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MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 28: Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway on March 28, 2026 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Kaulig Racing<\/a> CEO Chris Rice has hit back at critics following reports that Dodge is close to returning to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027. Rice defended his work with team owner Matt Kaulig and said both men remain committed to bringing Dodge and Ram back to NASCAR.<\/p>\n On SiriusXM NASCAR Radio<\/a> Thursday, Rice addressed a report from The Athletic\u2019s Jordan Bianchi<\/a> that Dodge was on track to return for the Daytona 500. However, Rice offered no new details about a possible deal and said several hurdles remain.<\/p>\n He also pushed back against fans who want regular updates, stressing that he does not owe the public details about private talks. No official announcement has confirmed Dodge\u2019s return.<\/p>\n NASCAR Dodge Return Report Sparks Chris Rice\u2019s Angry Response<\/p>\n Rice said social media criticism had frustrated him, especially claims that he had misled fans about Dodge\u2019s possible return to NASCAR.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m gonna say this because the one thing that even my social media guy that helps me, we talked about a little bit, you know, the one thing that I dislike about social media is how can you call somebody a liar when I\u2019m gonna tell you the same thing I told you five months ago,\u201d Rice said.<\/p>\n He stressed that he and Kaulig remained committed to bringing Dodge and Ram back to NASCAR.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are not two more people that want Dodge, Ram, everybody in the sport more than Matt Kaulig and myself. Have we been working diligently to try to get it done? Absolutely.\u201d<\/p>\n Rice also welcomed the attention surrounding the report and said he understood Bianchi\u2019s role in covering developments in NASCAR.<\/p>\n Dodge last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2012, when Brad Keselowski won the championship with Team Penske. The reported 2027 return would add a fourth manufacturer to the series alongside Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.<\/p>\n NASCAR Cup Series Dodge Deal Still Faces Major Hurdles<\/p>\n According to Bianchi\u2019s report, Dodge is exploring an arrangement with ECR Engines, the engine shop linked to Richard Childress Racing. The report indicated that the engines would need to be technically distinct from Chevrolet power units.<\/p>\n Kaulig Racing is widely expected to become Dodge\u2019s main Cup Series team if the reported plan moves forward. However, Rice said several steps remain before the project becomes a reality.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re at the same spot we have been months past. We got a lot of people to check off the list to make things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n Rice explained that Kaulig Racing would prefer to develop its own engine program but remains open to other options as it works through the requirements.<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to start our own engine program, right, but in the meantime, how do you make it work? And that is the loopholes and the hurdles we\u2019ve been jumping through.\u201d<\/p>\n He added that the hurdles had gotten smaller but hadn\u2019t disappeared.<\/p>\n \u201cThey have gotten smaller, but they\u2019re still the same. Kaulig Racing is jumping the hurdles as fast as we can go.\u201d<\/p>\n Rice also said Dodge and Ram would announce any plans on their own timeline if they decide to move forward.<\/p>\n Chris Rice Rejects Pressure for NASCAR Return Updates<\/p>\n Rice questioned why critics expected him to share details about the ongoing discussions, saying his obligations were to the parties involved in the project.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy do I have to come on here and tell anybody anything? Like that\u2019s the first and foremost thing. Why do I have to say anything to anybody?\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cI don\u2019t owe it. I owe it to Matt Kaulig. I owe it to Ram. I owe it to Dodge.\u201d<\/p>\n Rice said he wanted to share more information but did not have every answer himself. He also referenced the late Dale Earnhardt while responding to the backlash.<\/p>\n \u201cDale Earnhardt said this: \u2018Boos are good.\u2019 And that\u2019s what I\u2019m getting right now is a bunch of boos, and that\u2019s fine. One day we\u2019ll get the cheers.\u201d<\/p>\n The Kaulig Racing CEO also confirmed he had not spoken with Keselowski about a potential Dodge seat if the manufacturer returns.<\/p>\n For now, the NASCAR Dodge return remains unconfirmed. Neither Dodge, Stellantis, nor Kaulig Racing has made an official announcement. Rice\u2019s comments show the team is still working toward the goal, but the timeline, engine plan, and final structure remain unresolved.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a writer covering NASCAR, Formula 1, and the IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. He has also written for Sportsnaut, FanSided, Total Apex Sports, and Last Word on Sports. Wilberforce focuses on the NASCAR Cup Series, breaking down news, driver stories, and key moments with a clear, fast, and engaging style. His work connects headlines to context, helping readers understand what matters most in the sport. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – MARCH 28: Chris Rice, President of Kaulig Racing looks on during practice for the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":934332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-934331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}