Kaulig Racing Confirmed as Anchor Team for Dodge’s NASCAR Return
Auto Action can confirm what we exclusively revealed last week: Kaulig Racing will be the anchor factory team for Ram’s long-awaited return to NASCAR, with the program set to launch in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
The Ohio-based operation, founded by Matt Kaulig in 2016, will field up to five Ram 1500 trucks when the new partnership kicks off under the lights at Daytona on February 13, 2026. It will mark the first time a factory-backed Dodge has appeared on a NASCAR grid since 2012.
“This partnership represents far more than a new chapter in Kaulig Racing’s history, it’s a union of shared values,” Kaulig said. “To now join forces as the anchor team for Ram’s return to NASCAR is both an honour and a responsibility.”
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis made it clear the deal was about more than logos: “With Kaulig Racing, we found the perfect synergy to drive our ‘Last Tenth’ culture forward.”
Kaulig Racing has become one of the fastest-growing teams in the sport, with 29 Cup and Xfinity wins across seven seasons. It currently fields two full-time Cup entries and three Xfinity teams. Team president Chris Rice acknowledged the work behind the scenes to land the deal, paying tribute to Ty Norris for “helping get us to the next level.”
The return was first teased at Michigan in June with a Ram 5500 towing a donut-burning show trailer, but the official confirmation now locks in Ram’s competitive comeback. The move puts Stellantis firmly back in NASCAR, starting with Trucks but with industry insiders already tipping a larger Dodge push into Xfinity and Cup in the seasons ahead.
Kaulig is now tasked with building out its Truck Series program and confirming its driver line-up ahead of Daytona 2026. The partnership gives Ram an authentic motorsport platform to push its ute and truck credentials, while also reigniting the Dodge/Ram storyline that has been bubbling in NASCAR circles for more than a decade.
For now, the message is simple: Ram is back, Kaulig is its spearhead, and Auto Action told you first.
