Ram is storming back into NASCAR with a Craftsman Truck Series program in 2026, snapping a 13-year dry spell from the national ranks. The big unveil hit at Michigan International Speedway, flaunting a Ram 1500 concept race truck and a “Ram-Demption” marketing blitz. Factory backing dried up in 2012, but this isn’t some feel-good throwback; it’s a hungry bid to reclaim turf among the big three manufacturers.

To pull it off, Ram teamed with Kaulig Racing as the cornerstone outfit, gearing up to unleash multiple Ram trucks right out of the gate. Kaulig’s brass vows no half-measures, eyeing the Truck wars as a launchpad toward Cup contention down the line. And they’ve just locked in their lead gun.

Butterbean’s big leap

Talk about a paddock shaker: Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, still buzzing from his ARCA tear, just signed on for a full-time Craftsman Truck gig in 2026 with Ram and Kaulig Racing. The kid stacked eight wins and 16 top fives en route to the ARCA crown, hauling from short-track dusters to factory-backed national heat in a blink. That grassroots grind to title glory? Now it’s fueling Ram’s bold reentry, with Kaulig anchoring the charge.

The timing couldn’t scream louder. Ram’s first factory Truck push since 2012 lands with Kaulig fielding up to five rigs, and Queen steps up as the flagship face. Kaulig CEO Chris Rice nailed it, saying Queen’s local crowns and ARCA explosion earned him this shot clean and square. No handouts, just raw proof he’s ready to rumble.

For Queen, this isn’t a pat on the back. It’s a proving ground. He teased the big leagues in 2025, snagging ninth in a Kaulig No. 11 Xfinity outing and a sharp fourth in his Truck debut at North Wilkesboro. Those flashes hint at firepower when the equipment’s dialed full-time, blending short-track savvy with national polish.

Pressure tags along, though. Factory muscle means deep pockets, sky-high hopes, and every lap under the microscope. Kaulig and Ram won’t settle for show; they crave speed demons that deliver week in, week out.

Queen has to flash not just victories, but steady hands through chaos, smart lines in traffic, and grit when the truck bites back. One hot start in 2026, and this could spark one of NASCAR’s freshest young gunslingers, rewriting the Truck script with Ram’s redemption arc.

Queen’s signing spotlights Kaulig’s upward swing, but the shop’s Cup side just hit a raw nerve with a post-Vegas purge.

Spotter shake-up

The news about Queen joining Ram with Kaulig could definitely help Kaulig drive away the negative attention that they’re facing as they have freshly fired Ty Dillon’s spotter, Joe White, amid the Vegas crash controversy between Dillon and HMS’ William Byron.

Joe White, Ty Dillon’s spotter on the No. 10 all season, got the boot with three races left, spilling it raw on X after rolling into Talladega. “Got to Talladega. Parked the bus, got fired,” he posted, then hopped an Uber to the airport, heading home empty. White figured he’d stick around in 2026, maybe not atop Dillon’s perch but somewhere in the fold. Turns out, that door slammed shut mid-week.

The hammer dropped days after Lap 236 hell at Las Vegas. Dillon, lapped and peeling for pits, slowed without a heads-up to William Byron, humming second on the low line. Byron plowed straight into the No. 10’s tail, mangling both Chevys and torching their days. Byron rolled in 22 points comfy above the playoff cut; he limped out 15 shy, title dreams dented badly.

Kaulig CEO Chris Rice added further updates: “Frank Deiny was going to do the 10 car in 2026, and T.J. Bell was going to do the 16 car in 2026. We just decided to move forward with three races to go to get those guys used to each other. And that’s where we stand as Kaulig Racing.”

Frank Deiny slides over from AJ Allmendinger’s No. 16 perch to spot Dillon starting Talladega, per the roster flip. T.J. Bell jumps in for Allmendinger, fresh off Truck and Xfinity gigs with Rackley W.A.R. and Jordan Anderson.

White’s exit stirs the pot on comms breakdowns in green-flag scrambles, where a split-second miss turns routine into ruin. Kaulig’s shuffling eyes amid the heat, but it underscores the tightrope: one lapse ripples hard, especially when playoffs hang in the balance.

That Vegas scar ties right back to Kaulig’s Truck ambitions with Queen. Clean spots and sharp relays will be gold for a newbie fleet chasing wins, not headlines. Rice’s crew knows the drill, building from Cup stumbles to launch Ram’s pack strong. Queen’s got the wheel talent; now Kaulig sharpens the whole machine, turning redemption real across the garage.