After more than a decade out of the spotlight, it’s looking like Dodge, a strong name in American motoring history, might make a much-anticipated return to the NASCAR scene.
The Athletic reporter Jordan Bianchi has stated that Dodge’s return seems imminent, marking its first run in the Truck Series since 2016.
Dodge has a rich legacy in NASCAR that stretches back to the 1950s. Throughout the years, they’ve clocked a respectable 217 Cup Series wins. They last left a mark with a 2012 championship victory thanks to driver Brad Keselowski, but since 2012 both their cars and their logos have been absent from the sport.
In their absence, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota have dominated, with Chevrolet repeatedly securing top honors. There’s been an ongoing interest and hope for an additional manufacturer to shake things up.
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The Truck Series, used by other brands as a launchpad due to its lower costs, appears to be the ideal point of re-entry for Dodge’s ‘Ram’ brand. With standardized engines like the Ilmor Engineering NT1 V8, the barriers to entry are lower.
This also gives a manufacturing company like Dodge the chance to refine their approach before expanding to other series. In the past, Ram celebrated manufacturer championships in 2001, 2003, and 2004.
An entry into the Truck Series will allow Dodge to slowly rebuild momentum within the NASCAR framework.
Bianchi reported:
“NASCAR is reviewing Dodge’s submission to field a truck through its ‘Ram’ brand and an answer is expected soon, sources with knowledge of the plans said. While there are no guarantees, sources expect that the league will eventually approve Dodge returning.
“Such approval would need to happen within a few months to allow Dodge to effectively test its Ram truck before potentially hitting the track in an actual race next year.”
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While the Truck Series is just the initial step for Dodge, looking further ahead into the future presents exciting prospects. Bianchi added:
“Dodge raced in Cup from 2001 to 2012 before exiting due to financial difficulties and a lack of viable teams willing to align with it.
“People with knowledge of the discussions said Dodge is returning with the intent to eventually put together a full Cup program. That Cup program could be operational as soon as 2027 or 2028.”
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Dodge’s potential racing comeback also arrives as the automaker is expanding into the electric vehicle market. The company’s new Charger Daytona SRT uses technology that could prove pivotal as NASCAR explores hybrid and electric racing platforms.
While Dodge’s initial Truck Series return utilizes traditional Ilmor V8 engines, its parallel EV advancements (including a groundbreaking 2026 solid-state battery partnership) position the brand to lead NASCAR’s electrification phase, if that comes to fruition.
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