Alex Bowman, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet- Sidelined by damage sustained in an accident in Stage Two.

Bowman on the accident that ended the No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team’s day early at Michigan International Speedway:

“It just looked like the No. 2 (Austin Cindric) got into the No. 41 (Cole Custer) or he was in a bad aero spot, something like that. The No. 41 got loose and at that point, being on the outside, when they get into you, you’re just along for the ride. Really quickly turned the car into the outside wall and it was a massive crash. Hate it for our No. 48 Ally Chevrolet team and everyone at Hendrick Motorsports. We just have to keep digging. It’s been a really bad two months for us, but we just have to keep working hard.”

How do you find the positives when we have a new racetrack next weekend in Mexico City and another couple of road courses in the next five weeks, with this group and speed you guys have had?

“We’ve had a lot of speed and a lot of good race cars. Obviously today, we were off from where we needed to be. But just the support that we have from Rick (Hendrick), Jeff (Gordon) and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, they’ll give us the tools we need to get turned back around. We just needed to get pointed back in the right direction. We’re a much better race team than this.”

GM PR

NASCAR is “very close” to striking a deal with a new manufacturer to join the stock car racing series, NASCAR EVP, chief racing development officer John Probst told Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. Probst’s comments come as Ram, the Stellantis truck brand, announced Sunday it is re-joining the Truck Series in 2026.

Honda has been heavily rumored to be interested in joining NASCAR. Its arrival would make it the fifth OEM (original equipment manufacturer) to come aboard. With Ram back, it marks the first OEM announcement since Toyota joined the sport in 2004. The time gap between Toyota’s arrival and Ram’s re-joining was 21 years. Probst is hopeful the next announcement will come much sooner.

“Well, I hope it does because I’ll probably be retired if it’s 20 years again. But I feel like — we have said this 900 times to you guys and until today I didn’t have any breakthrough news to announce and today we’re proud to welcome Ram back into NASCAR,” Probst said. “I don’t want to jinx ourselves. But I would say we are very close with one other; can’t speak for them. Obviously, it’s their decision to make — [but] we would love for them to decide to come into NASCAR. And even with that, there’s one or two others that we’re a little bit earlier in the discussions [with] but also looking pretty positive.

“But we also know an OEM deciding to come into NASCAR — it’s a big commitment for them, and it’s not something they take lightly. It requires a lot of research and approvals at the highest levels, and we’re confident right now, we like the position we’re in and think we’re a pretty good investment for an OEM.”

Honda would appear to be the favorite. However, Chuck Schifsky, manager of Honda and Acura Motorsports for American Honda Motor Co., has “no news to share at this time.”

“I am not in a position to speculate as to what Mr. Probst was referring to,” he told SBJ. “I can say that — Honda continues to explore multiple options for our future endeavors in U. S. motorsport. We have no news to share at this time.”

Following the thrilling NASCAR GP UK at Brands Hatch, the NASCAR Euro Series PRO championship leader will take the international stage on the other side of the Atlantic to race the iconic GP3R in the Streets of Trois-Rivieres in Quebec. The top driver in the standings after the British round will be invited to compete in this prestigious event on August 8-10, further strengthening the bond between NASCAR’s international series. The entry will be supported by Rousseau Metal and Festidrag.

Providing unique career opportunities for its drivers is at the heart of NASCAR Europe, and this cross-continental driver exchange marks another milestone in its ongoing commitment to worldwide growth. As a marquee event on the NASCAR Canada Series calendar, the GP3R offers European talent a chance to showcase their skills on one of North America’s most iconic street circuits, competing against top Canadian drivers in front of thousands of passionate fans. NASCAR Euro driver Frederic Gabillon benefited from this exchange program and made it to the GP3R grid back in 2018, finishing 8th overall.

Meanwhile, Canadian NASCAR driver Raphael Lessard will kick off his NASCAR Euro journey by joining the grid for the playoffs opening round at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Germany on September 20-21. As a key focal point of the transatlantic collaboration, Oschersleben will offer Lessard an exciting platform to showcase his talent on the European stage.

The exchange initiative not only highlights the sporting talent across continents but also reflects the shared values of the NASCAR family: exciting racing, passionate communities, and international cooperation. With this latest announcement, NASCAR Europe continues to pave the way for a more unified and globally connected future for NASCAR Racing.

NASCAR Euro Series PR

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ —

• Ram returns to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2026, after a 13-year break, as part of a powerful product launch cadence — 25 announcements in 18 months

• Drive to NASCAR begins with a high-octane reveal of a new Ram 1500 concept race truck at Michigan International Speedway that includes a wild donut trailer

• Ram brand celebrates the HEMI® V-8’s historic comeback and return to NASCAR in “Ram-Demption” marketing campaign

• Performance pickups are embedded in Ram’s DNA: Ram 1500 RHO and TRX, Power Wagon and SRT10 Viper Truck

Ram will join the field for the 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, ending a 13-year break. Today, the brand unveiled a new Ram 1500 concept race truck that previews the design for next year. Returning to the racetrack marks a major milestone, part of a pedal-to-the-metal drive for Ram that covers 25 product announcements over 18 months.

The news of Ram’s return to NASCAR was officially announced by Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Ram brand, during a live NASCAR event at the Michigan International Speedway this weekend. Jaw-dropping moments included a Ram 5500 hauling a custom trailer built specifically for smoky donuts, courtesy of Ram’s NASCAR concept truck. Anderson Silva, Hall of Fame MMA icon, took to the track to shoot HEMI®-branded T-shirts into the crowd.

“For more than a decade, customers and our dealer network asked about getting back into NASCAR. The desire was always there, but we didn’t have a plan that delivered the last tenth and following just didn’t fit our DNA,” said Kuniskis. “Now we have a solid plan that will set us apart from the field and will bring fresh new interest and engagement to America’s motorsport.”

Joining the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, in a way that only Ram can, is a natural, strategic move for the brand, as more than 40% of NASCAR fans are truck owners. The popular and competitive race series gives Ram a high-performance showcase as it launches a series of exciting and capable new trucks.

“Ram returning to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is a major moment for the sport, and a sign that NASCAR remains a strong platform for blue chip brand partners,” said John Probst, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “We are excited to welcome Ram back to the sport. Its identity includes high performance, durability and innovation – characteristics that embody NASCAR and, specifically, the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.”

Ram 1500 NASCAR Concept
The Ram 1500 concept race truck unveiled today was molded by the Ram design team. The concept resembles a production truck, adopting elements from the Ram Truck Sport lineup (Warlock, Rebel and RHO), but honed with an aerodynamic signature to slip through the air efficiently, yet with enough airflow to cool a race engine that revs over 9,000 rpm. Body lines around the fenders and grille carry a familiar appearance, framing a large Ram logo that separates this truck from the pack.

The one-off body design is covered by a two-tone Gloss Black canvas with Molten Red lower. The Ram design team created an impactful and exciting livery that complements the visual emotion of Ram’s design DNA and highlights Direct Connection and Symbol of Protest logos. Mopar’s Direct Connection aftermarket unit is adding performance options for Ram trucks and earns prominent signage on the concept race truck.

“There will be more details on our NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series program later this year,” added Kuniskis. “We are undoubtedly having fun with this project, and I truly look forward to sharing information on our team and how getting back on track relates to the future of Ram performance.”

In conjunction with the news, the brand showed off its “Ram-Demption” campaign, featuring Kuniskis behind the wheel of Ram’s NASCAR concept truck at Darlington Raceway in South Carolina, with the iconic Goodyear Blimp and jets flying overhead. Different versions of the “Ram-Demption” video include 60-second, 30-second and 15-second spots that will run across NASCAR media and the Ram brand’s social media channels, plus a long-form video running on www.ram.com and on YouTube. “Ram-Demption” was created in partnership with Argonaut agency.

Ram’s racing news is part of a power celebration that includes a popular demand return of the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8, as orders open for the engine’s availability in the 2026 Ram 1500.

Ram exited factory support of NASCAR’s CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in 2012 after a 17-year run and focused on launching the new 2013 Ram 1500. Ram’s return is one part of a strategy to build on the greatest variety of sport trucks and off-road enthusiast trucks the brand has ever offered.

Ram boasts a rich history of performance trucks, including the Power Wagon, SRT10 Viper Truck, TRX, RHO, Rumble Bee, Little Red Express and Warlock.

In 2004, a Ram SRT-10, piloted by NASCAR driver Brendan Gaughan, set a Guinness World Record for the world’s fastest production truck with an average speed of 154.587 mph (248.784 km/h) at the Stellantis Proving Grounds in Chelsea, Mich.
 
Ram Brand
Ram offers a full lineup of pickups and commercial vehicles; the Ram 1500, 2500/3500 Heavy Duty, 3500/4500/5500 Chassis Cab and ProMaster vans.

The Ram Light-Duty and Heavy Duty pickups are considerably improved for 2025 and offer new products in the fastest growing segment within the pickup space—Sport Trucks. Ram introduced the largest variety of off-road performance trucks the brand has ever offered, including the new Ram 1500 RHO with more horsepower per dollar than any other performance off-road pickup.

In the commercial business, Ram is launching the new 2025 Chassis Cab line with improvements to help customers and upfitters. Ram Professional is making considerable changes in process, execution and resources with a focus on commercial offerings, dedicated B2B-focused expertise, and sales and service support, which are critical to growing in this segment.

Ram continues to outperform the competition, setting the benchmark in the most important areas for truck buyers:

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

BROOKLYN, Mich. — Dodge parent company Stellantis will enter NASCAR racing in 2026 with its Ram brand competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with an eye toward going Cup racing in the years beyond.

Whether that’s 2027 or later — 2027 is possible but would be an aggressive timeline — remains to be seen as the announcement Sunday focused primarily on the truck, a much easier lift than going Cup racing.

With all trucks in the series using an Ilmor engine and several common body elements, Ram just needed to design a nose, a hood, front fenders and a tail for its racing vehicle. Ram did not announce who will drive its trucks nor the teams that will field its trucks. Ram CEO Tim Kinuskis said he hopes to have somewhere between four and six trucks for the 2026 season opener at Daytona.

“We’re looking for a date to the prom right now [for trucks],” Kinuskis said. “So how am I going to get the Cup? That’s going to depend on how I get to truck. So however we get to truck is going will obviously weigh heavily on do I have a path to Cup?

“Our intention is not to do a one-hit wonder and go to truck and not to Cup. That’s not our plan.”

Ram does not have cars so what brand of car — Dodge? Plymouth’s possible rebirth? — is still to be determined although Dodge has a lengthy history in the sport and motorsports as a whole.

“Ram is coming back to the truck series,” Kinuskis said. “It has nothing to do with Dodge, despite the fact that everyone in the world calls it Dodge Ram. … If we go back to Cup, which is our intention, Ram doesn’t have a car, so obviously that would have to be Dodge coming back.

“But I’m not making that announcement. I’m not saying Dodge is back. Don’t put that headline. But when we get to that point, it wouldn’t be Ram, obviously.”

There is speculation in the industry that GMS, which has competed in all three national series over the last decade and was eventually bought out by Jimmie Johnson in the rebranding to Legacy Motor Club, will be involved in building chassis and/or fielding trucks for Ram.

Kinuskis promised a program that will elevate fan engagement, and YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, who has competed in some ARCA races, has been linked to the Ram program.

Dodge had Cup teams from 2001-12 before exiting the sport on a high note with Brad Keselowski winning a Cup title at Team Penske. When Penske left for Ford, Dodge had trouble landing a premier team and opted to leave the sport. No new manufacturer has entered the sport since Toyota did so in 2004 in trucks and 2007 in Cup. 

Kinuskis also said when he returned to Ram earlier this year, his two goals were to reintroduce the Hemi engine and get into NASCAR, where 50 percent of its fan base own trucks.

“It’s always bothered me,” Kinuskis said. “We’ve always been looking for a way to get back. It took us a long time to find the absolute right time.”

To re-enter Cup would take some engine development and significant body design, a process that would take at least 18 months, NASCAR Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said.

“The last time that engine ran was 2012 — the core components of the block, the head, the manifold, are all still relevant,” Probst said. “Our existing engine builders develop their engines every year. There’s been a gap there, so there’d be some development of that engine needed.

“But from the basic building blocks they could start from that and do some catch-up development.”

Kinuskis wouldn’t talk about a timeline Sunday for going to Cup racing.

“Our full intention is to be back in Cup,” Kinuskis said. “But right now we’re on a path for Daytona next year with truck, with our eye on when we can be in Cup after that. TBD.

“We’re a fly with no net right now trying to get to Daytona. That’s our focus right now.”

Keselowski, currently a driver and co-owner at RFK Racing, said the trucks are the right entry point for a manufacturer as it doesn’t have to immediately get an engine available and because of the parity in the series.

“[The truck series] is a great place for an OEM [original equipment manufacturer] to enter NASCAR and really kind of get that appetite going for the Cup Series,” Keselowski said.

“It’s a big jump from the truck series to the Cup Series, but nonetheless it’s a great entry point for OEMs, and hopefully they aren’t the only one that will enter the truck series.”

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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