Ram Trucks to return to NASCAR in 2026
BROOKLYN, Mich. — Ram Trucks, a spinoff brand of Dodge, will return to NASCAR as an original equipment manufacturer for the first time since 2012.
RAM returns to #NASCAR in 2026 pic.twitter.com/R0moosTncA
— Dominic Aragon (@DominicAragon) June 8, 2025
Ram Trucks will run the Ram 1500 model in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, starting in 2026/7/8. The move coincides with the brand reintroducing the HEMI V8 engine to their pickup trucks.
Pictures leaked prior to Sunday’s announcement at Michigan International Speedway, showing the race truck at the track. Ram Trucks also prominently teased the announcement as “Donut Day” with videos and a banner posted on their social media accounts.
Ram last officially ran as an OEM in 2012, notably supporting Brad Keselowski Racing, before pulling out of NASCAR at the same time as Dodge. Ryan Blaney is the most recent winner. The 2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion claimed his first Truck win in a Ram 1500 at Iowa Speedway in September 2012.
Ram’s re-entry to NASCAR marks a major step forward for the sport. The sport has long talked about adding a fourth OEM for the last decade, dating back to 2015 when NASCAR reduced the horsepower due, in part, to reportedly wanting to attract a fourth OEM to the sport.
The move is akin to Dodge’s return to NASCAR in 1995 when they came back with the Ram brand in the Truck Series. Four years later, Dodge announced a full return — to the Cup and Xfinity Series — that happened in 2001 until their exit in 2012.
While NASCAR on FOX indicated the possibility of Cleetus McFarland joining forces with Ram, drivers for the program aren’t confirmed yet.
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Jonathan Fjeld View All
Jonathan Fjeld is the co-owner of the The Racing Experts, LLC. He has been with TRE since 2010.
A Twin Valley, MN, native, Fjeld became a motorsports fan at just three years old (first race was the 2002 Pennsylvania 500). He worked as a contributor and writer for TRE from 2010-18. Since then, he has stepped up and covered 24 NASCAR race weekends and taken on a larger role with TRE. He became the co-owner and managing editor in 2023 and has guided the site to massive growth in that time.
Fjeld has covered a wide array of stories and moments over the years, including Kevin Harvick's final Cup Series season, the first NASCAR national series disqualification in over 50 years, Shane van Gisbergen's stunning win in Chicago and the first Cup Series race at Road America in 66 years – as well as up-and-coming drivers' stories and stories from inside the sport, like the tech it takes for Hendrick Motorsports to remain a top-tier team.
Currently, he resides in Albuquerque, N.M., where he works for KOB 4, an NBC station. He works as a digital producer and does on-air reports. He loves spending time with friends and family, playing and listening to music, exploring new places, being outdoors, reading books and writing among other activities. You can email him at fjeldjonathan@gmail.com