The drivers will be the same, but their cars will be different.
Kaulig Racing announced Friday, Nov. 6, at Homestead-Miami Speedway that AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon will retain their full-time rides with the NASCAR Cup Series team in 2027 as it transitions from Chevrolet to Dodge.
When Kaulig takes the track at the 2027 Daytona 500, Allmendinger will still be behind the wheel of the No. 16, while Dillon will pilot the No. 10. The only difference will be, they’ll be piloting the lone Dodges on the track as the manufacturer returns to the top level of NASCAR for the first time since 2012.
"I have never been more confident and excited about our future," said Matt Kaulig, founder and owner of Kaulig Racing. "This is a landmark moment for our organization,
our partners and the Dodge brand. From our humble beginnings to being named the anchor team for the fifth-largest automaker in the world is an incredible honor and a challenge our team is ready to face."
There could be a third Dodge on the track as well, as Kaulig is planning to run a third car part-time in select races. Kaulig CEO Chris Rice said he has not had any conversations with Brad Keselowski as the former champion is looking for a new ride in 2027 after negotiating his exit from RFK Racing.
“We would love to run a third car at Daytona," Rice said. "There are some stipulations that we have to go through with Dodge and (owner Matt Kaulig) to be able to make that work. ... So, we haven’t had that conversation (with Keselowski), but we would love to run a third car, yes.”
Dodge’s parent company, Stellantis, announced earlier this week it would return to the Cup Series in 2027. Stellantis, through its brand Ram, returned to the Craftsman Truck Series this season with Kaulig as the team fielded five Rams in the series.
"It's going to be fun seeing what Dodge does," NASCAR CEO Steve O'Donnell said Friday. "We're going to be all around the globe looking at new OEMs for sure, but happy that we got a fourth. Another reason that we should be excited about the (2027) season."
AJ Allmendinger career in NASCAR
One of the most veteran drivers in the series, Allmendinger is one of four drivers in the Cup Series over the age of 40. The 44-year-old native of California has more than 500 starts at the top level of NASCAR and three victories, with his most recent checkered flag coming in 2023 at the Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He has also won the NASCAR All-Star race twice.
Allmendinger also owns 18 wins in the second-tier O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and captured back-to-back regular season championships at that level in 2021 and 2022. Allmendinger is tied with Shane van Gisbergen for the most combined wins on road courses across NASCAR’s top three national touring circuits with 14.
Outside of NASCAR, Allmendinger was on the winning team for the 24 Rolex at Daytona in 2012. In 2013, he finished seventh at the Indy 500 with Team Penske.
This season, Allmendinger has earned four top-10 finishes, with three coming on road courses and an eighth-place finish at Iowa.
"To be chosen to help bring Dodge back to the NASCAR Cup Series is special for me," Allmendinger said. "I’ve been fortunate throughout my career to drive a lot of different race cars, but being on the front lines of building a new OEM program with a brand as iconic as Dodge is a unique challenge."
Ty Dillon career in NASCAR
Dillon — the younger brother of Austin Dillon and grandson of Richard Childress — has been racing full-time in the Cup Series off and on since 2017, but he hasn’t taken the checkered flag yet in the top-level of NASCAR. His best finish this season was 12th at Nashville.
The 34-year-old Dillon does have one win in the O’Reilly Series and three victories in the Truck Series. In trucks, Dillon won the Rookie of the Year in 2012 and was the series’ Most Popular Driver in 2013. He also won the ARCA championship in 2011.
“Ty has been with us a long time,” Rice said. “We signed Ty up to go through this effort with us, and he graciously said yes."
While it hasn’t been officially announced yet, Dodge is expected to use engines built by ECR according to multiple reports. ECR is owned by Childress, the NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner, and provides Chevrolet engines to his team, Richard Childress Racing, as well as Chevrolet-aligned Trackhouse Racing.
Dodge will unveil the race car Kaulig will compete in on Dec. 4 at the Snowball Derby, a large racing event held annually at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. The weekend of racing is headlined by a 300-lap super late-model stockcar race.
Changes for Kaulig in Truck Series
Rice confirmed on Friday Mini Tyrrell will not return to Kaulig in the Truck Series next season. The 22-year-old Tyrrell landed his seat in the No. 14 Ram by winning a reality television show on Fox produced by UFC’s Dana White, “Race For The Seat.” Tyrrell's contract was for one year and it was not renewed. He is 21st in points with one top-10 finish at Watkins Glen.
Kaulig fielded a total of five Rams in the Truck Series this season, with four of them piloted by Corey LaJoie, Brenden Queen, Justin Haley and Tyrrell. A fifth truck, the No. 25, has been Kaulig’s free agent machine that has generated buzz by putting big names and former Cup Series winners behind the wheel. Among the drivers of the No. 25 this season: Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Travis Pastrana, Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray.
The future of the No. 10 Ram is unclear as well. Originally, Kaulig signed Daniel Dye to drive, but he was suspended by NASCAR and released by Kaulig after three races for mocking IndyCar driver David Malukas and making homophobic remarks. After Allmendinger drove the No. 10 at Darlington, Kaulig brought in LaJoie to drive it for the remainder of the season. The 35-year-old former Cup Series driver is still searching for his first win in one of NASCAR's three national touring circuits. LaJoie is 22nd in points this season with three top-10s and five DNFs. An extension for him has not been announced.
Kaulig will announce its full Truck Series lineup in the coming weeks. The free agent No. 25 Ram will return with a rotation of drivers.
Still looking for its first win with Ram, Kaulig has notched 18 top-10s in the Truck Series this season. Haley finished fourth in the No. 16 Ram at Bristol, while Queen won the Rookie of the Year award in the series this season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: AJ Allmendinger, Ty Dillon return to Kaulig in 2027 as NASCAR team pivots to Dodge
