Manufacturer movement within NASCAR is anything but simple. A change in manufacturer can affect everything from team alliances to engine programs across the garage. But a recent rumored addition carries significant weight because the Cup garage has waited for more than a decade for a fourth player.

According to Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, Dodge is now reportedly increasingly likely to return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, with the Feb. 21, 2027, Daytona 500 emerging as the accelerated target.

The last active participation Dodge had in the Cup Series was all the way back in 2012, and since then, the premier series in NASCAR has been led by Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota.

John Newby responded to Bianchi's article that he posted on X and mentioned that Tim Kuniskis, who runs Stellantis’ American brands, had already made that ambition clear in June 2025.

Newby wrote, quoting Kuniskis's words, “Now, everybody has told me we’re crazy, there’s no way you’re gonna get there, but we think there are a couple of things from our legacy that might speed that development time up. And maybe, maybe we can be at Daytona this year with Truck and then the following year, Daytona in Cup.”

The path that is now being reported also fits into the Ram timeline. Ram returned to the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026 with a collaboration alongside Kaulig Racing, which traditionally fields five full-time trucks.

Dodge’s entry is also expected to hinge upon this exact Kaulig-chartered Cup program, making the Daytona 500 timeline seem like a reasonable possibility rather than an accelerated fantasy.

It is because of these exact reasons that fans are excited about it and have a lot to say online.

Fans start solving Dodge’s missing team puzzle

This Dodge report was immediately turned into a guessing game by fans, with one writing, "I genuinely don’t know who would make the switch to Dodge besides Kaulig. Maybe Penske? If you’re a Toyota team, you’re on top of the world right now. If you’re Hendrick or RCR, you’re not abandoning Chevy. Spire has made big gains too."

Now this was the comment that made many others talk about other possible fits, as another fan wrote, "Has to be Rfk to dodge Brad last dodge champion Also roush is making a ram truck," while another guessed, "It’s gotta be Trackhouse right? Along with Kaulig. That’s why they haven’t had speed all year? Gotta be. Right!?"

However, throughout the comments, the biggest confusion remained about the body of the car itself.

One fan asked, "Challenger was discontinued. Did he mean Charger or did Jordan break Auto Industry news that the nameplate is coming back lol."

Another added, "Jeff, do you know if it will it be an unreleased “Challenger” body or the current “Charger” body? Confused by the article."

Even though the rumored possible return is still months away, clearly, for fans this rumor has already evolved into a garage-wide puzzle.

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Uday Jakhar

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason