NASCAR EVP John Probst has hinted at the entry of a new OEM in the Cup Series. This development comes during a season when RAM made its NASCAR comeback in the Truck Series after a 13-year absence.

It returned to the series with Kaulig Racing for the first time since its departure in 2012. The officials at RAM have made it clear that they want to expand to the Cup Series, though the timeline for said expansion is unclear.

But apart from RAM's potential Cup Series entry, another mystery manufacturer is trying to have its breakthrough. In a recent development, John Probst said:

"There’s a lot of energy in that same direction toward a Cup entry, hopefully very soon. There's some other names that we have been chasing that have come back and are gaining energy again."

Probst then touched upon the recent Cup enquiry from an unnamed OEM, adding:

"We have, as recently as about two hours ago, had what was a lead come in on a new OEM out of the blue, almost. So we are excited for that one. So that will obviously, right now, have a lot of energy from me and my colleagues as we get through that. We're always excited to welcome the possibility of a new OEM coming into our sport, but are very cognizant of the investment and commitment that our existing OEMs have already made for decades with us, so we're very respectful of that as well."

Dodge is one of the names fans have linked to a potential return to the sport. It last competed in the Cup Series in 2012, before exiting the sport after Brad Keselowski’s Cup Series championship victory with Team Penske in a Dodge Charger, which switched OEMs from Dodge to Ford.

Since Dodge made their exit, there have only been 3 OEMs in Cup: Chevrolet, Toyota, and Ford.

Chevrolet and Ford struggle to combat Toyota in 2026

Toyota has dominated the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Ford and Chevrolet have been able to claim a victory each in nine races so far. But given their successful history in the sport, the divide is surprising.

Chase Elliott's victory at Martinsville gave the Chevrolet fans hope about the manufacturer’s progress, while Ryan Blaney's Phoenix triumph did the same for Ford fans. In the Chevrolet camp, Kyle Larson's consistency has kept hopes alive, with the HMS driver securing back-to-back podiums in Bristol and Kansas.

On the Toyota side, Tyler Reddick is in the form of his life with five wins in nine races. While Denny Hamlin is also up there, certain mistakes have cost him potential wins, like at Kansas on Sunday.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Yask Kotak