NASCAR‘s Craftsman Truck Series will make its return to action at Daytona in two weeks on Friday, Feb. 13. It’ll do so with a bang, fielding an array of featured non-full-time drivers, highlighted by racing icon Tony Stewart.
The series has a new look in 2026, too, with top full-time drivers including Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith, Daniel Hemric, and Justin Haley. This should make for a fun watch all year long following the departure of the ever-dominant Corey Heim.
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In its debut race this season, Daytona will feature a star-studded cast — not just the usual suspects. Fans will get to watch some elite star-power taking to the 2.5-mile track:
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Tony Stewart, No. 25 RAM, Kaulig Racing
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Travis Pastrana, No. 42 Chevrolet, Niece Motorsports
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Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
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Corey LaJoie, No. 75 Chevrolet, Henderson Motorsports
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 45 Chevrolet, Niece Motorsports* (Truck Series debut)
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John Hunter Nemechek, No. 62 Toyota, Halmar Friesen Racing
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Michael McDowell, No. 7 Chevrolet, Spire Motorsports
Legendary NASCAR driver Tony Stewart.Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
(Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images)
Tony Stewart Leads RAM’s Debut to NASCAR
To add another layer of intrigue, RAM will be making its debut in the Craftsman Truck Series, becoming the fourth manufacturer in the series. They will do so with Stewart leading the marketing campaign. He may be less likely to find victory lane, but nothing is impossible, considering he has the team Kaulig behind him.
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The rest of the drivers in a RAM truck will include:
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No. 25 “Free Agent” (Tony Stewart at Daytona)
Travis Pastrana Has Raced Daytona Before
NASCAR Cup Series driver Travis Pastrana (67) during the Daytona 500 in 2023.Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
The dirt biking legend continues to test limits in NASCAR. Pastrana has one career race in the NASCAR Cup Series at the 2023 Daytona 500, where he even led two laps.
Pastrana has a much deeper history in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He raced 42 times from 2011 to 2013, but only with four top-10 finishes and one pole position.
In the Craftsman Truck Series, Pastrana ran six races between 2012 and 2023, but never earned a single top-10.
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Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Debuts
Stenhouse Jr. is a phenom at Daytona. He has won here twice, a feat hard to accomplish, especially being on a lower-tiered team for much of his career.
This time, Stenhouse Jr. looks to find victory lane in his No. 45 Chevrolet for Niece Motorsports. Stenhouse Jr. has never run a Truck Series race, so it will definitely be a learning experience.
Previous Truck Series Winners at Daytona
Despite Daytona’s reputation for “the big one,” the Truck Series has delivered more predictable results than the Cup Series. That’s mostly due to the trucks often running single-wide around the track, much different than the two-to-four-wide strategies commonly displayed in the Cup Series.
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Here are the last five winners in the Truck Series:
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 29, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
