Kaulig Racing Boss Confirms NASCAR’s Deadline for 2027 Dodge Return

What’s Happening?

Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice confirmed during a recent interview that there is a “go or no-go” deadline for Dodge to join the field of manufacturers for the 2027 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Dodge’s return to NASCAR (or at least its rumored return to NASCAR) has taken the fandom by storm, with fans and even industry members buzzing with excitement about the potential of a new OEM joining the sport in 2027.

While Dodge has been open about its pursuit of racing in NASCAR next season, dating all the way back to last spring when its fellow Stellantis-owned brand Ram announced its return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for this season, there are a few hurdles in their way.

Of course, their partnership with Kaulig Racing has taken care of a few of those, giving the brand an established, charter-owning, NASCAR Cup Series team to lean on.

While NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reports that Dodge is making progress on their accelerated timeline to the Cup Series, Kaulig CEO Chris Rice confirmed on the Door Bumper Clear podcast earlier this week that Dodge is not yet “committed” to racing in 2027.

That news, alongside Rice confirming that they are still struggling to get an engine together, is not that surprising to fans, as many online pointed out that Dodge still has a few months to get things together.

But, during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Thursday, Rice explained that the clock is ticking for Dodge to get ready, as he confirmed there is a deadline for 2027 plans to be in place.

“I’ll keep that date to myself when we get closer to it, I’ll let you know, but we’re not close to it right now. It is a go or no-go.” — Chris Rice

Though he did not give a date, Rice’s assurance that the deadline is still a ways off is a good sign for Dodge and a sign that fans will get a direct answer before the 2027 season, at the very least.

What’s The Hold Up?

With the rapid moves Ram made to return to the Truck Series this season, after the first rumors of a return surfaced in early 2025, fans are wondering what’s taking Dodge so long.

Earlier in this interview, Rice reiterated that getting an engine figured out remains a major gap for them and Dodge to clear, calling it one of the two final items on their checklist, with the second being the car itself.

While the NASCAR Cup Series car and the Truck Series car are very different, engine rules are the main difference between the two series.

In the Truck Series, teams use a spec engine produced by Ilmor, meaning that Ram only needed to create new body panels for 2026.

In the Cup Series, manufacturers produce their own engines, with ECR and Hendrick making Chevrolet engines, Toyota Racing Development making Toyota engines, and Roush Yates Engines making Ford engines.

For their Cup Series hopes, Dodge not only needs to create a Cup Series body but also find a way to produce its own engines for the new year.

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