After a 13-year hiatus, RAM and Mopar have made their return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season with Kaulig Racing, partnering as the OEM’s flagship team. In the first season back, the results from the five teams have seen mixed results as the manufacturer tries to find it’s footing after its long absence.
Sitting 14th in points and highest amongst the group is Brenden Queen. Nicknamed ‘Butterbean’, Queen entered the series after a dominant season in the ARCA Menards Series in 2025 with eight victories and the championship. Owner Matt Kaulig and team president Chris Rice took notice and signed the 28-year old to their No. 12 Cummins RAM 1500 for the 2026 season. Queen has accumulated three top-10 finishes with his best coming in the season opener at Daytona. So far this season, the Chesapeake, Virginia native has an average finish of 17th with his only DNF coming at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Before the year began, Queen expressed that the ‘nice guy’ mentality needed to go away.
“The trucks are really aggressive because people are not going to lift for you,” Queen said. “Because I’m too nice, I was really nice in a race at Martinsville and I lifted for people. So, I’ve told myself, I’m not being nice.”
One spot below Queen in the No. 16 entry is Justin Haley. Kaulig and Haley are not unfamiliar pairing, as the 27-year old from Winamac, Indiana spent three full-time seasons in the NASCAR O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Series with the team, collecting four victories from 2019 to 2021. Haley also brings a veteran pedigree to the Truck Series, with securing three wins back in 2018.
Two top-10’s, an average finish of 18.5, and two DNF’s have been the results for Haley in 12 starts this year, with 23 laps led.
Five spots below is Mini Tyrrell in the No. 14. Tyrrell entered the season under unique circumstances, as he was awarded the ride from winning RAM’s offseason reality show ‘Race For The Seat’. The Manassas, Virginia native brings short track experience to the table from late model racing, but the inexperience of big ovals and road courses have been a tougher challenge. Only one top-10 finish coming at Watkins Glen and a 22.8 average finish.
Outside of the series, Tyrrell’s short track success hasn’t faltered. As he would win in the ‘Mini’s Mission 125’ at Dominion Raceway in the zMAX CARS Tour.
The fourth and final full-time competitor is Corey LaJoie in the No. 10 entry. LaJoie wouldn’t join the full-time fold until the
fourth race of the season at Darlington after the Daniel Dye suspension. In his short tenure with the team, LaJoie has maintained a 20th points spot in the standings with his best finish coming at Rockingham in seventh.
At last, the fifth and final entry for Kaulig in NASCAR’s third-ranked series comes from the No. 25 ‘Free Agent’ truck. A ride that has seen numerous names come through such as Tony Stewart, Ty Dillon, AJ Allmendinger, Colin Braun, Parker Kligerman, Clint Bowyer, Travis Pastrana, and fellow ‘Race For The Seat’ name Carson Fergueson. The ride also has announced future starts with the likes of Jamie McMurray at San Diego, and IndyCar veteran Conor Daly at Indianapolis Raceway Park.
The best result to come from the truck came from Allmendinger at Watkins Glen with a sixth place showing, the highest any RAM 1500 has finished this year.
The Kaulig Racing group will look to continue to build on the foundation already built as they travel out west to the Coranado Naval Base in San Diego, California for the ‘Navy 250’ on Friday, June 19 at 7 p.m.
