Dana White’s influence on sports entertainment has extended into NASCAR’s world through a major partnership between a leading manufacturer and TKO Group Holdings, the $38 billion powerhouse behind UFC, WWE and PBR. 

White’s deal, foreshadowing the move by wearing a specific shirt last month, marks a significant shift in sports marketing and automotive sponsorship and arrives at a pivotal moment for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as Ram Trucks prepares to return to competition in 2026. 

Ram’s return to NASCAR, its first since the Dodge brand left the sport after the 2012 season, has already been generating buzz, with the manufacturer slated to compete in the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing fielding multiple Ram 1500 entries next year.

But the recent multi-year sponsorship deal with TKO Group Holdings elevates Ram’s sports strategy far beyond racing alone, connecting it with some of the most widely watched live entertainment properties in the world.

Under the agreement, Ram Trucks will become the official truck partner of WWE, UFC and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) beginning in January 2026. 

Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.

That designation gives the brand unprecedented visibility across multiple major platforms, integrating Ram vehicles into live events, broadcasted spectacles, digital content and fan experiences across all three properties.

White, President and CEO of UFC and a leading figure within TKO Group, framed the partnership as a natural alignment between high-performance athletics and a truck brand built on strength and capability. 

“I’m proud to announce that starting in 2026, Ram is becoming the Official Truck Partner of UFC, PBR and WWE,” White said in a statement. “We are talking about three of the biggest sports and entertainment companies in the world teaming up with one of the baddest truck companies in the country. I love the direction Ram is headed in 2026, and I’m very happy to be in business with them.”

Ram will appear throughout broadcasts and live events, with its trucks woven into content featuring UFC fighters, WWE stars and PBR athletes rather than limited to traditional logo placement.

The brand is expected to have a visible presence at major WWE Premium Live Events, including the Royal Rumble in January 2026, along with select UFC pay-per-view cards next year.

By showing up inside WWE arenas, UFC octagons and PBR chutes before bringing that exposure back to NASCAR, Ram is signaling a broader shift in how automakers use sports partnerships to build relevance beyond the racetrack.

https://www.dragracecentral.com:443/DRCStory.asp?ID=414767&NewHash=NHRA-SUMMIT

The resource you have requested in no longer available.

You have used an outdated link.

If you have followed an outdated link from one
of our other pages, please accept our apologies.

We have logged the error and sent email to the webmaster.

We will do our best to locate and correct the problem as soon as possible.

Spire Motorsports has confirmed its crew chief lineup for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season, with two months to go until the green flag finally flies at the Daytona 500.

However, what’s most notable about the announcement is who has not been included, with Chris Gabehart nowhere to be seen, despite persistent rumors recently linking him with an offseason move from Joe Gibbs Racing.

Gabehart had served as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief with the No. 11 Toyota team for six Cup Series seasons, helping him win 22 races along the way, prior to transitioning to become JGR’s Competition Director in 2025, much to the driver’s surprise.

With Gabehart replaced by Chris Gayle, he and Hamlin would win a Cup Series-high six races in 2025, including the 60th of the 44-year-old’s career, tying him with Kevin Harvick for the 10th most of all-time. Unfortunately for Hamlin and JGR, they wound up stumbling at the finishing line, leading the finale at Phoenix Raceway for 208 laps until, with four to go, a caution caused pit road chaos, prompting a mixture of tire strategies, which dropped Hamlin behind eventual title winner, Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports.

As for Gabehart, he wound up back in the pit box mid-season to help an ailing Ty Gibbs in the No. 54. “It’s no secret that what I’m most familiar with is these game-time situations,” Gabehart told RACER upon his return to pit road. “There are a lot of other things I do throughout the week, but the decision was made once we got three of the four [locked] in to put all we could put behind the [No.] 54 to try to get it in, too, and when you have a bench that’s got assets on it, you use it. That’s part of it.”

Sign up to our NASCAR newsletter here.

The decision paid off, with Ty finishing runner-up to Shane van Gisbergen at the following race in Chicago, going on to rack up another two top fives and four top 10s.

Despite this, it has emerged Gabehart has left JGR with Hamlin having no words for his shock departure..

While his exit has yet to be officially announced, his rumored move to Spire also doesn’t appear to have yet taken place. In the team’s crew chief announcement on Friday, it lists Ryan Sparks as Daniel Suarez’s crew chief, Travis Peterson as that of Michael McDowell, and Luke Lambert of that of Carson Hocevar. Furthermore, Matt McCall is listed as the Cup Series Competition Director.

Where this leaves Gabehart, who is still listed on JGR’s site as the Competition Director, is unclear. Should he end up leaving, Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently said on his podcast that he believes this would mark “a big loss for JGR, and it kind of makes you wonder what the general temperature is, I guess, when a guy like that’s going to leave the building.

“It appeared that he had position, he had been elevated out of the away from the crew chief position from Denny Hamlin into the Director of Competition, which is a very critical, important role. And I thought, ‘Man, this guy is perfect for this, and they will be well-positioned with him in that role,’” Earnhardt recalled.

“So it’s hard to imagine how he got away or what would have been the result or the cause, I guess, of the departure.”

NHRA officials are thrilled to announce today that Holly Springs Motorsports Park has joined the NHRA Member Track Network.

A standout facility located in Holly Springs, Miss., Holly Springs Motorsports Park is home for some of the most competitive bracket racing in the area. A new ownership group featuring Dominic Blasco, Raymond Poirier and Jack Ludvigsen purchased the track earlier this year, becoming an NHRA-sanctioned track starting in the 2026 season.

As part of the exciting move to the NHRA Member Track Network, Holly Springs Motorsports Park will also have the opportunity to host a Summit E.T. Finals event in the Summit Racing Series in 2026. Further details about the Summit E.T. Finals and the Summit Racing Series World Championship in Las Vegas will be announced in the coming weeks.

“We are excited to be part of the NHRA family by becoming an NHRA member track, as well as becoming a new home of a Summit E.T. Finals,” Blasco said. “This partnership represents a huge milestone for our facility and it reflects the work our team has put in to becoming a first-rate facility. Aligning with NHRA shows our commitment to the highest standards of safety and racing, and we believe this will bring more racers and more opportunities to our community. We’re thrilled to begin this next chapter of the track with NHRA.”

By joining the NHRA Member Track Network, Holly Springs Motorsports Park will be eligible to offer racers in the area a variety of NHRA-sanctioned racing opportunities in the future, including the NHRA Summit Racing Series, the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League, NHRA Street Legal, NHRA Jr. Street and more. Additionally, the track will have the chance to host NHRA specialty events like the NHRA Summit King of the Track and more.

Along with hosting several big events, drawing top racers and an impressive level of competition, Holly Springs Motorsports Park also gets access to NHRA’s extensive support programs as part of the member track network, insurance benefits and national marketing platforms

“We’re pleased to welcome Holly Springs Motorsports Park to the NHRA Member Track Network. The track has built a strong reputation for providing a competitive, racer-focused environment, and its commitment to growth aligns with NHRA’s mission to continue to strengthen grassroots drag racing,” NHRA Sportsman Manager Jason Galvin said. “We look forward to supporting those efforts and expanding opportunities for racers in the region, including the track hosting a Summit E.T. Finals race.”

For more information on NHRA, including the 2026 schedule, visit www.nhra.com.

This story was originally published on December 12, 2025.

The reimagined Rev ‘n Roll for Riley Children’s Foundation brought the motorsports community together for an evening of bowling and fun on Wednesday night at Western Bowl in Indianapolis, ultimately raising $13,000 for the nationally-ranked children’s hospital foundation. A star-studded lineup of drivers from NHRA, INDYCAR, USAC, and other professional series joined current and alumni Riley Kids, racing industry professionals, and friends and fans for a memorable night of giving, serving as a purpose-driven kickoff to the annual Performance Racing Industry show, which got underway this morning.
 
After opening ceremonies and driver introductions, the celebration began with a ceremonial “first roll,” led by Alexis DeJoria, Buddy Hull, Lex Joon, Alexander Rossi, Tony Stewart, Ida Zetterström, and others, who paired up with Riley Kids to officially open the event.
 
Participants enjoyed the evening decked out in specially designed, nitro-inspired bowling shirts supplied by ProThings. Fundraising efforts were further boosted thanks to the support of Joe and PJ Maynard, owners of Brownsburg-based JCM Racing, as well as AB Motorsports, Arrow McLaren, Bandero Premium Tequila, Impact Racing, NHRA, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, Summit Racing Equipment, and others, who contributed items to the silent auction, helping to further the event’s impact.
 
Three-time NASCAR champion and current NHRA Top Fuel competitor Tony Stewart emphasized his excitement for the night of giving, saying, “When (event co-organizer) Mike Lewis called and asked if I could be a part of the event, I told him yes before I even looked at my schedule to see if I had that date open. It is special to do this. Beginning the night hearing the kids’ stories is probably the best part of the whole evening, hearing the journey it took to get healthy again; the success stories, that’s the best part.” 
 
“We’re thrilled,” said Hali Warnick, who spearheaded the return of the annual fundraiser alongside Lewis. “I was thinking earlier today, Mike and I are no longer coworkers, and our careers have taken us in different directions, but we’ve crossed paths with so many people over the years, whether it be vendor relationships, former colleagues, or friends from the race track. To have everyone come back together and celebrate like this, it’s so meaningful. To see the night as successful as we’d hoped it to be, that’s incredible.”
 
For more information about Riley Children’s Foundation, visit RileyKids.org. 

This story was originally published on December 12, 2025.