Ram will be making its triumphant return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series next year. The truck brand announced on Monday that one of the five race seats at Kaulig Racing, its anchor team, will rotate among a stable of “free agent” drivers. Ram’s Free Agent program will feature a mix of unknown up-and-comers and unexpected cameos making one-off appearances in the No. 25 Kaulig Ram 1500. Ram even called for interested drivers to email the company at [email protected].
Ram and Kaulig Racing plan to announce each Free Agent driver on the Monday before the race, lining up alongside the team’s full-time roster: Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, Justin Haley and a driver yet to be announced. While the one-off drivers won’t be eligible to compete for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship, Ram is creating a separate prize program as an incentive. The Free Agent drivers will compete among each other to have the best individual performance that season. Team owner Matt Kaulig said in a release:
“The Free Agent seat gives us the flexibility to bring in talent while keeping fans on their toes. Each driver will bring something unique to the team. It’s a new idea and exactly the kind of energy we want heading into 2026.”
Who doesn’t love a good cameo?
Very few things stoke a racing fan’s imagination like a one-off appearance. While it’s one part fantasy scenario and one part promotional stunt, the cameo drive has been wildly popular in NASCAR over recent seasons. Trackhouse Racing popularized the modern format with its Project91 entry in 2022. The fledgling outfit operated the No. 91 car in the Cup Series on a part-time basis for international stars. The program launched with 2007 Formula 1 champion Kimi Räikkönen racing at Watkins Glen. He would return the following year to run the No. 91 again at the Circuit of the Americas.
Project91 would hit its zenith later during the 2023 season. Three-time Supercars champion Shane van Gisbergen won the Chicago street race in the No. 91. The New Zealander’s victory was the first time in 60 years that any driver won in their Cup Series debut. SVG would make another Project91 appearance at Indianapolis Motor Speedway before transitioning to NASCAR full-time.
Trackhouse kept the No. 91 back at the shop for the 2024 season before entering four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Hélio Castroneves in the 2025 Daytona 500. According to Sport Business Journal, the team will likely have at least one Project91 outing next season. Team owner Justin Mark said, “I would bet on it coming back in ’26, and we’re pretty close to getting that deal done.” Variety is the spice of life, and fans love it when racing gets spicy.
