Stellantis is staying tight-lipped about a potential short-term engine arrangement to get Dodge back into NASCAR’s top level as soon as 2027, as the deadline for such a decision appears to be nearing.
This season, the global carmaker got back into NASCAR with its Ram brand in the Craftsman Truck Series, considered the third rung on the circuit’s ladder. When Ram’s re-entry was announced last summer, brand CEO Tim Kuniskis said that the goal was for Stellantis to eventually get back to the Cup Series. Dodge has been assumed to be the company’s natural candidate for Cup.
The brand has had multiple stints in the sport, with its most recent run ending after 2012. But Kuniskis said earlier this year that the timeline for getting into Cup in ’27 was deemed ambitious by some people he had consulted with because engines often take a few years to develop.
For example, in F1, Cadillac’s engines that are in development aren’t expected to be ready until around the end of this decade. Still, Kuniskis signaled that Stellantis was efforting to see if a quick turnaround is possible in NASCAR. The Athletic also reported in June that Dodge was “increasingly likely” to join the Cup Series next year.
In recent weeks, industry executives keeping tabs on the matter have told SBJ that one of the most likely ways for Dodge to get in quickly is to work with a current engine supplier to supply it in the short term while Stellantis figures out plans for its own engine development in the more medium to long term.
The exact rules that NASCAR has in place to govern such a scenario were unclear. Asked about this potential by SBJ last week, Stellantis declined to comment. Kaulig Racing is the team that Stellantis is partnering with in NASCAR. Stellantis has HQs in the Netherlands and Detroit.
Some in the sport have mentioned ECR Engines, the sister company of Chevrolet-aligned Richard Childress Racing, as a potential option for Dodge. Ford is unlikely to pursue an engine supply deal with Dodge, according to a person familiar with the matter; Ford declined to comment.
The interest from the other manufacturer in NASCAR, Toyota, was unclear. If it wants to fast track a Cup program, another potential option for Dodge could be to start with their old engine from 2012, one of the people added.
An announcement would likely need to come soon if Dodge is to enter Cup next year given the preparation needed in a series with a short offseason. If it weren’t able to line up a deal in time, Stellantis could table the decision for 2028 or later.
Richard Petty won his fourth Daytona 500 in 1973 behind the wheel of the Petty Enterprises Dodge Charger ISC Archives via Getty Images
Asked about the potential of Dodge entering NASCAR in ’27, NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell told SBJ this summer: “I want to make sure that they and the sport get it right, so yes I’d love to see them in 2027. But it’s more important for all of us to make it’s a successful launch for Dodge.”
Dodge has pulled out of the sport only to later return before. It left after the 1977 NASCAR season but eventually returning in 2001. Chrysler, part of the Fiat Chrysler group that eventually became Stellantis, was represented in the first ever NASCAR Cup Series race in 1949, underscoring the company’s long history in the sport.
O’Donnell added: “They’ve got an incredible group that’s putting all kinds of resources behind it, but we’re also going to be smart about it and make sure that we don’t want to rush to a decision, we want them in for the long term like we would for any one of our partners, so still working closely, still remain hopeful but we still have got work to do for sure.”