Ram is Returning to NASCAR After More Than a Decade
Ram hasn’t been a part of NASCAR Truck Series races for 13 years, but it recently announced a return to the sport in the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series. Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO, made the announcement at a NASCAR event in Michigan this past weekend, saying that customers and dealers have been clamoring for the move for years.
Kuniskis said, “For more than a decade, customers and our dealer network asked about getting back into NASCAR. The desire was always there, but we didn’t have a plan that delivered the last tenth and following just didn’t fit our DNA. Now we have a solid plan that will set us apart from the field and will bring fresh new interest and engagement to America’s motorsport.”
The move aligns with NASCAR fans’ car-buying habits, as Ram said that more than 40 percent of them own trucks. The automaker’s announcement also coincides with its decision to return the Hemi V8 to production after a short hiatus, and the automaker is rolling out a new marketing campaign called “Ram-Demption” as part of the effort.
Ram debuted a concept truck at the event that features styling elements from the Ram Rebel and RHO production vehicles. While it will receive a sponsor’s livery in race configuration, the concept sported a two-tone black and red paint job and will offer enough airflow to support an engine revving to more than 9,000 rpm.
[Images: Ram]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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When you see these race trucks in person you realize how big new trucks are. It's almost comical.
If you want to see Ram trucks road raging, tailgating, cutting people off, and engaging in other macho-sh*thead behavior, you don't have to tune into NASCAR. Just take a trip on your local freeway.
On the other hand, NASCAR racers are too busy trying to stay alive to brandish weapons at other drivers. That's good news.