NASCAR Insider Questions RAM Trucks' Timing of Entering the Cup Series

Newsweek

2 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
NASCAR insider Kevin Harvick has welcomed the entry of Stellantis' RAM Trucks into the Truck Series. However, considering RAM CEO Tim Kuniskis's goal of the brand racing in the Cup Series eventually, Harvick has questioned the timeline for RAM's Cup Series entry. Will it happen in 2027 or 2028?
RAM Trucks made the big announcement of joining NASCAR in 2026 at the Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway. Though the brand has yet to form a team, it remains confident in its plans to race in the Truck Series next year at Daytona.
Harvick opened up on RAM's entry into the sport and questioned why it had left 13 years ago. Speaking on his Happy Hour podcast, he said:
A general view of the Ram announcement that its brand will return to NASCAR competition, scheduling a Craftsman Truck Series campaign beginning in 2026 on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino...
A general view of the Ram announcement that its brand will return to NASCAR competition, scheduling a Craftsman Truck Series campaign beginning in 2026 on the midway prior to the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 08, 2025 in Brooklyn, Michigan. More"It's really neat to see RAM come back to the Truck Series. They were always such a big part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and everything that happens and has happened with it through the years. So they just, I mean — it's just NASCAR. They're just a NASCAR brand. I don't know why they ever left. I'm happy that they're back.
"I can't wait to see who their teams are going to be in the Truck Series. I think it will be very interesting to see that play out. Maybe they've already got them picked. But building these programs is always intriguing."
Harvick added that RAM will have to mostly focus on the aero side of performance in the Truck Series. But to race in the Cup Series won't be that easy, a point that prompted him to question RAM's timeline to enter the top tier. He said:
"It's a great time to come into the Truck Series, because of the spec engine. You don't have to develop an engine. You basically are going to develop the aero side of things with your body. It's a lot simpler to get started in the Truck Series. The hard part will be getting everything situated for Cup and the timing of that. Is that 2027? Is that 2028? What is that timing?"
The former NASCAR driver believes RAM's Cup Series arrival in NASCAR will benefit the other three manufacturers. He explained:
"But to have them back in the Cup Series is going to make it better for the Toyota, Chevy and Ford teams, because those manufacturers are going to have to lose some people and they're going to have to either keep spending the same money with less teams, or spend a little bit more money. So, as a team owner in the past, when more manufacturers compete, the better it is for the team, because you get more funding, which means you can sell the sponsorship for less."