RAM CEO: Dodge Still Wants to Get to Cup by 2027

What’s Happening?

Despite the difficulty of creating a NASCAR Cup Series program from nothing, Ram Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis recently told Kevin Harvick that he is hopeful for a Stellantis brand to race at the 2027 Daytona 500.

While trucks announced their return to NASCAR during the Michigan International Speedway Race weekend, what remains on the table is rumors that another Stellantis brand, most likely Dodge, could enter the NASCAR Cup Series in the coming years. 

For an OEM, entering the Craftsman Truck Series is much easier than building a program for the NASCAR Cup Series, which involves a lengthy development and approval process.

After just a few months since rumors first swirled of Ram’s return, Ram Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis told FOX Sports analyst Kevin Harvick on the latest episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast that he is confident that their truck series program was ready.

“We were really confident with all the work that we’ve already done on the truck to say we’ll be in Daytona,” Kuniskis said. “Now, TBD and who the team’s gonna be, but we have every confidence that we’re going to be in Daytona.”

Nonetheless, he was quick to admit to Harvick that it’s going to take them a little longer to reach the Cup Series, reiterating the already well-known fact that Stellantis wants to be at NASCAR’s top level by 2027.

“It’s gonna take a little bit longer to get to Cup. Our goal is to get the Cup a year after that [2026]. Now, everybody’s told me we’re crazy. ‘There’s no way you’re gonna get there.’ But we think there’s a couple of things from our legacy that might speed that development time up. And maybe we could be in Daytona this year with Trucks, and then the following year, Daytona in Cup.” — Tim Kuniskis, CEO, Ram Trucks

To race in the Cup Series, the OEM will have to do more than just develop body panels. This list includes creating an engine program and other team-related infrastructure. However, despite all the naysayers, Kuniskis thinks that 2027 is still a possibility.

It would be exciting to see Dodge or another Stellantis brand in the Cup Series as soon as 2027. But rushing the development of their program could result in a scenario similar to their most recent run in the sport, in which they left NASCAR after just over a decade.

But that doesn’t seem to detract from Kuniskis’ goals, as he went on to tell Harvick that he’s always “pushing for the quicker timeline.”

Trucks or Cup?

Rumors first surfaced in early February that Stellantis was looking to get into NASCAR. Reports at the time said that this would likely be through their truck brand, Ram, in 2026, with the potential to bring on a Cup Series program in 2027. 

Getting a Truck Series program off the ground is much easier than getting a Cup Series program. While there are many hoops to jump through, including an 18-month process to get NASCAR approval on the Cup side, the Truck Series has a rather easy process that can be done in an accelerated time frame.

OEMs attempting to join the Truck Series need to submit the proper forms and develop specific body panels for their future teams, among other tasks. There is also no need for an engine program as the Truck Series utilizes a spec Ilmor engine.

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