Rumor Mill: Dodge’s 2027 NASCAR Return Extremely Likely

What’s Happening?

NASCAR fans are abuzz about a new online rumor that claims the odds of Kaulig Racing joining Dodge for the 2027 Cup Series season have reached a new high in recent weeks.

Kaulig Racing CEO was on Sirius XM this morning where he was asked about the future of Ty Dillon for 2027. He said they have not discussed 2027 at all. They have just discussed how they can get better this year. He was then asked if there is a cut off date for the 10 car for a… pic.twitter.com/rGvX10zuLW

— Rammin Is Racing (@RamminIsRacing) July 9, 2026

Just a few weeks ago, NASCAR fans were taken aback by reports that, despite all odds, Dodge was making progress toward its lofty goal of returning to the sport’s top division by 2027.

While this accelerated timeline has been a stated goal of the brand and its executives for some time, there were doubts about the timeline that gave them around two years to develop a Cup Series program.

After a period of silence on June 25, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic reported that Dodge had made recent developments in this pursuit, making 2027 all the more possible.

Even then, Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice pushed back at this idea during an appearance on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, claiming that, at least as of late June, Dodge was not committed to a 2027 return.

This hasn’t stopped the rumor, as on Thursday, a new rumor took the NASCAR world by storm, when a social media account claimed that their sources inside Kaulig Racing say that “the team is 99.9% going to Dodge in 2027.”

While this is just a rumor and should not be taken at face value until Dodge or Kaulig makes an announcement, the NASCAR community quickly latched onto it, as this was by far the juiciest rumor about Dodge’s potential NASCAR return in some time.

What is Standing in the Way?

Though there is now some opposition to what Rice said about Dodge in 2027 on DBC, there is no debate about what is holding the manufacturer back from stepping back into the Cup Series.

Since last season, when rumors first circulated that the wheels were in motion for both Ram and Dodge (now owned by Stellantis) to return to NASCAR, fans were immediately told by insiders that engines would be the brand’s biggest problem.

While they were able to accelerate Ram back into the Craftsman Truck Series in record time, the series’ spec engine format helped, meaning that the manufacturer would only need to find a team and develop a body.

Their alignment with Kaulig Racing makes for an interesting pairing, as it quickly tied the team to Dodge should the manufacturer return to the Cup Series.

Kaulig gives Dodge a leg up with facilities, experience, and charters; still, engines are a major problem in getting the last of Detroit’s big three back into NASCAR.

During his time on DBC, Rice admitted this, saying that engines, or a lack of someone to develop engines, for Dodge is why the brand left NASCAR at the conclusion of the 2012 season.

Last week, Rice said there is a deadline for Dodge to finalize its return to NASCAR if they want to race in 2027, and while he did not give a flat date, the clock is ticking as the sport’s summer run comes to a swift end.

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