NASCAR Insiders weigh in on who will drive for RAM in Truck Series

This past weekend, RAM Trucks announced a return to the NASCAR Truck Series for 2026. Since Dodge left the sport after 2012 and RAM left the Truck Series in 2014, fans have waited for this moment, and it’s finally come to fruition.

It was the first step the return of a fourth manufacturer for NASCAR, and now the question has become which driver and team will be tabbed to lead the charge. That’s what Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi tried to figure out on the latest episode of The Teardown.

“It’s interesting, because they say, ‘We don’t have a team yet,’ you know, the RAM CEO said, ‘We don’t have a date to the prom,’ and they’re going to Daytona next year, but right now they’re winging it, is basically what they said. Do you believe that they don’t have any (driver in mind)?,” Gluck prefaced.

Evidently, Bianchi believes the situation is evolving, but he’s enthusiastic about where RAM could head in 2026: “It is very much still TBD,” he clarified. “Now, there’s a direction they’re kind of heading in, on a couple of fronts, when it comes to the team side of things. But certainly a deal is not done, and it’s an evolving situation, for sure.”

One driver or team isn’t the mission for RAM Trucks. The manufacturer reportedly is zeroing in on having a handful of teams at Daytona for the start of the 2026 season, with four to six the number they have in mind. That would mean a healthy presence in the series that only fields, at most, 36 trucks per race.

Regardless, no teams or drivers have been confirmed for 2026 for RAM at the moment. However, the manufacturer is rumored to be working on a deal with YouTuber and current ARCA part-timer, Cleetus McFarland. 

McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, has made three starts at ARCA after making his debut at Daytona in February. He has recorded two top-10 finishes, including a P9 finish at Charlotte on May 23. McFarland has a large YouTube channel with over 4.3 million subscribers. He has another 2.6 million followers on Facebook and nearly 600,000 on TikTok.

Sports Business Journal obtained a document that listed McFarland as one of the names slated to be part of the program as a brand ambassador and driver. It’s not clear if he would compete on a part-time or full-time basis, but until an official announcement is made, we’re all in the dark.

No matter what, RAM Trucks returning to NASCAR is an awesome development, and seems to be the first step in what could be a major change for the sport. We can’t wait to see where it all goes from here.

— On3’s Jonathan Howard contributed to this article.