Tony Stewart Returns to NASCAR with Kaulig Racing
The legendary driver Tony Stewart will return to NASCAR competition, marking his comeback since 2016. Stewart will compete for Kaulig Racing in the season’s inaugural race at Daytona International Raceway, driving the new Ram Truck. Stewart, three-time NASCAR champion and Hall of Fame member, hadn’t competed in a truck at the national level since 2005. Currently, he competes for Dodge in the NHRA drag racing series. The opportunity to race for Kaulig Racing, which is bringing the Ram trucks back to NASCAR, presented itself as a perfect entry for the brand.Stewart will be part of Ram’s “free agent program,” designed to highlight proven drivers and rising stars. Ram will field five trucks in the 2026 season, with full-time seats for Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley, in addition to the free agent seat and an additional program called “Race For The Seat.”I’ve raced almost everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram for its first NASCAR race was offered, I didn’t hesitate.
Tony Stewart
Stewart is the only driver to have won all three USAC national championships (Midget, Sprint, Silver Crown) in the same year (1995). He also won the IndyCar championship in 1997 and the NASCAR championships in 2005, 2008, and 2011. In his career, Stewart competed in six Truck Series races, achieving two victories, the last in 2003.We’re not just getting back on track, we’re rewriting the playbook. Bringing Tony in as the first Free Agent will generate a lot of excitement, which is exactly why we created the program, allowing fans to see an all-time favorite driver return to the seat, but this time, it’s a Ram truck.
Tim Kuniskis, director of American brands at Stellantis
Kaulig Racing, which has two Cup cars, is the main factory team for Ram’s return to NASCAR in 2026. Founded in 2016, Kaulig Racing has competed in more than 700 NASCAR Xfinity Series races, obtaining two regular season championships and 27 victories. The team began competing part-time in the Cup Series in 2021, before expanding to a full-time two-car team in 2022 and adding a third part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first race in the Cup Series in 2021, the team has achieved two victories.Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is something you dream about. He’s a legend, his name alone brings energy to the sport. We couldn’t be more excited to have him on our team as we prepare for Daytona for our first race. This will be a journey worth watching.
Matt Kaulig, team owner
