Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Nov 1, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr during the Xfinity Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Speculation surrounding Dodge's long-rumored return to the NASCAR Cup Series continues to build, but Dale Earnhardt Jr. believes the lack of official confirmation is all part of the plan, and not a sign that things are in trouble.
Speaking on the Dale Jr Download podcast, Earnhardt Jr weighed in on comments from Kaulig Racing President Chris Rice, who (on the Door Bumper Clear podcast) suggested Dodge was not yet fully committed to competing in the Cup Series in 2027.
Given the progress Dodge has made based on multiple reports, Earnhardt Jr fully believes a Dodge car will be on the Cup grid in 2027.
“Chris Rice was here and said that Dodge is not committed to racing on Sundays yet. I feel like, what is the likelihood, in percentage, of Dodge racing next year? I think it's really high. Per Jordan Bianchi, challenges remain for Dodge to be ready for 2027.
Mar 11, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The new Dodge Charger race car is unveiled at a press conference in the garage area before the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The new Dodge Charger race car is unveiled at a press conference in the garage area before the Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
They've made progress in key areas. Their body has already undergone initial wind tunnel testing. They have had a breakthrough in recent weeks in how they would produce engines. I think that's the biggest hold-up,” Junior said on the podcast.
Earnhardt Jr also expects Dodge to partner with an existing chartered organisation rather than requiring additional guaranteed entries. Amidst rumours of a potential Penske switch, he feels a smaller team is more likely to team up with Dodge, Kaulig being the most likely candidate of them all.
He then said that such an event requires a much larger stage for a proper announcement, and that is exactly what Dodge is going to do, rather than the Kaulig President confirming it on a podcast.
“This is the thing. Chris Rice, they're going to have an announcement. It'll be a big announcement. They'll have celebrities.
"Chris Rice isn't going to come on Door Bumper Clear and tell you, 'Yeah, we're good. We're good. The Dodge is ready.’ That's not happening. As much as I'd love it to, it's not going to happen on Door Bumper Clear. No.”
Brad Keselowski feels the speculations are baseless
In his younger days, the RFK Racing driver and co-owner used to race for what was then known as Penske Racing. By 2011, it was the only team that was running Dodge cars full-time in the Cup Series.
Given Keselowski’s previous association with Dodge, there were some rumors around RFK Racing switching to Dodge from its current partner, Ford. However, Keselowski shut those rumors down with a simple tweet on X.
“For those asking - RFK Racing has a multi-year agreement with @fordracing and a commitment from their leadership to return the program to a championship contender. Any speculation else-wise makes for great internet talk, but it is not based on anything real.”
Interestingly, many fans also started calling for Team Penske to switch to Dodge in 2028. However, given the team’s position in the current season, it is highly unlikely to do so in the near future.
Read more at Daytona Racing Digest
Written by
Aaradhya Singh
Edited by
Suyashdeep Sason