You have to go back to the 2007 season to find the most recent arrival of a new NASCAR Cup Series manufacturer, back when Toyota entered the sport.
That move preceded Dodge's eventual departure after winning the 2012 championship with Brad Keselowski and Team Penske, and since then, it has been Toyota vs. Ford vs. Chevrolet.
Dodge did remain in the Truck Series through 2016 and in the Xfinity Series through 2018, but their eventual full departure was inevitable.
Keselowski, who became the first Dodge driver to win the championship since Richard Petty in 1975 and did so despite the manufacturer's last place finish in the 2012 manufacturer standings, was said to have reached out to Dodge about potentially returning to the series in 2022, year number one of the Next Gen era, but nothing ever came of it.
Additional rumors have linked Honda, which has been the subject of NASCAR speculation for several years now, to the sport, but again, nothing has come of them yet, even with the manufacturer's future in IndyCar still in question beyond 2026.
Dodge back to NASCAR in 2026, Cup in 2028?
But while it wouldn't technically be a "new" manufacturer, now there are further rumors that Dodge could be returning to NASCAR, first with a return to the Truck Series and then eventually a return to the Cup Series.
The manufacturer is already said to have begun the process of gaining approval to join Toyota, Ford, and Chevrolet as a fourth competitor, and the goal is for Dodge to compete in the 2026 Truck Series season with its Ram brand, before an eventual full-fledged return to the Cup Series in 2028.
The return is about to as close as it gets to being confirmed without actually being confirmed, with evidence found in a promotional packet that local dealers have been issuing to partners and employees.
In other words, local Dodge dealers are already under the impression that the return is indeed happening, and that impression is quickly spreading throughout the NASCAR fanbase as well.