Kaulig Racing named Allmendinger, Dillon for 2027 Dodge Cup return
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 6, 2026
Dodge’s return with Kaulig
Dodge was set to return to the NASCAR Cup Series with Kaulig Racing, and the move gave the manufacturer a clear launch point for its next chapter in stock car racing. Kaulig announced the partnership in Homestead, Florida, during championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and the team said it was beginning to build a new program around Dodge. That plan made Kaulig the manufacturer’s flagship Cup Series team when Dodge returned, a role that placed the organization at the center of the brand’s rebuild. Kaulig also said it would field two Dodge Charger entries, giving Dodge a two-car presence as it reentered the series. The arrangement gave the manufacturer its first two confirmed drivers for the return and set the foundation for a multiyear build with Kaulig as its partner. The announcement fit the kind of steady, long-range approach teams usually need when a manufacturer steps back into a top-level series. Kaulig framed the move as a fresh start and a working partnership, with the team taking on the responsibility of leading Dodge’s Cup effort from the start. The setup gave both sides a defined direction. Dodge got a known organization to carry the brand. Kaulig got a manufacturer backing its next phase.
Allmendinger back in
Allmendinger returned to the No. 16 car and joined Dillon as Kaulig Racing’s full-time driver lineup in the Cup Series. That pairing gave Kaulig a familiar core as it prepared for Dodge’s return, and it gave the organization a stable driver lineup around which to build the new program. Allmendinger’s return to the No. 16 kept one of the team’s established car numbers in place, while his place in the lineup made him one of the first two drivers confirmed for Dodge’s comeback. Kaulig said the pairing would help provide continuity as it became Dodge’s anchor organization, a key detail for a team that was taking on a larger role inside the manufacturer’s plans. The announcement also gave Allmendinger a clear place in the team’s next phase instead of leaving the seat up in the air as the program shifted around a new manufacturer. In practical terms, it meant Kaulig could move forward with one of its established names locked into the project. The team did not present the move as a short-term stopgap. It positioned Allmendinger as part of the foundation. That mattered for a program trying to build a new identity under a different badge while keeping enough continuity to make the transition smooth.
Dillon stayed in
Dillon remained in the No. 10 car and completed Kaulig Racing’s two-driver lineup for the next Cup Series chapter. His return to the same car gave Kaulig another steady piece as it prepared for Dodge’s comeback, and it kept the team from having to reset both seats at once. Kaulig said the duo would help provide continuity while the team became Dodge’s anchor organization, and Dillon’s retention fit that message. The team was not just changing manufacturers. It was building around a known driver pair and a clear division of responsibilities. That approach gave Dodge a more settled entry point into the series and gave Kaulig a base to grow from as the manufacturer partnership developed. The team also said Dodge would unveil its 2027 race car at the Snowball Derby, another marker of how the project was taking shape in public view. Taken together, the driver lineup, the two-car plan and the race car reveal pointed to a structured rollout. Kaulig was not treating the return as a one-off announcement. It was building a program around it.
