February 7, 2026 , Auburn Hills, Mich. – One week ahead of Ram Racing’s return to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, the brand officially crowned the winner of its competitive reality series, Race for the Seat. Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell claimed the final open seat on Kaulig Racing’s 2026 Truck Series roster and will drive the No. 14 Ram 1500 when the season kicks off next weekend at Daytona.
“I’m just overwhelmed. Winning Race for the Seat is something I never in a million years figured would happen,” said Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell. “I came into this hoping to learn a thing or two, grow a bit and see if I could hang with a bunch of great drivers. I’m thankful from the bottom of my heart for my family, for everybody who’s been in my corner and for Ram and Kaulig Racing for this opportunity, taking a chance on a kid that comes from grassroots racing and elevating me to a professional level. I’m gonna work my tail off to make everybody proud.”
Ram’s approach to NASCAR pairs its bold, differentiated 2026 Truck Series return with fan‑driven activation and a talent‑building pipeline highlighted by Race for the Seat and the inclusion of a Free Agent driver, underscoring its long‑term strategy to reestablish the brand in America’s premier motorsport.
“Ram is built on grit, competition and a relentless drive to approach our NASCAR effort differently,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of American Brands, SRT Performance, North America Marketing and Retail Strategy, Stellantis. “Race for the Seat brought that spirit to a national stage. The series gave emerging drivers a chance to prove themselves under real pressure and earn their shot in the NASCAR Truck Series with Ram and Kaulig Racing. Mini earned his place on our team, performing exceptionally throughout the competition and is a natural fit for Ram’s ‘last tenth’ culture.”
Hailing from Manassas, Virginia, Tyrrell is also known for becoming the youngest Late Model Stock Car winner in U.S. history at age 10 and for earning the 2019 CARS Tour Rookie of the Year title. Tyrrell has accumulated multiple wins and poles in the CARS Late Model Stock Tour. Off the track, Tyrrell leads Mini’s Mission: “Burn Rubber to Help Another,” a nonprofit he founded at age 6 that has raised more than $650,000 for pediatric cancer causes.
“Race for the Seat allowed us to evaluate drivers in a way you normally don’t get the chance to,” said Matt Kaulig, team owner of Kaulig Racing. “Over eight episodes, we saw how they competed, prepared, adapted and handled pressure across different tracks and challenges. Mini proved he was ready for this opportunity, and we’re excited to welcome him to the Kaulig Racing team.”
Tyrrell will take the final seat on Kaulig Racing’s five-truck lineup for 2026:
- Race for the Seat – Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell (No. 14)
- Brenden “Butterbean” Queen (No. 12)
- Daniel Dye (No. 10)
- Justin Haley (No. 16)
- Free Agent (Daytona) – Tony Stewart (No. 25)
Race for the Seat
In partnership with Thrill Sports Productions, Ram’s Race for the Seat reality competition series gave 15 aspiring drivers the chance of a lifetime: to earn a spot in one of five Ram 1500 race trucks on the Kaulig Racing team for the 2026 season. Over eight adrenaline-fueled episodes, contestants went head-to-head on iconic tracks, including Virginia International Raceway and South Boston (Virginia) Speedway. Viewers were given an inside look at the drivers’ lives, internal battles, triumphs and the raw determination it takes to rise through the ranks of motorsports.
Kaulig Racing
Kaulig Racing™ is a full-time, multi-car NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team owned by award-winning entrepreneur Matt Kaulig. The organization fields two Cup cars and serves as the anchor factory team for Ram’s highly anticipated return to NASCAR in 2026, when Kaulig Racing will field five full-time Ram 1500 trucks. Established in 2016, Kaulig Racing competed in over 700 NASCAR Xfinity Series (2016-2025) races, earning two regular-season championships and posting 27 victories. In 2021, the team began competing part-time in the Cup Series races before expanding to a two-car, full-time team in 2022 and adding a third, part-time entry during the 2023 season. Since its first Cup Series start in 2021, the team has earned two wins. To learn more about the team, visit kauligracing.com.
Ram Brand
Ram offers a full lineup of pickups and commercial vehicles: light-duty Ram 1500, heavy-duty 2500/3500, 3500/4500/5500 chassis cab and ProMaster vans.
Ram light-duty and heavy-duty pickups offer products in the fastest growing segments within the pickup space, off-road and customized. Ram has introduced the largest variety of off-road performance trucks the brand has ever offered, including the new Ram 1500 SRT TRX with more horsepower per dollar than any other performance off-road pickup.
In the commercial business, Ram offers the chassis cab line with features to help customers and upfitters. Ram Professional is making considerable changes in process, execution and resources with a focus on commercial offerings, dedicated B2B-focused expertise, and sales and service support, which are critical to growing in this segment.
Ram continues to outperform the competition, setting the benchmark in the most important areas for truck buyers:
- Segment first: 1,000 lb.-ft of torque with Cummins turbo diesel
- Most luxurious: Ram 1500 Tungsten with air suspension, 24-way massage seats and 540 horsepower
- Ram 1500 and Heavy Duty: Best ride and handling with five-link solid rear axle with available, segment-exclusive, active-level air suspension
- Ram 1500 SRT TRX: Best off-road performance per dollar and the most powerful, production, street-legal, gas, half-ton pickup ever
- Ram ProMaster: The most cargo space available in any traditional full-size cargo van
- Ram Power Wagon: Most off-road-capable full-size pickup
Ram is improving market competitiveness and growth while maintaining pricing power through products, services and electrified offerings. Aligned under the global presence of the Stellantis Pro One commercial vehicle organization, Ram currently offers a wide range of products globally, from the Ram 700 compact pickup to the Ram 5500 Chassis Cab and a range of ProMaster vans.
Ram is part of the portfolio of brands offered by leading global automaker and mobility provider Stellantis. For more information regarding Stellantis (NYSE: STLA), please visit www.stellantis.com.
Follow Ram and company news and video on:
Company blog: blog.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Media website: media.stellantisnorthamerica.com
Ram Truck brand: ramtrucks.com
Facebook: facebook.com/RamTrucks
Instagram: @ramtrucks
X: @RamTrucks, @StellantisNA
YouTube: youtube.com/RamTrucks, youtube.com/StellantisNA