Speaking to Kevin Harvick on his ‘Happy Hour’ podcast, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis, who used to work as the CEO for Dodge under Stellantis, made it clear that the manufacturer has Cup aspirations. Ram recently announced their plans to return to the Truck Series in 2026, but the return of Dodge to Cup could come as soon as 2027.
“Coming into Truck is a lot easier than coming into Cup,” admitted Kuniskis before adding: “It’s going to take a little bit longer to get to Cup. Our goal is to get to Cup a year after that (Truck return). Now, everybody has told me we’re crazy, there’s no way you’re gonna get there, but we think there’s a couple of things from our legacy that might speed that development time up. And maybe, maybe we can be at Daytona this year with Truck and then the following year, Daytona in Cup.
“A lot of very smart people — smarter than me — said you better plan on two years to get back to Cup. But TBD (to be determined). I’m always pushing for the quicker timeline. So, I’m hoping that it’s 2027 … 2026 for Truck and 2027 for Cup.”
NASCAR Truck Dodge RAM
Photo by: Meg Oliphant / Getty Images
He also said that there were a couple other opportunities to re-enter the sport over the past 12 years, but those plans never came to fruition. “It’s been way too long,” said Kuniskis.
NASCAR executive vice president John Probst previously stated that the minimum time for preparing a Cup entry is likely around 18 months.
Dodge left the Cup Series at the conclusion of the 2012 season, leaving Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota as the only three manufacturers at the top level of the sport. They also left the sport as champions, winning the title with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske.
Ram has not yet announced their exact plans for 2026, including what team(s) and drivers they will be associated with. You can also watch the full interview with Harvick HERE.
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