It was announced on August 23 that the Craftsman Truck Series will have a new carmaker and team on its grounds in 2026. Ram Trucks, a sister brand of Dodge, will be returning to NASCAR competition in partnership with the Cup and Xfinity Series team, Kaulig Racing. It was revealed that the organizations will be putting five trucks on the field next season. This is a fantastic opportunity for drivers.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about these golden seats on the latest episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast, and he explained why they are unlike any other break.
First off, he said that he would be calling every single youngster in the Xfinity Series if they were the one in charge of filling the five seats. He added that he would also scourge the CARS Tour and other regional series for top drivers.
Junior believes that it would serve everyone well if Kaulig and Ram worked together to bring in a mix of drivers, with different levels of experience, to drive for them.
He detailed, “Get yourself a sure-fire, can’t miss veteran who can help you build the team, tell you where your trucks are and what you need and what you’re feeling.
“You bring in some grassroots young guy that needs that opportunity that everybody would be excited about, and you kind of have a mix in between.”
The view from the other side of the table
It is easy to see why such a formula would work. But there is also the perspective from the other side of the table. Junior firmly stated that the young drivers in motorsports must look at the opportunity to drive for the Kaulig-Ram partnership as a direct way to the Cup Series. Why? Dodge is widely rumored to be making a return to the Cup Series soon.
Should a driver race well for Ram in the Truck Series, he is bound to make a direct transition to the premier tier, thanks to the relationship between Dodge and Ram. Such a jump isn’t possible with any other team, including JR Motorsports.
Junior used Josh Berry and his journey over the past few years to make his case. Berry drove at JR Motorsports, then moved to Stewart-Haas Racing, and currently drives for Wood Brothers Racing.
This transition from Chevrolet to Ford wasn’t an easy one to go through. Drivers can avoid such tricky paths by driving for Kaulig Racing in the Truck Series. Dale Jr. provided a verdict, “So, there’s not a more pure direct pipeline right now than this new Dodge pipeline.
“Dodge is going to be a Cup Series team in the next year or two. If you jump in one of their five trucks and you go out there and win races, you have firmly supplanted yourself as their future. They can’t deny it.”
If Junior were a young driver, he would already be at the gates of the top brass of Kaulig Racing. It remains to be seen who the lucky five are who get to race for the golden goose next year.
