The tension around Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 team has ramped up sharply in the wake of the chaotic Las Vegas incident with William Byron. What began as a contentious pit-entry collision has now spiraled into internal fallout.

Joe White, who had been spotting for Ty Dillon, revealed via social media: “Got to Talladega. Parked the bus, got fired. In an Uber to the airport to go home for the weekend.” He added, “Also, to be clear, it was already determined that I would not be spotting for Ty next year, but that I would still be with Kaulig in some fashion. But not now.”

That implies a severing of ties much sooner than expected and shows just how volatile the situation has become. White’s dismissal comes days after the infamous Las Vegas wreck, a crash that ended Byron’s day and sent shock waves through the playoff picture.

According to NASCAR and Motorsports coverage, Dillon’s spotter (White) had motioned to Byron’s spotter that he would be coming to pit road, but Byron said he never saw a signal. The ambiguity in their communications, “I don’t know if it’s a lack of information getting relayed,” Dillon admitted, created a perfect storm.

It’s worth noting that Kaulig’s CEO, Chris Rice, had publicly defended Dillon after the wreck, stating he would not “take blame” and that incidents like this are part of racing. But now, with White gone and accusations flying, questions are swirling: Was White made the scapegoat? Did internal pressure demand swift action?

And what does this mean for the No. 10 team’s trajectory in the final stretch of the season, especially with Dillon’s spotter duties officially being handed off? It’s a messy fallout, but one thing is clear: Kaulig wants a reset before Talladega.

Kaulig CEO says team will be “Out on Our Own” 

Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice confirmed that the two-car team will be without the alliance of long-time partner Richard Childress Racing in the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season amid their expansion into the Craftsman Truck Series with Ram.

Throughout the 2025 NASCAR season, a story that began in Daytona has persisted well into the latter half of the season, as both industry members and fans wondered which teams and drivers would carry the banner for the returning OEM Ram (which is part of the Stellantis group) in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Not only has the team relied on RCR for technical support throughout its tenure in NASCAR’s top division, but the team’s race shop is a part of the RCR campus in Welcome, North Carolina. Nonetheless, Kaulig has taken steps to distance its Truck program from its Chevrolet operation, even going so far as to create its own social media accounts.

However, distancing the program may not be enough, as recently appointed Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice claimed that the team will be “out on our own” in 2026 during an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Wednesday morning.

Rice, who was breaking down the challenges the team is facing as part of their major reshuffling for the 2026 season, says that they will no longer be able to have their alliance with RCR, meaning the already underdog team will have more responsibilities getting their two cars to the track in 2026.