Dodge/Ram Reportedly Returning to NASCAR in 2026

After being absent from NASCAR for nearly a decade of competition, Dodge seems poised to make a return to both Truck and Cup Series competition in America's premier stock car racing series in 2026. In an article reported by Catchfence, NASCAR has confirmed that Dodge has applied to be the Craftsman Truck Series' fourth OEM in 2026.

It may be the perfect time for Dodge to return to NASCAR, as the Truck Series has worked to create a standardized engine package, the Ilmor NT1 that debuted in 2018 to reduce costs for teams. Recently, NASCAR has employed other cost-cutting measures, such as placing design restrictions on firesuits, a rule that debuted at Daytona on Friday night.

After Brad Keselowski won the 2012 Cup Series for Team Penske in a Dodge, the manufacturer was unable to come to an agreement with a team at the debut of the Gen 6 car in 2013 and left the top division of NASCAR. Their Xfinity Series counterpart, the Dodge Challenger, was permitted to be ran in competition until the start of the 2018 season.