By Liam FosterThe long-awaited Dodge NASCAR Cup Series return will take place in February 2027, arriving one full year ahead of initial industry projections. Stellantis-owned Dodge unveiled its premier stock car racing comeback at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas on Monday, November 2, 2026, setting up a competitive debut at the Daytona 500.
Kaulig Racing to Field Two Dodge Chargers at Daytona
Dodge will once again give the Cup Series four original equipment manufacturers, joining Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota across a 36-race schedule that starts in mid-February and crowns a champion in early November. Kaulig Racing will field a two-car team campaigning the Dodge Charger, beginning with the exhibition Clash at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2027, before competing in the Daytona 500 eight days later on February 21.
Drivers AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon are expected to fill those two Kaulig seats, with a formal driver announcement planned during championship weekend in Homestead, Florida. Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands at Stellantis North America, stated that developing and perfecting the race car in real time on the track beat spending three years testing behind closed doors.
The automaker last raced in the premier Cup division during the 2012 season, departing the sport the same month it celebrated a Cup championship with driver Brad Keselowski and Penske Racing. That 2012 crown marked Dodge’s first Cup Series title since Richard Petty captured the sixth of his seven championships in 1975, making the 2027 return a high-profile Business and brand milestone.
Engine Partnership Accelerates Return Timeline
Stellantis initially returned to national stock car racing in 2026 with its Ram brand in the Truck Series, originally eyeing a Cup Series expansion in 2028. While Kaulig fielded five Ram trucks during the 2026 campaign—all sitting outside the top 10 in series standings heading into Homestead—Kuniskis said the brand aims to help grow the sport’s estimated 20 million fan base to 80 million or 100 million.
Preparing a brand-new engine program for the Cup Series ordinarily takes an automaker several years of laboratory and track development. Dodge compressed that multi-year timeline into a single year by partnering with Earnhardt Childress Racing to assemble Dodge-specification powerplants alongside the shop’s regular Chevrolet engine operations.
Rival Automakers Back Fourth Manufacturer Expansion
Incumbent manufacturers Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota approved the unusual engine-building arrangement in part because they concluded that adding a fourth manufacturer would strengthen the commercial health of the entire racing series. Chief Executive Officer Steve O’Donnell praised the collaboration between Kuniskis, Stellantis, and series officials, calling Dodge’s commitment a major milestone for fans.
John Probst, president of event management for the sanctioning body, noted that officials continue courting additional automakers ahead of a next-generation engine platform planned between 2030 and 2032. Probst added that the North American vehicle market remains one of the most lucrative regions globally for car and truck sales, making stock car racing an unmatched promotional platform. With two Kaulig Racing Dodge Chargers set to roll onto the high banks of Daytona International Speedway in February 2027, Stellantis will test whether its accelerated one-year development gamble can challenge established Cup Series contenders right from the opening green flag.
