Kaulig Racing is kicking off its Free Agent Driver Program in style in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by naming three-time Cup Series champion Tony Stewart as the first driver in the No. 25 Ram Trucks entry for the Feb. 13 season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
The announcement was made on Tuesday and came as season preparations were well underway for Kaulig Racing, which is partnering with RAM to field five Truck Series entries this season. Daniel Dye (No. 10), Brenden “Butterbean” Queen (No. 12) and Justin Haley (No. 16) are driving full-time for the team, with a fourth truck (the No. 25) going to a rotation of free-agent drivers like Stewart and the fifth (No. 14) being driven by the winner of the “Race for the Seat” reality TV series.
Advertisement
RELATED: 2026 Craftsman Truck Series schedule
The Hall of Famer Stewart hasn’t driven in a NASCAR national series race since 2016 in the Cup Series with Stewart-Haas Racing. His participation comes on the heels of NASCAR revealing that The Chase championship format is back, a system in which Stewart won two of his three championships.
“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate,” Stewart said in a team release. “Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun.”
Stewart has started six times in the Truck Series across five seasons from 1996-2005 and won twice, in 2002 and 2003 at Richmond Raceway, in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Andy Petree Racing.
Advertisement
The Truck Series gets underway this season with the Fresh From Florida 250 at 7:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 13 at Daytona International Speedway (FS1, NASCAR Racing Network Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
This story will be updated.
