What’s Happening?

A new rumor claims that Kaulig Racing could add a Truck Series team to its fleet in 2025; however, this could be with another OEM rather than Chevrolet.

What’s the Rumor?

As NASCAR rolls closer to the playoffs, the 2026 NASCAR rumor mill is heating up. Though the Cup Series’ silly season will remain rather quiet into next year, all eyes are closely watching the Craftsman Truck and Xfinity Series garages for news and rumors.

Specifically, when it comes to the Truck Series, most fans are curious about NASCAR’s newest OEM, Ram trucks, and what teams they will bring into their fleet for their return to NASCAR in 2026.

On Wednesday, a new rumor gained traction within the NASCAR community, claiming that Kaulig Racing could enter a Craftsman Truck Series team in 2026. Kaulig, owned by businessman Matt Kaulig, has been a long-time staple of the NASCAR Xfinity Series and is in its fourth season of full-time NASCAR Cup Series competition.

Furthermore, the well-known rumor mill account that posted this rumor, nascarrumornostalgia, claimed that Kaulig could enter the Truck Series with Ram, rather than their long-time partner, Chevrolet.

First things first, this is just a rumor, and neither the team nor OEM has commented on this matter. As with any rumor, it’s important to approach this with caution, as even if it is true, deals can fall through just as they’re about to cross the finish line.

Looking past the idea of Kaulig starting a Truck Series team, which is not uncommon for Cup Series teams, a rumor of this magnitude raises a lot of questions about Kaulig Racing, Ram, and potentially Dodge’s long-term NASCAR plans.

The Bigger Picture of Ram and Dodge in NASCAR

Since Ram confirmed its return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition in 2026, fans and insiders have been looking for clues as to who will carry the brand in 2026.

According to reports, ARCA regular Rette Jones Racing, Niece Motorsports, and a returning GMS Racing were among the teams rumored to be interested in joining Ram. With Niece already declaring that they are not leaving Chevrolet and the clock ticking until the 2026 season starts, there is yet to be a straight answer as to who will race Ram trucks in 2026.

Ram’s return is part of a bigger initiative from Stellantis, which plans to bring a new manufacturer, presumably Dodge, to the NASCAR Cup Series by 2027 or 2028. Like new OEMs of the past, such as themselves, Dodge could build a startup team for its first season back, though fans theorize it could be easier to flip one of the three other OEMs’ smaller charter-owning teams.

While Kaulig would be a good fit for this switch, as it is a winning organization with multiple charters, and support from Dodge could push them to the top, a reality in which the team creates a relationship with Ram presents two problems.

First, Kaulig would likely have to enter two different OEMs at once, as Dodge will not be in the Cup for at least one to two more seasons. But, in the past, some teams have entered different OEMs at different levels, such as Petty Enterprises running Rams in the Truck Series and Pontiacs in the Cup Series in the 1990s.

Second, if they were to sever their relationship with Chevrolet, Kaulig would lose their close connection to Richard Childress Racing, which may not be worth sacrificing to get in the good graces of NASCAR’s newest OEM.

Kaulig, RCR, and Chevrolet

It’s no secret that Kaulig Racing has deep ties to Richard Childress Racing. Of course, Childress’ grandson, Ty Dillon, drives Kaulig’s No. 10 entry in the Cup Series; the team also gets its engines from ECR and has its race shop on the RCR campus.

Nonetheless, this past offseason, Kaulig made aggressive moves to improve its team and build it to be more competitive in the future. These efforts included signing Christian Eckes to an Xfinity Series contract and bringing in former DEI, MWR, and Trackhouse executive Ty Norris, who has experience with new OEMs, as its Chief Business Officer.

While there are no visible signs that Kaulig could head out on its own, aligning itself with Ram and Dodge would be a high-risk, high-reward move.

The 2026 NASCAR season is still a ways away. Over the next few months, rumors such as this one will come to the forefront of the NASCAR community. But as always, some will come true, and many will turn out to be false.

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