It is no secret that Stellantis’ Dodge and Ram Truck Series comeback has gripped the audience, but this one may create a bigger shockwave. As Ram has found its team with Kaulig Racing, the buzz is now about what Dodge is planning for their Cup Series return. And now, to put the uncertainty at ease, a top executive from the team has dropped a hint of what’s coming next.

Tim Kuniskis, Stellantis’ Ram CEO and a key voice in the company’s motorsport push, has made it clear. The plan is to bring Dodge back to the NASCAR Cup Series by the 2027 Daytona 500.

“It is very, very complicated with the simulators and engine program and all that stuff,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “So we’ll see, but we’re really happy to be able to get in with Truck now. And I told everybody our goal would be to get into Cup, Daytona next year, and so far, every single person has told me that’s absolutely impossible and I’m crazy and it’s never going to happen. I don’t know. I’m not giving up yet.”

However, he also admitted that the Cup program will be a far more complex challenge than the team’s truck series effort with Kaulig Racing.

But this isn’t the first time Kuniskis has floated the idea of a 2027 Cup return. He first mentioned it during a June 2025 appearance on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, noting that Dodge’s historic NASCAR legacy could help accelerate the development timeline.

A major piece of that puzzle is already in place. Kaulig Racing is already set to serve as the Ram factory team starting in 2026 and will run five Ram trucks in the Craftsman Series.

Kaulig is also running a full Cup program this season, fielding Chevrolet cars for AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon without a technical alliance, essentially operating independently in the ranks.

News served to you like never before!

Prefer us on Google, To get latest news on feed

Prefer Us on Google

That independence, compared with an existing relationship with Stellantis, makes them a logical candidate to transition to Dodge in 2027 if the manufacturer can meet the target timeline.

Under such a plan, Kaulig would receive full factory backing and compete as a “tier-one” team alongside the sport’s top Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota organizations.

Kuniskis hinted at that future while discussing the Daytona goal.

“I mean, we could never get somebody like Kaulig to work with us if we didn’t have the sincere intention to try to get to Cup,” he added. “It’s not an announcement. It’s not saying we’re going to Cup, but we have every intention to want to get there.”

But while their Cup Series dreams are still in the making, one of their truck drivers has already set the tone for the 2026 season.

Kaulig’s truck driver sets things straight

Brenden Queen is entering his first full season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a clear mindset. He doesn’t want to be seen as the nice guy on the track.

The 28-year-old Virginia native is set to begin his rookie year with Kaulig Racing, one of the five drivers piloting the team’s Ram trucks.

Queen’s promotion to the truck series followed a standout ARCA Menards Series campaign, where he captured the championship, a performance that led Kaulig to announce him as their first driver in the 2026 truck lineup.

But Queen admits he needs to adjust his approach for the aggressive nature of truck racing.

“The trucks are really aggressive because people are not going to lift for you, because they’ll get ran over. So that’s something I’ve got to work on…because I’m too nice. I was really too nice in a truck race at Martinsville and I lifted for people, and the guy behind me just drove through me. So, I’ve told myself, I’m not being nice,” he said.

This change in attitude isn’t difficult for him to accept. He already takes a pragmatic view of the sport, keeping friendships limited to his own team and treating everyone else on the track as competition, exactly how he believes it should be.

And now, with the driver and the organization setting ambitious goals, all eyes will be on Dodge’s homecoming as the 2026 season starts.