Dodge Reportedly Close to NASCAR Cup Series Return
To some people, the sticker on the front of a modern spec NASCAR really matters. Dodge stickers have been missing from NASCAR's top division since Brad Keselowski drove Penske's Number 2 Charger to the 2012 Cup Series championship. But after Ram returned to the Truck Series for the 2026 season, the speculation surrounding a big-league comeback was natural. According to a new report from The Athletic, Dodge is closing in on a deal to return to the NASCAR Cup Series for the season-opening 2027 Daytona 500.
While contracts are still with the lawyers, sources are indicating Dodge is lining up at least a two-car effort with Kaulig Racing.
Kaulig already runs the five Ram-branded entries in the Truck Series and owns two of NASCAR's coveted charters. The charters are currently worth around $100 million each, and NASCAR is encouraging new manufacturers to partner with existing charter-holding organizations rather than diluting their value by expanding the number of available charters.
But never mind that, the real problem is the lack of an established engine program — building a NASCAR V8 engine program from scratch typically requires at least a couple years of development. So in order to go racing next February, Dodge is reportedly working on a deal to source its engines from ECR Engines, one of Chevy's main engine builders owned by Richard Childress Racing, a team that has run Chevy power for as long as anyone can remember.
Under the rumored arrangement, RCR will maintain its bond with Chevrolet, while ECR will build and service engines for both Chevy teams and Dodge's new Cup program. The dual engine supply required sign-off from NASCAR, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. To get competing OEMs to sign off on the arrangement, the Dodge engines built by ECR will be technically different from the Chevys built under the same roof.
There are no details reported at this time.
The agreement is expected to be a temporary solution until Dodge secures its own engine builder. Dodge could open its own engine production facility like Toyota TRD, or look to partner with an independent builder, although there aren't many left with NASCAR engine-building knowledge. Roush Yates is aligned with Ford, while Hendrick and RCR build their own Chevrolet engines. Dodge could eventually try to poach both RCR and ECR from General Motors.
Official details and a formal announcement could happen in the coming weeks as Stellantis finalizes the remaining supplier contracts. The 2026 NASCAR season comes to an end with the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, November 8, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
