There is barely a car in NASCAR as iconic as the #43 of ‘The King’ Richard Petty. Maybe Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s #3 Chevy comes close. Even so, Petty in that #43 Dodge Charger was something else. It won’t be wrong to say that he put Dodge on NASCAR’s map in the early ’70s. Petty won his first championship with them in 1972, marking his fourth overall. And then Petty was just unstoppable in that car. Won 23 races in ’74 and ’75, with back-to-back championships. However, Dodge’s journey in NASCAR has been full of ups and downs.
Folks, if you recall, Dodge exited NASCAR after the 2012 season following a championship with Team Penske and Brad Keselowski. But Penske made a switch to Ford, leaving Dodge hanging dry. They could not get their hands on a good team like Penske and decided to leave the sport. And ever since, the rumors of their return have been flying. But fast forward to recent months, there have been some updates that might make their comeback story more than just a rumor.
Is Dodge finally coming back to NASCAR?
This all started with a report from ‘Catchfence.com.’ They confirmed that NASCAR has received a formal submission from a manufacturer aiming to join Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota in the series next year. And that it was none other than Dodge. Who, according to them, are making a return to the Craftsman Truck Series with its iconic RAM Truck brand in 2026. Folks, if you recall, that’s the same Truck that they ran before completely exiting the Series in 2016. And when that Truck ran on the track, it was fast!
Dodge, after the Petty Era, exited the sport in ’85. But when the Truck Series was launched in 1995, Dodge saw an opportunity to make a comeback. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that the RAM started to show its dominance. They won 15 out of the 24 races and won the manufacturer’s championship. Again won it in 2003 and then again in 2004. Their last win came in 2012 with Ryan Blaney. He took that #29 Dodge truck to victory lane in Iowa. But the same year was the start of their downfall.
First, the Penske switch and then RAM removed factory support from the series. But still, some teams kept running the same truck until 2016. And that was it. It hasn’t raced ever since. But then the ‘Catchfence’ report surfaced. However, it still wasn’t official. But now the $14.1 billion-worth manufacturer seems to have sealed the deal as there seems to be much stronger proof that they indeed are coming back.
Recently, NASCAR Journalist Matt Weaver shared a screenshot from a Wisconsin Dodge dealership email which states that RAM will return to the Craftsman Truck Series. Basically, in the promotional packages that local Dodge dealers give their partners, this year, they have included a RAM activation. Crediting the manufacturers’ participation in the Truck division next season.
What makes Dodge’s entry even more believable is how easy it would be for them to enter the sport. In 2018, NASCAR brought a major change to the Truck Series. Original OEM engines were replaced by a spec Ilmor engine. This means that all teams run the same engine, regardless of their OEM. NASCAR claimed that the Ilmor-produced NT1 was more competitive than the existing OEMs. So that was that.
And now Dodge just has to get a body to put over the engine and they are good to go. That would probably sort things for the Truck Series. But what about a fourth OEM for the Cup Series?
When would Dodge come in the Cup Series?
When the Truck Series entry rumors started, there were some reports of them also joining the Cup Series soon enough. NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi had said, “Dodge raced in Cup from 2001 to 2012 before exiting due to financial difficulties and a lack of viable teams willing to align with it. People with knowledge of the discussions said Dodge is returning with the intent to eventually put together a full Cup program. That Cup program could be operational as soon as 2027 or 2028.”
And 2028 might make perfect sense given the changes NASCAR is trying to bring to the engine of the next-gen under a BOP-style regulation system. So, the Balance of Performance (BOP) directly refers to parity. Which can be done by adjusting the minutest of parameters on a car. In this case, NASCAR will probably make some changes to the torque sensors. So it could mean there would be more parity in the next-gen cars in 2028, and Dodge can capitalize on that.
Also, Dodge might be looking to repeat how it entered the Cup Series in the past. They started with the Truck series in ’95, slowly grew their popularity, and then entered the Cup series in 2001. That seems to be a proven formula, as even Toyota did the same, joining the Truck Series in 2004 before working their way to the top by 2007.
And we know that 2028 seems to be too far, but there might be some challenges that Dodge needs to clear before entering. They exited the sport because they did not have a strong team representing them. Even if they enter now, it would be tough to convince someone to leave their existing OEM, all the data gathered in all these years, and trust a new manufacturer with no experience with the next-gen car. However, what could work in their favor is teams like RFK trying to get out of Team Penske’s shadow. Or maybe Trackhouse would want to get out of Hendrick Motorsports’ shadow. And they can pick to be the frontrunners at a new OEM.
Whatever it is, let’s hope Dodge figures it out and joins in as the 4th OEM. That would make things very interesting. What do you think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
The post Stars Finally Align for Richard Petty’s Iconic $14.1 Billion Manufacturer to Make Their Return to NASCAR appeared first on EssentiallySports.
