Ram Trucks announced it will return to NASCAR and the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026. Now, the attention turns to fellow Stellantis company Dodge.
The obvious question is will Dodge return to the Cup Series for the first time since the 2012 season? This is something that Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis indicated to media members is a possibility. If so, when could this happen?
"Obviously today we're here to talk about Ram and the Trucks," John Probst, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer, told media members this week. "We're excited that they have interest in the Cup Series.
"If they decide they're going to go that direction for us, it's about an 18 month onboarding process. The longest lead time, largely around the submission of the body. There will be, obviously with a new OEM coming in, some work to be done on the engine.
"So I'd say that 18 month sort of runway would be pretty typical, but it will be on the OEM to decide the timing in which they'd want to come, but the minimum would be 18 months."
This timeline means that the earliest Dodge could return to the Cup Series would be the 2027 season. It could be even later based on when the automaker does all of the required submissions.
The last full season featuring Dodge in the Cup Series was 2012. Brad Keselowski sent the OEM out with a bang by winning five races and the championship. Team Penske then switched to Ford the following season.
If Dodge returns to the Cup Series, as Kuniskis indicated, it will not be a simple process. Obviously, the body development will have to take place.
Will Dodge use the Charger, a car that is now only available as an EV? Although the 3.0-liter twin-turbo Hurricane inline-six version will arrive in the future. Stellantis discontinued the Challenger after the 2023 model year, so that is not an option.
The engine will be a question mark moving forward. If Dodge does return to the Cup Series, the expectation is that the OEM will have to put in some serious work on engine development.
"I think the last time that engine ran was 2012, I believe," Probst said. "The core components of the block, the head, the manifold are all still relevant.
"As you know, our existing engine builders develop their engines every year, so there's been a gap there. So there'd be some development of that engine needed, but from the basic building blocks, you're correct. They could start from that and do some catch-up development."