The last time Dodge competed full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series was in 2012. It was the year Brad Keselowski drove the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger to the championship for Team Penske. Since then, Dodge’s absence has been deeply felt, but that could soon change, with a return seeming more likely than ever. As teams, manufacturers, and drivers quietly position themselves for the potential arrival of a fourth OEM once again, one unexpected name has started gaining traction. A former full-time Cup Series driver may make an unexpected comeback behind the wheel of Dodge’s planned No. 10 entry.

Former Spire Motorsports driver could make a return full-time

“There are a lot of names that are going to be floated out there. We know in house at Kaulig Racing has Justin Haley and Corey LaJoie, both of whom have experience in the Cup Series, substantial experience in the Cup Series,” said Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic, while discussing the growing speculation surrounding Dodge’s reported NASCAR Cup return.

Among the names being linked to the project, LaJoie has quickly become the most intriguing candidate. The veteran driver entered 2026 competing part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, but his role expanded significantly after Daniel Dye’s abrupt departure from the Kaulig-Ram program in March, after he was handed an indefinite suspension by both NASCAR and the team for making derogatory comments about IndyCar’s David Malukas.

LaJoie became a full-time presence within the operation, putting himself in a position to benefit from any future manufacturer expansion involving Dodge and Kaulig Racing. And when it comes to earning a full-time ride, experience could prove to be his biggest advantage.

While several younger prospects are expected to be in the mix, manufacturers launching a new Cup Series program often value drivers who understand the demands of building a team from the ground up. LaJoie’s years in NASCAR’s top division give him credibility in that regard.

His path to this point has hardly been straightforward. LaJoie spent four seasons driving the No. 7 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, recording four top-five finishes and six top 10s across 129 Cup Series starts. His career-best finish of fourth came at Atlanta, Talladega, and Daytona. However, midway through the 2024 season, Spire released him as the organization pursued a different direction, replacing him with Justin Haley while also bringing in veteran crew chief Rodney Childers.

In 2025, LaJoie transitioned into a hybrid role that combined racing and broadcasting. He competed in a limited Cup schedule driving the No. 01 Ford for Rick Ware Racing, ran part-time Truck Series races for Spire, and joined Prime Video’s NASCAR coverage as an analyst.

Speaking about becoming an analyst again, LaJoie admitted that he needed it because the sport had been tough on him as a competitor.

“With the Amazon guys knocking on my door, and I had fallen out of love with the sport a bit and became disenchanted with the sport, I was looking for ways to love it again,” he said. “I’ve never not liked it; it’s kind of like a marriage. There are days when you don’t like each other, but you always love each other, and that’s how my last 16 months of my career have been,” he added, talking about his final few months with Spire as a full-time driver.

Now, with NASCAR Dodge potentially preparing its long-awaited return, LaJoie finds himself back in the conversation for a full-time Cup ride. Whether the rumors ultimately materialize remains to be seen, but for a driver whose career has taken several unexpected turns, the opportunity could represent the biggest reset yet.

Dodge’s road back to NASCAR

For years, Dodge’s NASCAR return felt more like wishful thinking than a realistic possibility. But after Ram successfully re-entered the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026, the conversation began to change. However, for Dodge, getting back to NASCAR’s premier division was never going to be simple.

Unlike Ram’s Truck Series comeback, which benefited from the series’ spec engine package, Dodge needed far more than just a body design. The manufacturer had to build an engine program from the ground up, develop simulation tools, and, perhaps most importantly, secure a partnership with a chartered Cup Series organization.

That timeline initially pointed toward a 2028 debut. However, Dodge reportedly pushed aggressively to accelerate the process, and those efforts now appear to be paying off. One major piece of the puzzle may already be in place.

While Ram’s Truck Series return and Dodge’s Cup ambitions are technically separate projects under the Stellantis umbrella, they share a common link through Kaulig Racing. The organization fields five Ram trucks in 2026 and has become the manufacturer’s primary NASCAR partner. As that relationship has grown, so too has speculation that Kaulig could serve as Dodge’s landing spot when the brand finally reaches the Cup Series.

If that happens, NASCAR Dodge would not be starting from scratch. Instead, it would be entering NASCAR with an established team already familiar with the Stellantis ecosystem. That connection is a big reason why Kaulig Racing continues to be viewed as the favorite to spearhead Dodge’s long-awaited return. And if Dodge does indeed make the 2027 Daytona 500 grid, the groundwork for that comeback may have started long before the first Cup car ever rolled onto the track.