Ram Trucks CEO Talks Tony Stewart and Cleetus McFarland’s Potential Involvement in Truck Series Program

What’s Happening?

Ram Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis recently addressed rumors that Cleetus McFarland could race for the OEM in 2026 and the potential for Tony Stewart to be involved in their return to NASCAR during an interview with Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast.

Ram Trucks officially departed NASCAR after the 2012 season, but this February, rumors surfaced that they could return to NASCAR. Ram officially announced its return to NASCAR during the Michigan International Speedway race weekend.  

During pre-race ceremonies, the brand revealed its body style for the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season and expressed plans for a fellow Stellantis brand, assumed to be Dodge, to join NASCAR at the Cup Series level.

However, the OEM did not address who the team owners and drivers will be for their 2026 Craftsman Truck series program. Though there are rumors of multiple teams and drivers that could be involved with the brand, nothing is for sure. 

This week, during an interview with Kevin Harvick, CEO Tim Kuniskis was asked about two key parties with the potential to be involved in the brand’s return to NASCAR.

Will Tony Stewart Return as a NASCAR Owner?

Following his retirement from NASCAR Cup Series competition in 2016, three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart had a fallback plan to remain the owner of Stewart-Haas Racing.

While the team would perform above and beyond after Smoke’s retirement, over the next few seasons, they slowly fell apart in the 2020s. Ultimately, struggling for wins and sponsorship, Stewart and long-time co-owner Gene Haas decided to close SHR after 2024.

Though Haas remained an owner in both the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Stewart stepped away from NASCAR entirely after 2024 to focus on his NHRA Drag Racing team and Sprint Car racing team, Tony Stewart Racing.

That NHRA team happens to run Dodges, leading Kevin Harvick to, somewhat playfully, inquire about the potential for Stewart to assist in or even own a team as part of Ram and Dodge’s return in NASCAR. Harvick asked Kuniskis about his former team owner, stating:

“You’ve got one of the guys that knows how to do this already with Tony Stewart already kind of in the portfolio. Maybe we could just convince him to drive a truck, own a team. Is there any possibility that maybe I could help you convince Tony to reemerge as that cup owner?” – Kevin Harvick

In response, Kuniskis played down the question and explained that he had not heard anything about Stuart having an interest in the Dodge or Ram’s return to NASCAR. “People said when I was at MIS and I made this announcement, they said, ‘Are you just fishing for the team to see who stands up?'” Kuniskis said. “I didn’t hear anything from Tony, but we’ll see where this all ends up.”

Is Cleetus McFarland’s Ram’s Newest Driver?

One of the most shocking storylines about Ram’s return to NASCAR has been reports that YouTuber Garrett Mitchell, known by the screen name Cleetus McFarland, could be one of Ram’s drivers in 2026.

This rumor stemmed from a Jun. 1 report from Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, claiming that Mitchell is one of a few “potential drivers” for NASCAR’s new OEM. This rumor went far, with even NASCAR on FOX analyst Michael Waltrip mentioning it during the Truck Series race at Michigan.

Harvick, who recently interviewed Mitchell, brought this up to Kuniskis, asking how the YouTube star could play into their return. Kuniskis shot down the rumors of Mitchell racing for Ram in 2026, stating that he didn’t know where these rumors came from.

“I don’t know where that came from,” Kuniskis said. “People suspected that we had something to do with that. We actually had absolutely nothing to do with it.” Kuniskis even said that he has had little, if any, interaction with the 30-year-old ARCA Menards Series rookie.

“I hope that didn’t cause any problems for him because, honest to God, we had absolutely nothing to do with it. I don’t know him. I talked to him one time casually… I know who he is. I’ve seen the stuff that he does.” — Tim Kuniskis, CEO Ram Trucks

Nonetheless, despite playing down the rumors that Mitchell could race for the OEM, the Ram CEO then analyzed Mitchell as a great example of a serious driver with an entertaining personality.

“It’s serious business. You’ve got to be very serious about how you do it, and I think he balances that well. He is a legit, serious driver,” Kuniskis said. “He just also happens to be a completely entertaining person that’s coming from outside the sport.”

With just a handful of months left, Ram has a short window to regroup for Daytona in 2026. Though there are no confirmed teams or drivers, expect the announcements to happen sooner rather than later, as the clock is ticking on NASCAR’s newest OEM.

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