Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis’ unveiling of a bold new Ram 1500 NASCAR concept truck in June 2025 signaled the brand’s return to NASCAR after a 13-year hiatus. Stellantis officially announced that Ram would enter the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026, ending the break since Dodge/Ram last raced in 2012. The reveal, complete with a drag-racing demonstration at Michigan International Speedway and the debut of a glossy black-and-red Ram 1500 concept truck, quickly made headlines. NASCAR’s executive VP John Probst called Ram’s comeback “a major moment for the sport,” underscoring that this wasn’t just a corporate move but a big milestone for the Truck Series. With Ram officially roaring back into NASCAR, everyone in the garage started wondering: which teams would end up driving these new trucks?

Kaulig Racing has been one of the storylines in 2025, and its on-track performance added fuel to the rumor mill. Veteran AJ Allmendinger delivered a string of strong runs in the No. 16 Chevy, racking up four top-10 finishes in the first nine races and climbing within reach of a playoff spot. He and his new teammate, Ty Dillon, have shown flashes of speed and consistency, turning a slow start into genuine momentum by spring. As Kaulig’s results improved, reports began tying the team to Ram’s NASCAR plans, especially after rumors of the team being in advanced talks with Ram. The combination of Kaulig’s hot streak and Stellantis’ truck news kept everyone talking. And with Kaulig suddenly under the spotlight, speculation was only getting started.

The chatter got even louder when Adam Stern from the Sports Business Journal, noted, “Amid NASCAR industry rumors that Kaulig Racing is a potential option for Ram Trucks/Stellantis, Kaulig president Chris Rice told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio today: “I think everybody in the garage has talked to Ram; I think everybody has had a conversation with those guys.”” In other words, Kaulig wasn’t the only team chatting with Stellantis, but as Rice’s candor confirmed, the Ram rumors were very real. The team’s name might be prominent online, but the interest in Ram’s program is widespread.

Meanwhile, Stellantis’s plans for 2026 began to take shape beyond Kaulig. The official announcements said Ram would debut with four to six trucks at Daytona 2026, but they didn’t name drivers or teams. Team sources and insiders started speculating about partnerships. Ram’s CEO hinted that any eventual Cup car would almost certainly wear the Dodge nameplate, since Ram itself has no stock car model in its lineup. Industry chatter even pointed to familiar names, with some expecting Jimmie Johnson‘s newly rebranded Legacy Motor Club rebuilding or fielding Ram trucks. Dodge itself hasn’t raced since Brad Keselowski’s 2012 championship, but insiders say Stellantis is keeping Dodge in the mix for a future NASCAR return. All of these rumors and plans have the NASCAR world on high alert, with some calling it “premature.”

For fans, the situation has become a front-row show. Memories of Keselowski’s 2012 title in a Dodge still linger, and now the promise of Hemi engines and new paint schemes has them buzzing. Social media and fan forums are alight with speculation about everything from who will drive the first Ram truck to when or if Dodge Chargers might roar back onto the Cup grid. But for now, some remain divided.

A decade of waiting fuels hype and doubts in NASCAR fans

One fan summed up the prevailing sentiment across social chatter, saying, “It’s definetly Ram/Dodge are trying to sell it to the teams rather than the teams flocking to them.” This view reflects a broader skepticism that is rooted in history, especially when Stellantis revealed its NASCAR comeback with flair but scant specifics, drawing criticism for being “heavy on hyperbole and light on details” in its promotional rollout. Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic also reported that the garage believes “Dodge would be best served by aligning with an already operational team,” rather than drawing newcomers.

Other fans let out their frustration, writing, “The longer we go without a Ram team announcement, the more I’m convinced the bid to re-enter NASCAR was premature and not serious enough,” especially after that early leaked video at Michigan spurred excitement only for details to vanish, leaving fans doubting the seriousness of Stellantis’s NASCAR plans. This parallels earlier moments, such as the Toyota debut rumors of the early 2000s that fizzled before finally launching in 2007, leaving fans fatigued by anticipation and false starts. A similar gap widens fan skepticism, turning social feeds into echo chambers of impatience.

Many teams in the Cup garage also remain cautious about aligning with Ram, primarily because Stellantis hasn’t yet revealed what kind of car they’ll run if they advance past the Truck Series. One fan noted, “I think most cup series teams are hesitant because Dodge/Ram don’t know/haven’t announced what car they’ll be even taking cup racing in 2-3 years, and the uncertainty of the company in general. I’m sure plenty of truck teams are happy to get a nice paycheck from them since everything is actually Ilmor anyway but it’s different on the cup level.” Meanwhile, the Truck Series’ use of the spec Ilmor crate engine underscores how stark the contrast is for Trucks, as Ram can lean on standardized power. But at the Cup level, teams face the full brunt of R&D ambiguity.

Others notably questioned the logic behind factory efforts focused solely on the Truck Series, arguing, “What team is going to run Ram in trucks and sacrifice Xfinity and Cup associations? That’s completely backwards… Ram is going to need buy-in at all three levels to get a top level team.” Similarly, during Toyota’s initial foray into NASCAR in 2007, the manufacturer strategically entered all three national series, namely Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks, helping to build momentum across the board and lending validity at the highest tier. Conversely, when individual drivers or small teams attempted to focus only on Trucks or Xfinity without Cup backing, they often struggled to gain broader traction or sponsorship support. This is the main concern of the community.

One fan gave a self-explanatory opinion, saying, “It’s only 5 months to Daytona 2026, RAM needs to be finding a team(s) pretty quickly, Current teams, especially if they are in the playoffs, aren’t going to have time to work with a new mfg full time until after the season so things need to get moving. At this point in time RAM doesn’t even have an engine approved by NASCAR unless they plan to run the same one they had before which is old tech. An engine builder who can support RAM in the series would also need to be found. I’m not sure the ones from the past are still around. it may very well be 2027 before they are ready unless they just want to run in the rear.” While the spec Ilmor engine simplifies things for trucks, the Cup Series would demand a custom engine and body, a process NASCAR estimates takes a grueling 18 months, putting a 2027 Cup debut squarely on the edge of fans’ hopes.

Whether Ram’s bold return becomes a landmark revival or another “what could have been” will hinge on how quickly plans turn into pavement.