What’s Happening?

Among all the rumors surrounding the return of Ram Trucks to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, one has recently taken the NASCAR community by storm. So why are NASCAR fans talking about Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, and Ram Trucks?

This past weekend, one of the many online conversations in the NASCAR community centered on NASCAR Hall of Famer, former team owner, and current NHRA Top Fuel racer Tony Stewart.

The rumor was that Stewart could make his return to NASCAR’s National Series via the Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

This would theoretically be due in part to Ram’s return to the sport as part of a broader effort by parent company Stellantis to join the sport. As part of this effort, the OEM is fielding five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries with Kaulig Racing in 2026.

Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if some of it is true, it lacks vital context and confirmation from the team, driver, and OEM involved. Nonetheless, for some, this rumor may be shocking, so let’s break down the source and what we already know about certain aspects of the rumor.

The Rumor

Here is a pretty big story to follow. On the @RAMMINisRACING podcast Wednesday night we speculated Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne made sense for names that could be attached to the Kaulig/RAM All star truck. On Friday we were told by a source that those names were actually names… pic.twitter.com/d7q1mwEEOU

— Kaulignation (@Kaulignation) November 9, 2025

Since reports first surfaced that Ram was returning to NASCAR in 2026, numerous rumors have circulated about how this will unfold, even after Kaulig Racing confirmed its plans to field five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series entries for the OEM in 2026 this summer. 

Furthermore, after announcements of Brenden ‘Butterbean’ Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley as drivers for the team in 2026, these rumors have yet to slow down, as fans have now turned their attention to the final two trucks that the team will field in the upcoming season.

One rumor suggests that one of the two entries may be used as a seat for the winner or winners of a currently filming reality TV show. Another claims that a fifth truck could be used as an “All-Star” truck, similar to the No. 7 used by Spire Motorsports.

This past weekend, during an episode of the Skinner Roundup on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, NASCAR Truck Series legend Mike Skinner and his wife, Angie, discussed this rumored All-Star entry.

Notably, at around the 36-minute mark, Angie said, “We’re hearing a couple of pretty big names that could be a part of that All-Star truck. One of the names being Tony Stewart, which would be huge.”

Although she stressed that these are just rumors, while also mentioning NASCAR legend Kasey Kahne as another rumored option, the NASCAR community quickly picked up on this name drop, leading to an online discussion about the potential returns of both Stewart and Kahne to the Truck Series.

Alongside the comments from the Skinners, a well-known Kaulig Racing fan account claimed that they had also heard this rumor and had continued to support this claim in follow-up posts.

So, taking all the talk of this rumor into account, is there anything that has been said by the parties involved that could hint at the validity of this rumor?

Tony Stewart and Dodge?

First and foremost, if you have not kept up with Stewart’s NASCAR career, you may have missed a few chapters. 

In recent seasons, Stewart has begun racing full-time in the NHRA Top Fuel division. While he will not race for them in 2026, the team he owns, Tony Stewart Racing, is a Dodge team.

Fans have used this relationship as a connection point for Stewart and Ram.

Nonetheless, in a June interview with Kevin Harvick on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, RAM Trucks CEO Tim Kuniskis said that he had not heard about Stewart having any interest in playing a role in Dodge or RAM’s return to NASCAR. 

However, it is worth noting that Harvick did ask Kuniskis about Stewart coming back as an owner, rather than a driver.

Following this interview, and partly due to what many fans consider Stewart’s growing disinterest in NASCAR, many wrote off the idea of Stuart racing for the team.

However, if Ram and Kaulig want to enter an “All-Star” truck, they would need drivers who have no affiliation with a different OEM. This is where drivers who have not entirely shuttered their racing careers, like Stewart and Kahne, could come into play. 

Although Stewart is not racing on ovals as of late, as recently as this season, Kahne raced in a NASCAR Xfinity Series event for Richard Childress Racing at Rockingham and participated in the High Limit Series.

Back to Reality

Unfortunately for fans of Smoke and Kahne, aside from these points, there is little public information available to suggest that the team could target these two drivers.

First and foremost, the All-Star truck is still a rumor, and even if it comes together, there is always a reality where these plans could change.

Furthermore, as these are just word-of-mouth rumors, Ram is likely looking to utilize a former driver like Kahne and a NASCAR Hall of Famer like Stewart for promotional purposes as part of their return to NASCAR, rather than as on-track competitors.

At press time, neither driver, nor Kaulig Racing, nor Ram has confirmed any plans to race or enter an All-Star truck in 2026. So, for now, this remains just a rumor.

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