Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will make his return to NASCAR in February at Daytona International Speedway.
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart will make his return to NASCAR in February at Daytona International Speedway.
Stewart will race Kaulig's No. 25 Ram 1500 in the Feb. 13 season-opening race for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway.
Cummins/Kaulig Racing“I’ve raced just about everything with four wheels at Daytona, but never a truck. So when a seat in the new Ram was offered up for their first race back in NASCAR, I didn’t hesitate,” Stewart said. “Ram’s Free Agent program is another great way for me to stay sharp and have a little fun.”
Kaulig's "Free Agent" program will bring legendary drivers and rising stars to the spotlight. They will announce the driver before every race – and the announcement about Stewart comes a month before Daytona.
“We’re not just returning to the track; we’re rewriting the playbook. Bringing Tony in as the first Free Agent will generate a crazy amount of excitement, which is exactly why we created the program, allowing fans to watch an all-time favorite driver get back into the seat, but this time, it’s a Ram truck,” said Tim Kuniskis, head of American Brands, SRT Performance, North America marketing and retail strategy, Stellantis. “This is about honoring a legacy. Tony represents grit, determination and the spirit of racing — pure adrenaline for the fans.”
Stewart is the fourth driver Kaulig has named to its Ram Trucks program. His teammates at Daytona will be Brenden "Butterbean" Queen, Daniel Dye, Justin Haley and the winner of the "Race for the Seat" reality TV show set to debut and air before the season opener at Daytona.
"Having Tony Stewart in one of our Ram trucks is the kind of thing you dream about,” said Matt Kaulig, founder and owner of Kaulig Racing. “He’s a legend. His name alone brings energy to the sport. We couldn’t be more fired up to have him in our camp as we roll into Daytona for our first race. This is going to be a ride worth watching."
Stewart has 19 wins at Daytona across the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and IROC. Although he retired from full-time NASCAR competition in 2016, Stewart has continued his racing career in NHRA Top Fuel competition – winning in 2025 and contending for the title.
While Stewart's last NASCAR national series start was in 2016 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series, his last scheduled start was in 2020 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. However, the COVID pandemic scrapped his plans to run the race – setting up his first race in nearly nine years this February at Daytona.