“I know Ram doesn’t do anything small, as you can see by the dealerships and everything else, and I know at Kaulig Racing, we don’t do anything small,” Matt Kaulig said at Saturday’s presentation, where a No. 10 Ram truck with Kaulig branding was unveiled. “So when we’re going into the truck series, we’re not going to kind of silently come in or just kind of tiptoe our way in. We’re doing it big.”

And “big” might actually be underselling it. Kaulig Racing didn’t just dip a toe in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series waters. Instead, they cannonballed straight into the deep end with a bold five-truck lineup backed by Ram. For a team that’s already made noise in Cup and Xfinity, this latest move turned every head in the garage. But behind the flash, insiders say there’s a deeper truth shaping this shocking partnership.

Kaulig’s big play in NASCAR

Kaulig Racing’s quiet ambition just got a megaphone. “We just got an opportunity to present ourselves, and they liked what they heard and liked what they saw,” Ty Norris Jr., Chief Business Officer, Kaulig Racing, told SiriusXM, summing up how Kaulig landed Ram as a partner. That pitch turned into one of the boldest manufacturer tie-ins in recent memory. Kaulig will field up to five Ram trucks in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as the anchor team for Ram’s return.

Kaulig’s ascent isn’t accidental. The team grew from a single Xfinity upstart to a two-car Cup operation in a few short years, and it has a history of leaning into big, splashy projects rather than small pilots. But now, Ram’s commitment changes the math. Officials confirmed the brand is treating this as a factory-backed effort.

Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis described the move as aligning with the brand’s “Last Tenth” culture. This means that Kaulig will receive deeper OEM support than a typical single-truck privateer deal. Team president Chris Rice said operations will stay in Welcome, N.C., but that Kaulig is scouting nearby properties to expand shop space and logistics as the program scales.

And while the headline is factory money and five trucks, Kaulig is clear that the program won’t be a closed, monolithic operation. “We’re definitely gonna be having third-party partners on the truck,” Norris said, confirming the team will integrate outside sponsors and co-branding alongside Ram’s core identity. That hybrid model (factory muscle plus commercial partners) lets Kaulig keep seat opportunities open and bring established partners into the fold while Ram underwrites the heavy lift.

For Kaulig, the deal buys stability and scale. For Ram, it’s a loud reentry into NASCAR after more than a decade away. And for drivers, engineers, and suppliers, the message is simple. Kaulig’s “going big” just became very real. And the garage should be paying attention.

Insider skepticism grows

Known for building methodically, Kaulig Racing has made a rapid jump into fielding ten full-time entries across three divisions. That’s Xfinity, Cup, and now Trucks, a move unprecedented in modern NASCAR. For some, the question isn’t ambition; it’s capacity. “I think it’s great that they wanna make a big investment, a big splash… but I’m also sort of skeptical,” cautioned insider Jeff Gluck. “Five is a big reach,” he admitted, capturing the garage’s collective wariness about juggling this level of expansion.

Insider Freddie Kraft doubled down on the complexity: it’s not just hiring bodies. It’s about integrating cultures, staff, strategy, and brand alignment, especially when Ram-branded Trucks enter a realm where Kaulig also operates Chevrolet-backed Xfinity and Cup programs. Duplicating chassis, parts, and engines while keeping seamless operation across manufacturers introduces a distinctive logistical beast to tame.

Similarly, Tommy Baldwin expressed his opinions regarding the challenges the team will face, especially in the initial phase. “It’s all about people… you don’t hire a bunch of people and it works right away. You have to mix people up, change things, hire, get rid of people. There’s gonna be a lot happening over the next five, six months just trying to find the synergy.”

Despite these doubts, the opportunity is immense. And Ram’s commitment offers rare stability, a counterbalance to many seasonally backed Truck teams. Long-term partners and third-party sponsors are already lined up, signaling broader commercial interest beyond the factory deal.

Whether Kaulig can navigate the operational challenges or succumb to stretched resources remains the key question. In an increasingly competitive NASCAR landscape, even the boldest gambles can falter without flawless execution. And the 2026 Truck Series rollout may well be Kaulig’s most defining test yet. What do you think? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.