A historic comeback is in line for NASCAR fans this weekend. Tony Stewart, the long-departed legend of NASCAR, will drive a Truck at the Daytona season-opener. This news left fans jaw-dropped and surprised, given Stewart’s decade-long absence from the sport. However, talent attracts talent; ‘Smoke’ has partnered up with a team that likes to take risks – and Stewart respects that.

Tony Stewart tips his hat to Matt Kaulig

“I think it’s hard,” Tony Stewart said in a press briefing. “I mean, I think in society as a whole, but let alone in business, big change is tough. um, especially in competitive sports. But I think what Matt’s doing shows, you know, you can either be in the middle of the pack with the OEMs or you can take a shot at taking a leap of faith and being the top guy on the board with an OEM. And I think that’s where, you know, Matt’s experience as an entrepreneur and businessman shines.”

These words of commendation from Tony Stewart reflect Matt Kaulig’s brave moves. Ram announced its arrival in NASCAR as a new OEM in mid-2025. In October, Kaulig Racing announced that it will pause its Xfinity program, a decade-old endeavor that produced 27 race trophies and two regular-season championships. Instead, Kaulig took the leap and shifted his attention to a newly created Craftsman Truck Series program, collaborating with Ram.

Dodge, under the parent brand Stellantis, which also owns Ram, last appeared in 2012 in the sport. So nobody knows what Ram’s level of success would be after long years of change in aero packages, car models, and so much more. Ram’s ultimate goal is to scale up to the Cup Series – and despite the risks involved, Matt Kaulig is invested. That is what Tony Stewart, who will race in Friday night’s Fresh from Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway, respects.

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“It’s a great step for him. I think it’s a great opportunity. I think it’s smart on his part. There’s obviously risk to anything that’s not proven yet. But for someone like him, he’s got a history of making really good moves in business, and I think this is one of them that will follow suit with that,” Tony Stewart continued.

Collaborating with a star-level driver like Tony Stewart for a new venture required guts and a whole lot of convincing.

Roping in a former star

Attracting a NASCAR legend is no mean feat. Tony Stewart last competed in a NASCAR Cup race in 2016 and in a NASCAR Truck race in 2005. Since leaving the sport, Stewart has been heavily engaged in drag racing in the NHRA. Yet Kaulig Racing managed to rope him in for the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series race in Daytona. The legend who owns multiple championships across NASCAR, IndyCar, and IROC, was convinced by the endeavor.

The team’s CEO, Chris Rice, said, “Matt Kaulig and Tim and myself, we’re a lot alike, right? Like it’s like, ‘Hey, we can do anything as long as we put our mind to it.’ And so we did. And his mind was in this fifth truck was go get somebody like Tony Stewart to set it off and do things like that.”

Rice admitted that most of “the legwork” on bringing Stewart in for the Daytona race was executed by Stellantis. He added that Kaulig’s involvement was surface-level and did not become more than that until “the eleventh hour.”

“That’s a big deal for the sport, a big deal for Kaulig Racing. That’s a big deal for RAM. I’m pumped to spend some time with Tony and talk to him about him running his own program and the good and bad,” Rice continued.

With Tony Stewart on board, the sky may be the limit for Matt Kaulig’s new venture. Let’s wait and see how they perform.