Is Dodge really coming back in 2027? What was supposed to happen in 2028 could happen next year itself. But what’s the hurry? As the talk around their early return to NASCAR grows louder, Denny Hamlin is questioning the actual intent behind the push.

“They [Kaulig] are struggling around 15^th in Trucks. I know they wanna get in there, I don’t know how much of that is like just a marketing play versus like, you really really truly wanna compete,” Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast.

The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi reported a few days ago about Dodge potentially making a return to the Cup Series in 2027. John Newby had responded to his tweet and added Tim Kuniskis’s words in June 2025, where he stated that they planned to enter the Cup Series from the 2027 Daytona 500.

But Hamlin is questioning the motivation behind this decision, and whether it’s just a publicity stunt. He pointed out the problems Kaulig has to fix before making the move.

“You still got to get your simulation…I hear you Corey LaJoie and many others. You don’t have the simulation but others have,” Hamlin added on the podcast.

Kaulig Racing partnered with RAM in Trucks this season, and if Dodge, its sister brand under Stellantis, comes to the Cup Series, it’ll most likely also be with Kaulig. However, apart from Kaulig’s Free Agent seat, the other four drivers – Brenden Queen (14^th), Mini Tyrrell (18^th), Corey LaJoie (22^nd), and Justin Haley (15^th) are not doing so great right now.

Hamlin's point is that RAM and Dodge don't yet have that NASCAR-specific ecosystem like the others. Even if Kaulig welcomes the manufacturer, it will initially lack the years of simulation data that their rivals already have.

The same fact was pointed out by Bianchi, who mentioned that the “accelerated timeline has caught many in the garage by surprise due to the time needed to get a car and engine designed, tested and approved.”

Dodge's NASCAR exit happened when Team Penske abruptly announced in March 2012 that it was switching to Ford. So another big concern is the engine. “Again, that’s a significant investment. Are they gonna do it themselves? Or are they gonna outsource that?” Hamlin wondered.

Nonetheless, Dodge rejoining NASCAR will see the sport having four manufacturers once again after 14 years, and Hamlin is at least happy about that. “The more manufacturers you have, the better it is for the sport,” he said.

Brad Keselowski shuts down RFK-Dodge rumors

Amid Dodge’s return chatter, there was a lot of speculation building up on whether RFK Racing would leave Ford and switch to Dodge. Dodge had won the championship in its last season (2012) with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske.

However, Brad Keselowski took to his social media and cleared the confusion. “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,” he said on X.

“Any speculation else-wise makes for great internet talk but, it is not based on anything real.”

The talks also gained momentum as RFK will have only two permanent charters next year, with the No. 60 going to Legacy Motor Club, which bought it from Rick Ware Racing.

In addition, Keselowski’s stance addressed any questions about RFK Racing partnering with Dodge, whether they return to the Cup Series in 2027 or 2028.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Suyashdeep Sason

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason