Dodge has a strong history in NASCAR with five Daytona 500 wins from 1973 to 2008, but their involvement has been sporadic. They made a successful return to NASCAR in 2001 and won the Cup title in 2012 but left after that season.
There is renewed hope for Dodge’s return with Ram coming back to Trucks in 2026, and Dodge officials have not ruled out a potential return, hinting at the possibility of entering the Cup Series. The brand is not content with just Trucks and aims for further expansion back into NASCAR’s premier division.
NASCAR’s executive VP, John Probst, mentioned that for Dodge to re-enter the Cup Series, there would be an 18-month onboarding process, mainly focused on body submissions and engine development. This means even if Dodge decided to return now, it wouldn’t be before 2027 at the earliest.
The transition to Cup racing involves more complexities like developing their own engine program, which Dodge hasn’t done since 2012, putting them at least 13 years behind. However, NASCAR is optimistic about adding a fourth manufacturer, with talks underway with potential candidates to join the racing series in the near future.