Kaulig Racing and Ram announced today that 2008 Daytona 500 winner and 18-time NASCAR Cup Series victor Ryan Newman will drive the No. 25 Ram 1500 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway on Saturday, July 18.
Newman, nicknamed “Rocket Man,” drove Dodge machinery to 13 of his 18 career Cup wins and earned 43 of his 51 career Cup poles in Dodges. He adds star power to Ram’s rotating-driver Free Agent Program as the manufacturer returns to NASCAR competition after a 13-year absence.
“I’m really excited to get back behind the wheel at North Wilkesboro and to be part of Ram’s Free Agent Program,” Newman said. “It’s special returning to a brand I had so much success with early in my career, and racing at Wilkesboro is always cool.”
Newman enjoyed a decorated Cup career that spanned more than two decades. He debuted in 2000 with Penske Racing, quickly established himself as a qualifying powerhouse and consistent contender, and earned 2002 Rookie of the Year honors. He posted 18 wins — including the 2008 Daytona 500 and 2013 Brickyard 400 — 51 poles (with a record 11 in a single season in 2003), 117 top-five finishes and a runner-up finish in the standings across 733 starts.
While this race marks rare Truck Series appearances for Newman, he brings an impressive record to the division. In seven prior Truck Series starts, Newman captured one victory (Atlanta in 2008), one pole position, six top-five finishes and six top-10s. He also owns seven O’Reilly Auto Parts Series victories.
During North Wilkesboro’s revival, Newman won a 50-lap modified race there in August 2022, calling it one of the most memorable victories of his career. He joins Ram’s Free Agent Program, which features a different driver in the No. 25 nearly every weekend as part of the manufacturer’s 2026 return to the Truck Series with Kaulig Racing.
The initiative has already featured an impressive and diverse lineup, including three-time Cup champion Tony Stewart at Daytona, along with Ty Dillon, Colin Braun, Corey LaJoie, Travis Pastrana, Parker Kligerman, Clint Bowyer, A.J. Allmendinger and Carson Ferguson. Former Daytona 500 winner Jamie McMurray will drive the truck at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego on June 19.
Entrepreneur Matt Kaulig founded Kaulig Racing in 2016 as a part-time O’Reilly Auto Parts Series team. The organization grew rapidly into a full-time powerhouse, securing its first of 27 O’Reilly Auto victories in 2018, expanding to the Cup Series in 2020 and earning two road-course victories with Allmendinger.
In 2026, Kaulig entered the Truck Series in partnership with Ram. The team fields a five-truck lineup that includes full-time entries for Corey LaJoie (No. 10), Brenden Queen (No. 12), “Mini” Tyrrell (No. 14), Justin Haley (No. 16) and the No. 25 Ram Free Agent entry.
FS1 and the NASCAR Network will broadcast the North Wilkesboro race live at 1:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, July 18.
— Kaulig Racing —