoing to resolve the remaining challenges.

Dodge is reportedly working on a deal with ECR Engines to supply the automaker, owned by Richard Childress Racing, which runs Chevrolets. ECR Engines will allegedly have to create a new, technically distinct engine for Dodge—the brand can’t simply drop a Chevy engine in.

Dodge’s addition brings the roster back to four manufacturers. Dodge will join Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series. Dodge last competed in the series over a decade ago, in 2012.

Dodge’s Race Back To NASCAR

Back in June, another report from The Athletic first alleged Dodge was on track to return to NASCAR in 2027. An unspecified breakthrough let the automaker accelerate its timeline, with the company already completing initial wind tunnel testing before summer and securing an engine supplier.

Former Ram CEO, and now head of Stellantis’ American brands, Tim Kuniskis mentioned a desire to return to NASCAR Cup Series in June 2025 when he announced Ram would compete in the Craftsman Truck Series. At the time of the announcement, Ram didn’t even have a team.

Kaulig Racing, which is the team Ram has partnered with, will race Dodges in NASCAR’s Cup Series. If Dodge had to build its own race engine, which it still must do to keep racing in the series, that would likely have delayed its return to the 2028 season.

What’s Next For Dodge?

Dodge’s existence under Stellantis has not been great. The Hornet crossover lasted only a few years before getting axed, and sales for the new Dodge Charger are far below its predecessor.

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The brand’s focus on the high-powered battery-electric variant first hasn't helped, and the shift toward twin-turbocharged inline-six engines hasn't either. Dodge built its fan base by feeding them loud, high-powered V8 engines, and that option will soon be back on the menu.

Dodge is developing a new Charger SRT Hellcat with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. The new Hellcat could enter production by the end of next year and make well over 700 horsepower. The 6.2-liter V8 in the Ram TRX and the Rumble Bee SRT produces 777 hp in both trucks.

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