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.
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.
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