Author Archives: PressBox

Dodge will return to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2027, with Kaulig Racing set to field a two-car Dodge Charger team. The announcement came Monday at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, and the effort is set to begin with the Daytona 500. A.J. Allmendinger is expected to drive the No. 16 car and Ty Dillon is expected to drive the No. 10 car.

Dodge will become NASCAR’s fourth manufacturer, joining Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota. The comeback was accelerated by a partnership with Earnhardt Childress Racing to build Dodge-spec engines. Dodge last competed in the Cup Series through 2012.

NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell called the return a significant milestone for the sport. Dodge’s comeback is coming one year earlier than originally expected.

Investor interest in NASCAR teams has grown as motorsports has drawn more capital, and industry executives expect the next NASCAR charters to sell for between $50 million and $100 million each. Recent charter transactions have reportedly set a benchmark at about $45 million, underscoring the rising valuations around team ownership in the series.

NASCAR’s December 2025 settlement created evergreen charters and gave teams greater long-term security, a shift that has helped fuel the market. Brad Keselowski said there is strong demand to invest in NASCAR teams, and he said he tried unsuccessfully to buy out the other ownership groups ahead of his pending departure from RFK Racing. He also said he still wants to own a team in NASCAR.

Outside money has already moved into several organizations. Avenue Sports Fund bought a minority stake in Trackhouse Entertainment Group in July 2024, Knighthood Capital Management has bought into Legacy Motor Club, TWG Global has taken a major stake in Spire Motorsports, and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment has become a minority owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. Executives have pointed to Trackhouse, Richard Childress Racing, Legacy Motor Club and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing as possible targets for new investors, and Trackhouse Racing and Richard Childress Racing are reportedly drawing interest from potential outside investors. Neither Trackhouse nor Richard Childress Racing has announced a new investment deal, and Richard Childress Racing previously explored a partial equity sale without reaching an agreement.

Shane van Gisbergen said Trackhouse Racing had “some big team changes coming” after Sunday’s Martinsville Speedway race, though he did not explain what those changes would be. He also praised the team’s work and said Trackhouse was still experimenting and working forward together as it prepares for next season.

Van Gisbergen finished fifth in the Xfinity 500 after starting 29th, a result that improved on his previous best Martinsville finish of 11th. It was his third top-five result on an oval in the Cup Series. He said Ross Chastain was up front for much of the race, and said his own poor qualifying left him fighting through traffic all day before his car was too damaged to challenge the leaders.

Trackhouse currently fields three full-time Cup cars for Chastain, Connor Zilisch and van Gisbergen, and all three contracts are set to expire after the 2027 season. Zilisch is already headed to Hendrick Motorsports after that season, adding to the uncertainty around Trackhouse’s future lineup.

Kyle Larson heads to the NASCAR Cup Series finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway with a clear path to his second straight championship and third overall, but he said he still feels the pressure and is not treating the title as secured, according to the Associated Press. Larson leads Christopher Bell by 67 points and Denny Hamlin by 70 entering the Nov. 8 race, and he needs at least nine points at Homestead to clinch the championship. He could also lock it up with eight stage points, or with seven stage points plus the fastest-lap point. A title would make Larson the first repeat Cup champion since Jimmie Johnson.