Ram aiming to put NASCAR Truck Series on the map with Free Agent Program

Tim Kuniskis made a promise to the NASCAR industry and fans that Ram's return to the sport would not be done quietly, but with bold, exciting intentions.

On Monday, the manufacturer announced another way to deliver on that promise with the unveiling of the Free Agent Program for its Craftsman Truck Series efforts. The No. 25 entry, one of five for Ram anchor team Kaulig Racing, will put a different driver behind the wheel each weekend, and one that will not be revealed until the week of the race.

“There are 20 million fans of NASCAR, but a large percentage of that is in the Cup Series; it doesn’t necessarily transfer back down to the Truck Series,” Tim Kuniskis, the CEO of Ram, told RACER. “Some of it is the time of the weekend that it’s on and things like that, but it never made sense to me because there are synergies between the two series, and the fact that 50 percent of the fans drive a truck. I never really understood why there wasn’t more engagement in the Truck Series. 

“I said, ‘You know what, that’s our challenge.’ Our challenge is that we’re going to be in the series, at least for the first year, exclusively, and we need to create more fan engagement in the Truck Series. That’s where the free agent (idea) came from.”

The conversation started early in Ram planning out its return to NASCAR, including understanding how much the sport has changed in the last 12 years. The advice started flowing in, some of which made Ram nervous but didn’t scare it away. One of the things that came up right away was opinions on how many trucks Ram should field.

To be competitive, the thoughts ranged from the number absolutely needing to be two trucks, to how Ram would be crazy if they tried to do it with anything less than six.

The sweet spot landed at three full-time teams for Kaulig Racing with Brenden Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley, and then two additional entries. One of those will be the free agent truck, while plans for the fifth truck are still to be announced. 

“It’s not 36 drivers on the grid,” Kuniskis said. “There are probably 400 that NASCAR and someone the caliber of Kaulig Racing would say, ‘This is a driver who is qualified to compete,’ and for whatever reason, maybe they’re retired from NASCAR, maybe they’re in a different form of motorsports, or in something else, and they are not on the grid or in the Truck Series. We said, ‘What if we could bring them in and every single week have a different driver?’ 

“Maybe it’s 25 drivers, maybe it’s 18 drivers, and some of them do it more than once, and things like that. Could we expand the reach and the engagement of the Truck Series? We all agreed it would be really cool and really fun. Holy (expletive), can we actually do this, though? So, we said, ‘You know what, we’re going to try it.’”

Kuniskis hopes one way the program drives engagement is through fan response. Not only in how it plays out, but also in its reach among fans who want to see their favorite driver participate.

The driver announcement for race weekend will take place on Monday of race week. Kuniskis admitted that some drivers have already come calling about the opportunity since word around the NASCAR garage travels fast. 

The entry will not be chasing points or a championship. Ram will have its own point system for drivers of the No. 25 entry, based on individual track performance, and a prize will be awarded at the end of the year. Those details will be announced before the start of the 2026 season at Daytona International Speedway.

And for driver eligibility? The program is open to anyone in the motorsports world. It is not limited to those with NASCAR experience.

“There are only two rules,” Kuniskis said. “No. 1: NASCAR. No. 2: Kaulig Racing. If they both agree (insert driver here) will be safe on the track and not put anyone else at risk, great. Then, if we think it fits the brand, what we’re doing, it’ll be a competitive driver and fun and engaging, they’re eligible. 

“That’s it.”

Friday, February 13, at Daytona is the first race of the 2026 season for the Craftsman Truck Series. There are 25 races on the schedule.