NASCAR secures fourth manufacturer as Ram enters Truck series in 2026

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The NASCAR Truck Series field will feature four manufacturers for the first time in over a decade next season with Ram entering the category, joining Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota.
This is a monumental decision that has been rumored for several months, but representatives from Ram and Stellantis finally confirmed it in a public unveiling at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday.
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Speaking in a limited media availability that included Motorsport.com, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer John Probst said of the highly anticipated return: 'We are excited to welcome Ram back to the Truck Series, starting in 2026. I know this is something that we've been talking about for a long time, and it's something we don't get to do very often. I think the last time we did this was over 20 years ago when Toyota entered our sport. So this is something that is a big moment for our entire sport and our existing competitors, potential new competitors, our OEMs.
'When we work with our existing OEMs, they have made it loud and clear that they would welcome a new OEM into our sport with open arms. They've been very helpful in that process with Ram and some of the other OEMs we continue to talk with. As we've said before, something we do on the regular is talk not just with our existing OEMs but potential new ones.'
Probst continued, outlining the advantages of having an additional manufacturer join the NASCAR Truck Series. 'We're excited to see the depth in the Truck garage grow even deeper with the support of Dodge coming in there. And I think something that is very clear is that they are going to come in here and do this very differently to the recent trend in the Truck Series. We look for them to really energize our fan base, particularly in the Truck Series next year.
'From the NASCAR side, I think this is proof positive of the strength NASCAR has when it comes to attracting those blue chip brands to come in and participate in our sport. So, we are very excited to welcome them back to the NASCAR family, and hopefully that creates a lot of momentum for us to have some more exciting announcements regarding OEMs in the future.'
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Dodge has quite the history in NASCAR, but the brand chose to pull its factory support from all three national divisions ahead of the 2013 season. In the Truck Series, Dodge won the manufacturer's title with Ram in 2001, 2003 and 2004.
However, Sunday's announcement does not include a planned return to the Cup Series. At this time, the plans only involve Ram in the Truck Series. Motorsport.com understands that they are aiming to have up to four to six entries on the grid for the 2026 season-opener. There is no finalized partnership with an existing team, but should the field size increase as a result of Ram's entry, NASCAR has indicated that they are willing to consider increasing the current field size in Trucks.
The Ram 1500 concept race truck unveiled at Michigan resembles a production truck, adopting elements from the Ram Sport Truck lineup (Warlock, Rebel and RHO) with some aerodynamic adjustments to fit NASCAR competition. While the new Ram body must undergo wind tunnel testing, NASCAR hopes to have it approved by August 15th. None of the existing OEMs are planning to update their bodies for the 2026 season. The Truck Series also utilizes spec NT1 engines provided by Ilmor for all manufacturers, removing a hurdle that exists in the higher two divisions.
NASCAR hasn't had a new manufacturer enter the sport since Toyota — roughly two decades ago. They also entered the Truck Series first in 2004, before expanding into the Cup Series for the 2007 season.
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