Fresh speculation on Dodge’s NASCAR return sparks after local dealers’ breakthrough decision

Rumors from Dodge employees and partners suggest a potential return of the iconic American car brand to NASCAR. Specifically, Dodge competitors could join the Craftsman Truck Series as early as 2026.

Many dealership owners like one Jerry Brickner in Wisconsin attended a virtual "go-to-market" with Dodge's corporate this week. In this meeting, they were given a list of RAM activations to be done in the following months, the bottom of which read:

"Back to NASCAR Truck Series."

Afterward, a screenshot of the same list was taken and passed on to a reporter from supernaut.com. A fan posted the same on their X (formerly Twitter) account.

The first outlet to report such rumors was catchfence.com, back during the Daytona 500 weekend (February 16), when they learned that NASCAR received a formal submission from a manufacturer to join the category. Although it couldn't be confirmed that the submission came from Dodge, Chris Knight, the original reporter, said it made the most sense given their track history in the circuit.

Moreover, the last time Dodge left the category (at the end of the 2012 season), the main issue was that manufacturing the engines was too expensive. Knight believes that their re-entry could be more sustainable this time, given that the Ilmor spec engine has standardized power plants across the series, thus reducing costs.

If all of this is proven to be true, Dodge could return to the Cup Series for the 2028 season. For the time being, nothing is confirmed by official NASCAR or Dodge sources, but a fourth manufacturer could bring a new level of competitiveness to the tracks.

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Dodge has a rich (yet complicated) history at NASCAR

The Detroit giant originally entered NASCAR in 1953 and enjoyed some success before leaving the category in 1977 due to regulatory challenges. In 2001, the brand made a huge comeback, with former driver Ray Evernham leading the enterprise.

They won several races and competed for championships until Brad Keselowski won the Cup Series championship in 2012 for Team Penske. Clint Bowyer and Jimmie Johnson both came close to the title but were eventually beaten by Keselowski. He thus became the first Dodge champion since Richard Petty in 1975.

Unfortunately for Dodge, who had been struggling since the 2008 world economic crisis, that would be their last year in the circuit. Ralph Gilles, the president of SRT Motorsports at the time, would explain that the business model was not sustainable for them anymore and would, therefore, retire from the competition.

Now, with the standardized engine, a second comeback is more probable than ever. Would you like to see Dodge cars at the NASCAR Truck Series next year?