The wait is over for Mopar fans as the “Ram-Demption” officially arrives, marking the highly anticipated return of NASCAR Dodge Ram racing in 2026. After a 13-year hiatus, the Ram brand returns to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series through a major partnership with Kaulig Racing. Featuring a powerhouse five-truck lineup and the public debut of the sleek Ram 1500 concept race truck in Gloss Black and Molten Red, this comeback is a bold statement in the backyard of Detroit rivals. This Westgate Events guide covers everything from the “Race for the Seat” reality series to the NASCAR starting lineup featuring stars like Justin Haley and “Butterbean” Queen, proving that Ram is back to reclaim its legacy on the high banks of Daytona and beyond.
| Truck Number | Primary Driver | Program Type | Key Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 16 | Justin Haley | Full-Season | Cup Series veteran leading the Ram charge |
| No. 12 | Brenden “Butterbean” Queen | Full-Season | Short-track sensation’s first full Truck run |
| No. 10 | Corey LaJoie | Free Agent Program | Experience in all three of NASCAR’s national series |
| No. 25 | Rotating (Tony Stewart, etc.) | Free Agent Program | Weekly “All-Star” entries; Stewart debuted at Daytona |
| No. 14 | Mini Tyrrell | Race for the Seat | Winner of the inaugural Ram reality TV competition |
The roar of a Dodge engine has been missing from the NASCAR circuit for over a decade, but the 2026 season is changing the narrative. After thirteen years on the sidelines, Ram has officially returned with a five-truck factory effort that has the entire industry talking.
Whether you’re a lifelong stock car fanatic or a recent convert currently exploring the NASCAR vs. F1 rivalry, the NASCAR Dodge “Ram-Demption” story is the shot of adrenaline the 2026 season needed.
This isn’t just a comeback; it’s a full-scale comeback that starts with a powerhouse factory lineup ready to tackle the high banks of Daytona. And we’ve gathered you need to know about Dodge’s high-stakes return to the asphalt, including the best race day packages that will let you witness history in the making!
Ram’s NASCAR history goes way back. The Dodge brand was actually one of the founding manufacturers of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series before 1995, and the Ram name stood on its own as a standalone brand by 2010. Things were going well — until they weren’t. Ram shut its doors on factory NASCAR competition in 2013, leaving a Mopar-shaped hole in the sport that fans have been feeling ever since.
Fast forward to June 8, 2025. At Michigan International Speedway, right in the heart of Ford and Chevy country, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis stepped up to a microphone and made it official. The brand was coming back. The choice of venue was intentional: announcing that NASCAR Dodge Ram racing returns, surrounded by the Detroit rivals.
But Ram didn’t just say they were coming back. The team showed up with a literal donut-spinning Ram 5500 towing a custom trailer, UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva shooting HEMI-branded T-shirts into the crowd, and the public debut of a brand-new Ram 1500 concept race truck.
Now, let’s talk about the truck itself, because it’s a head-turner.
The Ram 1500 concept race truck was designed by Ram’s own design team and takes visual cues from the Ram Sport Truck lineup. Think Warlock, Rebel, and RHO. But this time, reworked with aerodynamics in mind.
The body is built to slip through the air while still cooling a race engine that revs past 9,000 rpm. The grille and fender lines feel familiar to any Ram fan; with the big Ram logo up front, there’s absolutely zero confusion about who’s on track.
The livery? Two-tone Gloss Black with Molten Red on the lower body, Direct Connection, and “Symbol of Protest” branding on the sides. It looks every bit as aggressive as the name “Ram-Demption” suggests.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis even drove the concept truck during a promotional shoot at Darlington Raceway ahead of the announcement — and hinted that this Truck Series return is just the beginning, with an eye eventually on Cup Series competition down the road.
Once the world knew Ram was coming back, the obvious question was: with who?
The answer came on August 23, 2025, announced fittingly at the Daytona Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram dealership, just hours before the Cup Series’ Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Ram’s factory anchor team for the 2026 comeback would be Kaulig Racing.
Founded by Ohio entrepreneur and community leader Matt Kaulig, Kaulig Racing has built a reputation over the past decade on performance and consistency, including 29 race wins across the Cup and Xfinity Series over seven seasons.
And to take on Ram’s return, Kaulig made a massive organizational bet: it shut down its NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts program entirely to focus on building a five-truck Ram operation from the ground up. Meanwhile, Kaulig continues to run its Chevrolet-backed Cup Series entries with AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon.
One of the cooler things about this comeback is how Ram built out its driver roster; part tradition, part totally unconventional. Here’s the full five-truck lineup:
No. 10 Corey LaJoie: A NASCAR driver with experience in all three of NASCAR’s national series, LaJoie is a third-generation racer and a well-known name in the motorsports world. During the 2025 Craftsman Truck Series season, the No. 77 received a shift of owner points from the team’s No. 07 entry, with LaJoie at the controls for the final eight races of the season, beginning at Richmond Raceway.
No. 12 Brenden “Butterbean” Queen: Arguably the breakout personality of the program. Queen, 28, from Chesapeake, Virginia, is an ARCA champion with serious short-track credibility. He was the first driver officially announced for the Ram program and is backed by Cummins as his full-season primary sponsor. At Daytona, he delivered Kaulig’s best opening-night finish with a 7th place. He’s the heart of this lineup.
No. 14 Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell: Wildcard Tyrrell won the “Race for the Seat” reality competition and earned his full-season ride in the No. 14 truck. If that’s not a story worth following, we don’t know what is.
No. 16 Justin Haley: The veteran of the group. Haley, from Winamac, Indiana, won the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title and has wins in all three NASCAR national series, including a Cup win at Daytona back in 2019. He previously drove for Kaulig in the Xfinity Series, so the reunion feels natural. At Daytona, Haley actually led a race-high 20 laps before running out of fuel on the final restart — gut-wrenching, but it showed real speed.
No. 25 The “Free Agent” Truck: This is where things get really fun. No. 25 is a rotating entry with a different driver every week, announced the Monday before each race. Call it Ram’s all-access pass to the truck series. Tony Stewart drove it at Daytona (and got collected in a crash). Ty Dillon took it in Atlanta. Corey LaJoie has already been named as the first repeat Free Agent driver for 2026. This truck is a storyline engine all by itself.
Perhaps the boldest move in Ram’s comeback playbook wasn’t the truck or even the driver lineup — it was a reality TV show!
“Race for the Seat” debuted January 25, 2026, on FOX, with subsequent episodes airing on Ram’s YouTube channel. The concept: 15 drivers, 10 challenges, one full-season NASCAR seat. Contestants competed at real tracks like South Boston Speedway and Virginia International Raceway in late models, all living under the same roof between events.
The winner? Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell, who now drives the No. 14 Ram 1500 full-time.
After a 13-year absence, nobody expected Ram and Kaulig to come out of the gate winning races, but the team has shown consistent speed and improvement through the early weeks.
Through the first five races of the season, the Kaulig-Ram trucks have landed inside the top 10 four times. Daytona drew a massive 37% viewership increase for the Truck Series, and the gains have continued through Atlanta and the St. Petersburg street course. Even at Darlington, one of the hardest tracks on the schedule, AJ Allmendinger climbed as high as 9th before ultimately finishing 11th.
The Craftsman Truck Series airs on FS1, with live radio coverage on the Motor Racing Network (MRN), and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Key tracks on the 2026 schedule include:
If you’re planning to attend a race in person, Westgate Events has you covered with race day packages, hotel deals near major tracks, and everything you need to make the most of a NASCAR weekend.
Ram’s return isn’t just about trucks going fast in circles (though honestly, that alone would be enough). This is a brand that understands its fiercely loyal audience, and NASCAR is the ultimate stage to reconnect with them.
The “Last Tenth” culture that Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis keeps referencing isn’t just a marketing slogan. It’s the idea that you keep pushing past every obstacle until there’s absolutely nothing left on the table. After 13 years away, Ram is putting that philosophy into practice at 150+ mph.
And with hints of a future Cup Series push already floating around, this Truck Series campaign feels less like a finale and more like an opening act.
Ram officially returned to NASCAR competition on February 13, 2026, with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season opener at Daytona International Speedway. The comeback was first announced on June 8, 2025, at Michigan International Speedway — right in the backyard of Ford and Chevrolet.
Ram (then under the Dodge banner) exited NASCAR after the 2012 season, with the last factory-supported race coming in 2013. The departure came down to a combination of business priorities and a lack of a manufacturer partner willing to absorb the costs of a full factory program. For over a decade, Mopar fans were left waiting — until Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis pulled the trigger on the comeback.
Kaulig Racing is a North Carolina-based NASCAR team founded by Ohio entrepreneur Matt Kaulig. The team has racked up 29 wins across the Cup and Xfinity Series over seven seasons and was seen as the ideal partner to anchor Ram’s return — bringing experience, infrastructure, and a blue-collar, performance-first mentality that aligns perfectly with the Ram brand. To fully commit to the program, Kaulig actually shut down its Xfinity Series operation and went all-in on building a five-truck Ram fleet for 2026.
“Race for the Seat” is a NASCAR reality competition series Ram launched in January 2026. It featured 15 drivers competing across 10 challenges at real short tracks, with the winner earning a full-season ride in the No. 14 Kaulig Racing Ram 1500. Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell won the competition. The show debuted on FOX on January 25, 2026, with episodes available on Ram’s YouTube channel.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series airs primarily on FS1, with select races on FOX. You can also catch every race on the Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. For in-person race experiences, packages, and hotel deals near major tracks, check out Westgate Events at westgateevents.com.
The return of the Ram isn’t just a win for Mopar fans; it’s a win for the sport. Seeing those five factory trucks dive into the corners at Daytona represents the closing of a thirteen-year gap and the start of a fierce new chapter in NASCAR history.
Whether you’re watching from the sofa or planning your trip to the infield, the 2026 season officially has its underdog-turned-titan. The garage is louder, the stakes are higher, and Dodge is finally back where it belongs.
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