Ram Charges into NASCAR, Returning 2026

The age-old adage ”win on Sunday, sell on Monday” will soon be a part of Ram’s marketing strategy once more. After a 13-year hiatus, Ram is returning to the NASCAR Craftsman truck series, part of an ongoing “Ram-demption” marketing push. This strategy in particular should appease the more than 40 percent of NASCAR fans that double as pickup truck owners.

With their eyes set on Daytona, eight or so months away, Ram has their work cut out for them; but, it may not be as much as initially conceived. At a private press backgrounder at the Stellantis headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, their progress thus far became immediately apparent. The back doors slid open to the sounds of a 9,000 rpm-revving, ground hugging, side-exhaust spewing Ram 1500 concept race truck. Oh yeah, it’s mean.

The driver was sunk low in the operator’s rigid bucket seat, the passenger seat axed to expose a white floor contrasted by a large, red fuel line and aptly-placed fire extinguisher. Through the interwoven roll cage, a simplistic dash was on display, an ignition switch and race-ready readouts replacing the Uconnect 5 infotainment system seen on pedestrian Rams. The bed was covered, topped with clear sail panels adorned with ‘Ram’ typography; ‘Direct Connection,’ Mopar’s aftermarket support network, fulfilled numerous sponsorship spots across the livery. On each corner, this low-slung pickup met the glossy floor tiles through Goodyear slicks.

“For more than a decade, customers and our dealer network asked about getting back into NASCAR,” said Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Ram. “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. 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.”

With the return of the Ram 1500’s HEMI V8 and their continuing product pushes geared towards the rambunctious and rebellious, the brand’s reemergence in NASCAR seems all too perfect. And when you watch a Ram 1500 stock truck whip around Daytona early next year, you might just grin ear to ear.