Ram Trucks Will Return to NASCAR in 2026 in Search of 'Ram-Demption'
Ram will return to the NASCAR Truck Series in 2026, as announced by the OEM ahead of its home race at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday by revealing the 1500 truck performing donuts on top of a custom-built trailer, running down the frontstretch of MIS.
This is the second major announcement from Ram this week, following the news that Hemi is returning to 1500 Models in 2026.
Ram CEO Tim Kuniski is all in on returning Ram to its former glory and sees NASCAR as the ideal place to grow interest and engagement as it enters what's being called its "Ram-Demption."
"For more than a decade, customers and our dealer network asked about getting back into NASCAR. The desire was always there, but we didn't have a plan that delivered the last tenth and following just didn't fit our DNA," said Kuniskis. "Now we have a solid plan that will set us apart from the field and will bring fresh new interest and engagement to America's motorsport."
The OEM has an aggressive plan to have four to six cars racing in the series at the start of the 2026 season, with possible Cup Series entries following as early as 2027.
Brad Keselowski, the last driver to win a NASCAR championship with Dodge in 2012, their final year in the Cup Series, talked with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass about how good the Truck Series is for new OEMs on Saturday.
"The truck series has it going on right now," Keselowski said. "Their model is very strong for how this industry works, or how the racing works there, the engine package, the number of events they have, and so on and so forth. It's a great place for an OEM to entry NASCAR and really get that appetite going for the Cup Series. It's a big jump from the Truck series to the Cup Series, but nonetheless it's a great entry point for OEM and hopefully they're not the only ones."
You Might Also Like
You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox
Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners
The Man Who Signs Every Car
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hundreds of athletes participate in IRONMAN 70.3 in western Mass.
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – More than 1,500 athletes spent the day on Sunday braving some changes to the third annual IRONMAN Triathlon in western Massachusetts. IRONMAN 70.3 is a race made up of swimming, cycling, and running for hundreds of athletes from all over the world to get a chance to win hundreds of thousands of dollars for themselves and local organizations in the city. Race organizers brought it back to western Massachusetts for the third year. Holyoke hosts first Paper Festival, celebrating the city's history and culture 'The community here is incredible, so supportive,' said IRONMAN Foundation Executive Director Audra Tassone. 'It's a beautiful place and everybody is just so welcoming, and we're so excited to be back.' IRONMAN was supposed to start at 6:00 a.m., but the rain on Saturday led to the swimming portion being cancelled. The water levels in the Connecticut River were too high and were moving too fast, so as a pre-caution, the race started 40 minutes later with the cyclists from Riverfront Park. However, that didn't stop family, friends, and fans from lining up to cheer for the participants. The race went through Springfield, Agawam, Southwick, Westfield, West Springfield, and parts of Connecticut. It ended with a run through Forest Park. Some families said they were just excited to be there for the first time. 'It's just really exciting that he can do this while we're preparing to welcome our first child,' said Jenelle Janssen of Beverly. 'And it's a cool way for him to stay active while our life is about to change.' Another family traveled from Connecticut to see their loved one compete once again. 'This is my fifth IRONMAN spectating, because my wife is racing,' said Oye Oworu of Connecticut. 'We did Tremblant last year. We did this one, the inaugural one, she's been out to Utah, California, Maine.' The race ended with qualifying slots to the 2025 IRONMAN World Championship in Spain. It would be a new place for the Oworus to visit. 'We turn these things into vacation,' Oworu said. 'So it will be a vacation for me and another race for her.' WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Low housing inventory keeps sellers in control locally amid national shift
As a national report indicates sellers are now outpacing buyers at a significant clip throughout the United States, local real estate professionals noted that isn't the case within Lackawanna and Luzerne counties. The report released by Redfin — an online real estate brokerage — estimates the U.S. housing market had nearly 500,000 more sellers than buyers, as of April. Redfin pointed to three factors helping buyers throughout the country: recent economic uncertainty, high home prices and a mortgage rate lock-in effect that is beginning to ease. Lackawanna County had 274 active listings in May — a 17.1% increase over the 234 in May 2024, according to the Greater Scranton Board of Realtors. Meanwhile, listings were up 3.5% in April over March, and up 7% compared to the same time last year throughout the state, according to the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. However, Bob Vanston, broker/owner of Clarks Summit-based Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Preferred Properties, stressed many Lackawanna County homes continue to sell quickly. 'What I'm seeing is if you have a property that is well priced, it's sold within 10 days or less with multiple offers,' Vanston said. 'If they're overpriced, they tend to sit but that's always been the case except for 2020, where it was just off the leash. Sellers may be outnumbering buyers in other parts of the country, but certainly not here.' Vanston believes prospective buyers aren't retreating as much due to concerns regarding interest rates. 'You can get a Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) loan for about 5.75%,' he said. 'You're looking at low sixes, 6.25, 6.5 and that's what people have grown to accept. If you want a house, waiting for that interest rate to drop does not seem to be a reality anytime soon.' Vanston, who has more than 40 years of experience in the real estate business, added the cost of homes has changed drastically throughout the decades. 'About 15-20 years ago, you could get a really good house in the city of Scranton for under $100,000,' he said. 'Now, if you're under $100,000, it will need a ton of work.' However, the lower-priced homes provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs with ambition, Vanston said. 'There are plenty of flippers who are looking for these deals where they can do their work, fix them up if it's on a nice street, and make a handy profit,' he said. 'People want a house that is ready to move into.' While inventory has somewhat improved throughout the county, Vanston stressed many homes that aren't selling quickly are likely priced too high, even for the current market. 'We're finally seeing expired listings — properties that haven't sold in three to six months or a year on the market,' he said. 'But that usually indicates they're overpriced. If you're on the market for more than 30 days, unless it's a very unique property, you need to look at the price. Sellers often think it's something else, but if you adjust that price, people will come through and you will get offers.' * EVANS (File mug) * David Hourigan Show Caption 1 of 2 EVANS (File mug) Expand Wayne Evans, owner and broker of Scranton-based Wayne Evans Realty, noticed a slight blip in January and February where some homes stayed on the market a bit longer and prices dropped a bit, but the trend didn't last. 'It shot right back up again in April and May,' Evans said. 'Days on the market are around 47 and in January it was around 60 or more. All the conditions are there for it continuing to be a seller's market. Listing prices have gone up incrementally and that might have an effect over time, but we're still seeing multiple offers and a super competitive environment for nice properties that are priced well. It's always supply and demand, and supply is historically low and the demand is still there, despite interest rates and despite a lot of different factors.' A lack of new construction continues to keep inventory low and prices high, Evans said. 'I think that's really a big factor,' he said. 'Material (costs) continue to be higher than they were four or five years ago, so you're not seeing a lot of new construction. We have to somehow figure out how to get at that root cause, but a lot of it has to do with the lack of new construction, especially locally.' Evans expects the local real estate market will remain strong for sellers through the summer into the fall. 'I don't see anything — unless there is some world event — that indicates the market is going to change for the foreseeable future,' he said. Despite a modest increase, home inventory levels also remain low in Luzerne County, said David Hourigan, an associate broker/manager for Classic Properties, who is based in Mountain Top. 'Nine months to a year ago, there were around 425 active residential listings,' he said. 'Today, there are 519, but there is still a vast number of buyers waiting for the right neighborhood or house or price range to come along. It's not as frantic — you won't have 20 offers on the same house — but you'll still have multiple offers if the house is maintained and priced properly.' Homes that are properly priced are still selling in five to 10 days, similar to the climate in Lackawanna County, Hourigan said. 'The housing shortage is so acute — whether it's in Northeastern Pennsylvania or across the country — that the velocity of sales will continue,' he said. 'I've been doing this for almost 50 years and the interest rates are favorable compared to where they were when I started, but we were spoiled by the 2.5% to 4% interest rates, which weren't going to last forever.' The average sale price has also skyrocketed from 2019 throughout Luzerne County, Hourigan said. 'It's safe to say it's up 40%,' he said. 'We were at such a level, nonincreasing sale price for so long that it was absolutely due to increase.' Hourigan added high construction costs have also hampered new builds in Luzerne County. 'The cost to develop the land and bring it to market is extraordinary, and then the cost to put the house on it is far more than it was even five years ago,' he said. 'It's not affordable to most, so the demand is limited.' It remains unclear if or when the real estate market may revert back to pre-pandemic levels, when the playing field was more level for buyers and sellers, Hourigan said. 'I don't know if that's going to happen anytime in the next three to five years, unless land is made available with some grants to put in the infrastructure,' he said. A construction project is underway on the corner of Adams and E. Lackawanna Ave. in Olyphant Friday, June 6, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)A construction project is underway on the corner of Adams and E. Lackawanna Ave. in Olyphant Friday, June 6, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
CBS News
17 minutes ago
- CBS News
Downtown Detroit buzzes with celebration and energy for Motor City Pride
June is Pride Month, a time to show support for the LGBTQ+ community. Michigan's largest Pride celebration took over the streets of downtown Detroit on Sunday afternoon. Tens of thousands of people lined up along Griswold Street for the Motor City Pride Parade. "This is my first one in probably a few years. But I used to come all the time," Erika Cruz, a Detroit native, said. "It's way bigger, way more inclusive. It seems like there's a lot more big companies that are, you know, helping and donating and everything. So that's really cool." Dozens of local companies, community organizations and marching bands made the walk from Campus Martius to Hart Plaza, throwing souvenirs and candy from vibrant, colorful vehicles and floats. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer surprised spectators by making a beeline for the crowd. "Everybody's so happy. Everybody's always so nice anyway, so I'm glad everybody turned out and [is] actually having a good time," Tiffani Taylor, visiting from Savannah, Georgia, said. The vibe and atmosphere at Motor City Pride are what make this event one of the most attended celebrations of the summer. "It's just the love that you feel. You know, it's a nice environment, Sheresse Jackson, a Detroit resident, said. "Everybody loves everybody, you know. You leave with a smile, feeling better about yourself." This is more than just a parade. It's a show of harmony. "I've been crying half of the time through the parade, so I looked at my wife and I was like, I keep getting super emotional just seeing everybody super hyped up and all the love flowing," Cruz said. And of course, unwavering pride.
