NASCAR rumors suggest Dodge may make comeback next season in the Truck Series

NASCAR Insider Kaleb Vestal shared a rumor surrounding Dodge's potential return to the sport next year. The rumor suggests GMS Racing's return to the Craftsman Truck Series with Dodge/RAM as its manufacturer.

Both GMS Racing and Dodge are now-defunct NASCAR affiliates. The former was a Truck Series team that retired in 2023 after then-owner Maury Gallagher partnered with Toyota, primarily for the Legacy Motor Club Cup team. Meanwhile, the latter left the sport in 2012, with Brad Keselowski giving the Michigan-based manufacturer a proper send-off by winning the championship.

The two entities could make a comeback as one in the 2026 NASCAR Truck Series season, as reported by Kaleb Vestal on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote:

"A rumor around the garage area is that @GMSRacingLLC is returning to the Truck Series in 2026 with support from Dodge."

However, the NASCAR Insider relayed what sounded like opposition to the rumor, saying:

"@23SpeedRacer on the matter with a smirk: 'Salacious; Baseless; Unfounded: I don't know what you're talking about.'"

The fourth OEM (original equipment manufacturer) rumor has been around the sport for a long time. Earlier this year, NASCAR President Steve Phelps addressed the rumor, saying he had held "robust discussions" with not only one but possibly two OEMs joining the stock car racing slugfest.

For now, NASCAR has stuck with three manufacturers: Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota. The Japanese marque started competing in the 2007 season and linked with teams like Michael Waltrip Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing.

If Dodge were to make a comeback next year, the stock car racing series would host four OEMs again after 14 years. As the rumor stated, the manufacturer's possible Truck Series entry would be fulfilled with RAM, which was once its pickup truck line, though the two brands operate under the same parent company, Stellantis.

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"It's good for the sport, I think": NASCAR Hall of Famer on Dodge's potential return to stock car racing

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his thoughts on Dodge potentially making a comeback to the stock car racing series. He believes the manufacturer would be a good fit for the sport due to its reputable muscle car heritage.

On an episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast last February, the 26-time Cup race winner said:

"Dodge has got such a cool reputation. They've had some ups and downs over the past several decades, but in my eyes, they're still a true muscle car brand. The Dodge Charger from the 70s, a beautiful vehicle, historic. The Challenger, a lot of great vehicles come out of that brand. The Ram. Yeah, the Ram truck. Yeah, it's just a cool brand. I'm thrilled that they're considering a return, and I hope it's a successful one, to be honest with you. It's good for the sport, I think."

Dodge was one of the frontrunners in the muscle car world with the Charger and Challenger, competing against the likes of the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro (both models are used in the Cup and Xfinity Series). However, due to the ever-changing car market, Dodge discontinued its V8-powered muscle car in favor of an electrified version.