RAM has intentions to enter the NASCAR Cup Series for Dodge or another Stellantis brand: Reports

RAM Trucks will compete in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026, with its parent company, Stellantis, eyeing a Cup Series deal in the future. According to reports, the American automaker will design the nose, hood, front fenders, and tail for its cars.

There has been no news on which teams or drivers will field their trucks. However, Ram’s CEO, Tim Kinuskis, wants to see at least four trucks for the 2026 season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, and this number could go up to six.

That being said, the ultimate goal is to get into Cup racing. Kinuskis explained (via FOX Sports):

“We're looking for a date to the prom right now. So how am I going to get the Cup? That's going to depend on how I get to truck. So however we get to truck is going will obviously weigh heavily on do I have a path to Cup?”

"Our intention is not to do a one-hit wonder and go to truck and not to Cup. That's not our plan,” he added.

It’s not clear which brand of cars RAM will prepare for the 2026 season. While some say it will be Plymouth, others say it could be Dodge. But an official statement by Kinuskis suggests that RAM’s return to the Truck Series has nothing to do with Dodge.

“It has nothing to do with Dodge, despite the fact that everyone in the world calls it Dodge Ram,” Kinuskis clarified. “If we go back to Cup, which is our intention, Ram doesn't have a car, so obviously that would have to be Dodge coming back. But I'm not making that announcement. I'm not saying Dodge is back."

Dodge has had its cars running in the Cup Series since 2001, but ended its stint with Brad Keselowski winning the series title in 2012. Team Penske (Keselowski’s team at the time) then pursued Ford, leaving Dodge without an organization to partner with. So, they left the sport. Notably, no manufacturer has joined NASCAR since Toyota did in 2004.

RAM CEO Tim Kinuskis says he wants to crank up NASCAR’s nationwide fan base

(From left) Tim Kuniskis, CEO of Ram Brand, NASCAR Executive Vice President Steve O'Donnell, and John Probst, SVP of Innovation and Racing Development at the Ram display before the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 - Source: Getty

During an interview quoted by NBC Sports, Tim Kinuskis said that RAM’s objective was to take the 20 million NASCAR fans and make them 80 or even 100 million. Well, one might ask how the company is going to do that.

“We have a plan,” said, answering the question. “We know how we’re going to do it. We think we have a path to get to that. We think people are going to like the way we’re doing it because it’s going to be fun.”

“Not ready to share all the details with you yet, but I told you that the experiential piece was going to be just a little bit of how we’re doing it. It’s going to get crazier from there,” he added.

Besides increasing fan engagement, Kinuskis mentioned that their program will be linked to famous YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, who competed in a handful of ARCA races this year. But again, he didn’t say exactly how that’s going to happen.