At Daytona Beach, Florida, Tony Stewart is ending his NASCAR retirement to compete behind the wheel of a Ram truck for the first time at the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway. Accompanying Stewart on this return is UFC president Dana White, who is involved through a collaborative initiative tied to Ram’s NASCAR re-entry.
This comeback marks Ram’s first appearance in NASCAR since 2012, with ambitions that extend beyond competition to brand promotion and a potential future return to the Cup Series. The event is also set to feature the winner of a unique competition designed to select a driver for Kaulig Racing’s Truck Series team.
Ram’s Bold Return to NASCAR’s Truck Series with Kaulig Racing
Ram will compete in NASCAR’s third-tier Truck Series alongside established manufacturers Ford, Chevrolet, and Toyota. This move introduces Ram as the first new manufacturer to join the national NASCAR level since 2007. Kaulig Racing serves as Ram’s primary partner for the 2024 season, which launches with the race at Daytona.
Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Ram, described this effort as part of a larger strategy not just to race but to bring a fresh level of “craziness” and energy into the sport. Ram intentionally chose an unconventional approach to assembling its driver lineup, aiming to generate excitement and attract new fans.
Race for the Seat: Reality Show Drives Ram’s Driver Selection
Rather than relying solely on traditional scouting, Ram partnered with Kaulig Racing to create Race for the Seat, an eight-episode reality series where 15 drivers competed for a position on Kaulig’s Truck Series team. This innovative approach went hand in hand with Ram’s alliance with TKO Group, the parent company of UFC, WWE, and PBR, linking motorsports with broader entertainment industries.
Dana White’s One Thrill company became involved after multiple pitches, with White explaining he rarely agrees to partnerships but found this venture compelling. The success of UFC’s reality show efforts in the early 2000s, such as The Ultimate Fighter, provided a proven blueprint for using competition-based programming to build audience engagement. White stated:
“The best always rise to the top,”
Dana White, UFC President
“The format works. You always find the best guys in the world when you’re doing it. That’s basically what I sold Tim on.”
Dana White, UFC President
This program’s concept has garnered attention, with its YouTube episodes attracting over 400,000 views each in their initial releases, a promising start for Rosam Truck Series viewership growth.
Marketing and Brand Goals Behind Ram’s NASCAR Return
According to Kuniskis, the cost of marketing and advertising outside racing rivals or surpasses the actual expense of racing itself:
“I think the only thing that’s more expensive than going racing is general marketing and advertising,”
Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO
This statement underscores why Ram has integrated marketing with competitive racing through its partnership with Kaulig and the engaging reality series. Dana White elaborated on the strategy by highlighting the goal to attract new fans unfamiliar with the Truck Series:
“What we want to do is get people into the NASCAR Truck racing series that have never seen it before,”
Dana White, UFC President
“Once there’s a rooting interest, you want to see if this guy can actually win Daytona.”
Dana White, UFC President
With this fresh fan engagement strategy, the hope is that casual or new viewers will develop loyalty and excitement around the drivers and teams involved.
Timothy ‘Mini’ Tyrrell Wins Race for the Seat and Joins Ram’s Truck Series Entry
The competition’s winner, Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell, earned the spot to drive the No. 14 Ram truck alongside established drivers like Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley in the upcoming season opener at Daytona. Stewart, who holds the distinction of being a NASCAR Hall of Famer and three-time Cup Series champion, will make a one-off start as part of Ram’s free-agent program.
Stewart acknowledged the challenges of entering this competitive field under the new Ram banner:
“Anybody that comes in at this point is going to be at a disadvantage right now,”
Tony Stewart, NASCAR Hall of Famer
“It’s going to take a huge investment. It’s going to take a huge support system and a lot of manpower to get the program in place. Just to get it in a state where it’s just competitive when it first hits the racetrack is going to be a monumental task.”
Tony Stewart, NASCAR Hall of Famer
His remarks emphasize the massive undertaking Ram faces entering NASCAR after a lengthy absence, highlighting the substantial resource demands necessary to become competitive.
New Rules Facilitate Ram’s Entry in Early NASCAR Races
Ram’s transition into the Truck Series benefits from newly established rules designed to ease integration. The trucks will be guaranteed a starting spot for the first three races even if they fail to qualify on speed, assigned to grid positions 37-40. While these trucks will collect points toward standings, they will not earn prize money during this provisional period. Following these initial events, Ram trucks must qualify traditionally to enter races.
This regulatory support aims to give new entrants like Ram time to build their programs’ speed and consistency without being immediately sidelined, encouraging manufacturer participation and competition diversity.
Kaulig Racing: New Ground in the Truck Series
Ram’s partnership with Kaulig Racing marks the team’s entry into the Truck Series, expanding beyond their experience in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series since 2016 and the Cup Series starting in 2021. Team owner Matt Kaulig is spearheading this multi-series involvement, positioning his organization for growth in NASCAR’s national series.
Future Prospects: Toward a Possible Ram Entry in the Cup Series
While Ram is starting with the Truck Series, there are clear ambitions to eventually compete at the highest level in NASCAR’s Cup Series. Kuniskis confirmed the brand’s intentions:
“We have every intention to want to get there,”
Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO
This statement signals long-term plans for Ram’s presence in major NASCAR competitions, potentially influencing the brand’s motorsports profile and consumer recognition.
Clarifying the Brand Identity: Just Call It Ram
Kuniskis underscored the importance of recognizing the brand as Ram alone, managed under Stellantis, rather than using its former “Dodge Ram” identity:
“It’s actually Ram that’s going back to NASCAR,”
Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO
“Everybody else in the world calls it Dodge Ram.”
Tim Kuniskis, Ram CEO
This distinction reflects current corporate branding and marketing strategy, aiming to establish Ram as a standalone entity in motorsports and the commercial auto market.
