In June 2025, ripples of excitement entered NASCAR. Ram, whose parent company, Stellantis, also owns Dodge, announced a grand entry, or rather a return to the sport. Dodge last raced in the sport in 2012, culminating with Brad Keselowski’s Cup Series championship. So the hype has been no less about the manufacturer’s return. But currently, a reason for stress has popped up.
A disconnect within a new NASCAR bond
“NASCAR has things set up with each manufacturer now where a lot of data gets processed through those channels. And, you know, some of that we’re privy to and some of it we’re not. We’re certainly missing a lot from what we had last year. And so we just got to go out and try to put our heads together and be smart and build what we can, try to make good decisions,” said Kaulig Racing crew chief Trent Owens on a recent Sirius XM NASCAR episode.
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On August 23rd of last year, Ram announced its partnership with Kaulig Racing, which primarily raced in Xfinity. It rolled out a comprehensive plan for a five-truck operation in 2026, with three full-time drivers already on the list. They include Brendan “Butterbean” Queen (No. 12), Daniel Dye (No. 10), and Justin Haley (No. 16), who will drive Ram 1500s for Kaulig. The remaining two are wildcard entries, determined via other means. Given this star-studded line-up, the lack of information that Trent Owens talked about should be concerning.
“Yeah, a lot of those channels are definitely turned off,” Owens continued. “You know, there’s some things like you just have to get from Chevrolet to run a Chevrolet car, which we still are. And we’re proud, proud to run the Chevrolet. We’ve had a good experience and good relationships with all that. When I speak mainly, it’s, you know, the manufacturers provide a lot of the simulator time and simulation tools.” Owens added, “And I feel like that it’s actually it might be headaches at times.”
The fourth Ram entry — the No. 25 — will go to a rotating group of drivers each race through Ram’s Free Agent Driver Program. And as recently announced, the fifth and final seat will go to the winner of a reality-show competition. Named as “15 Drivers. 10 Challenges. 1 Seat,” the “Race for the Seat” program will debut Sunday, Jan. 25.
Meanwhile, all Owens confessed to doing was scraping whatever preparation they can. “It’s also going be fun to build something, you know, be a part of something starting out that could be something really big in years to come. So I’m excited about where we’re headed.”
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Although preparations seem to be going through a blip, sponsors are ready.
Tapping a distinguished partner
Cummins Inc., a global power technology leader and a storied motorsports innovator for over a century, is returning to the national racing spotlight. It will serve as the full-season primary sponsor of Brenden “Butterbean” Queen and the No. 12 Cummins Ram 1500, appearing one every paint scheme for the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. This marks a new milestone in the Ram-Cummins bond, which dates back to 1989.
“To have a company with Cummins’ history and worldwide reputation support me is incredible,” Brendan Queen said. “I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this Ram 1500 and represent Cummins and Kaulig Racing every weekend. This is the type of opportunity every driver dreams about.”
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Queen, a fan-favorite short-track star, is packing heat. During his 2025 ARCA Menards Series championship run, he earned eight wins and finished inside the top five. Kaulig Racing further tested his mettle with five Xfinity Series starts, where he excelled.
So Brendan Queen and his teammates have all the attention of the fans for 2026. Let’s wait and see if the information wrinkles can be straightened out within their team.
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