Mini Tyrrell had to beat 14 other drivers on a reality TV show just to secure his NASCAR ride. By winning the eight-part competition “Race for the Seat,” the 21-year-old claimed the full-time job, and his prize was the No. 14 truck, a key piece of Kaulig Racing’s new five-truck program built for Ram’s 2026 return to the sport.
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However, the rookie’s season has hit a slump. His crew chief, Bruce Cook, left the team mid-season in August. Kaulig hired Cook because of his championship pedigree. Cook engineered Truck Series wins for the likes of Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer during the Kevin Harvick Inc. era. His leaving during a performance slump leaves Tyrell in a difficult position and Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice frustrated.
“I hate that for Mini, I hate that for that team, but we’re strong enough as Kaulig Racing to move forward. I hate it for him (Tyrrell) because you have a crew chief all year and then that guy just don’t believe in you, don’t believe in the system, and then just leave,” Rice said while speaking on SiriusXM.
This isn’t the first time Kaulig has had to deal with an exit like this.
In October 2024, Travis Mack suddenly left his role as technical director and crew chief for Kaulig’s No. 16 Cup car to join Legacy Motor Club. Cook’s departure follows the same pattern, a veteran leaving mid-season when the team’s speed fails to show up.
Tyrell and Cook also shared a close personal bond before joining Kaulig. Cook owns the ARCA Menards Series team, Cook Racing Technologies (CRT). Tyrell made his superspeedway debut in CRT’s No. 17 in February at Daytona.
Before the season began, Tyrell even praised his crew chief. “My crew chief, Bruce Cook, on the No. 14, is an extremely good coach, and I’m very grateful to have the chance to work with him.”
However, the results on the track were terrible for them. In 17 races together, they struggled to find speed. Aside from the eighth-place finish at Watkins Glen, they were always stuck at the back and also had two 34th-place finishes. The partnership came to an end after a terrible four-race slump as Tyrell finished 24th at Lime Rock, 28th at North Wilkesboro, 27th at IRP, and 29th at Richmond.
Also, there has been no official announcement on Cook’s future. Since he runs his own ARCA team, there is no need to rush to decide on a potential future contract with a team.
In Cook’s absence, Lennie Chandler is filling in as the interim crew chief for Mini Tyrrell and the No. 14 team. Even though Kaulig Racing didn’t make any announcement regarding the switch, Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass first reported the roster change.
In the meantime, Kaulig is doing all it can to provide him with the resources he needs.
“Right now we are interviewing a guy who came to Richmond, and he’s gonna go to New Hampshire and watch and see if he wants to do it. Moving to Bristol, we’re gonna announce who’s the crew chief in that truck moving forward,” Rice added.
Tyrrell and Kaulig Racing are in a tricky situation. The driver doesn’t have a secured ride for next season, while Kaulig hasn’t provided much stability or performance so far this season. The remaining eight races could very well decide the future of the No. 14 team, and we could see a new driver behind the wheel in 2027.