NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series will be getting a bit more competitive. For the first time in 12 years, it will have an entry from Ram lining up in the starting grid. The announcement comes as part of an aggressive push by the Stellantis truck brand to turn around a sharp tumble in sales. The new race truck is believed to signal that Ram will soon add a midsize pickup to its retail line-up. More from Headlight.News.
Discussions with NASCAR have been underway for several years.
Ram delivered a surprise announcement over the weekend ahead of the Firekeepers Casino 400 Cup race at Michigan International Raceway .
The Stellantis truck brand will be rejoining NASCAR’s Craftsman Truck Series next winter. It will mark Ram’s first appearance on the grid in a dozen years – and the first time a new automaker has joined the Truck Series in more than two decades.
It’s one of a number of moves Stellantis plans to take in the coming months in a bid to rebuild the Ram brand after a series of largely self-inflicted setbacks.
ROI
Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis now sees NASCAR as a way to revive the brand’s weak sales.
Ram announced the news during an event at MIS – dubbed “Ram-Demption” — over the weekend, days after it first offered some details during an embargoed background medias briefing.
“We’ll be on track in Daytona in eight months,” Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis told reporters. The brand originally pulled out of NASCAR because it “couldn’t make a good ROI.” But he thinks it has a good way to get that return on investment this time around.
“The way we’re going to do it is unlike anyone else,” said Kuniskis.
The reality is that Ram has been struggling lately. Sales, earnings and margins tumbled last year. Significantly, the Ram 1500 pickup slid out of its traditional spot as third best-selling vehicle in the U.S. market. Considering the turnout at the typical NASCAR race, buoyed by the millions more who follow it on TV, Ram is betting it can rebuild demand.
“Activations”
Ram showed off the NASCAR prototype at its suburban Detroit HQ. And it just might offer a hint of what’s to come with the brand’s planned midsize pickup.
Ram will formally stake out a spot on the grid eight months from now at Daytona, and, said Kuniskis, “When you go to… future races after that, you’re going to see a completely different tone,” Kuniskis said. “You’re going to see an activation that is not a pop-up tent, khaki pants and a product brochure. You’re going to see a lounge. You’re going to see music. You’re going to see drinks. You’re going to see people having fun.”
One of the most intriguing “activations,” he hinted will be the NASCAR alternative to the mechanical bull. Hang on long enough, Kuniskis explained, and you’ll win a prize.
“You’re going to sign the release, ride the Hemi,” said Kuniskis. “If you can stand the red line, you’re going to get the Hemi badge of honor. You’re going to get a T-shirt that no one can buy. This isn’t a stunt. This is an indication of how we’re coming back to NASCAR. We’re going to shake up this sport and really make our presence known.”
More Ram News
- Ram Says “The Hemi is Back”
- The $40,000 Truck is Dead, Says Ram CEO
- Ram Ends Production of Value-Focused 1500 Classic Pickup
From track to street
The decision to go back to NASCAR has been in the works for some time and was part of “ongoing talks,” explained John Probst, NASCAR’s executive vice president and chief racing development officer.
Indeed, the MIS announcement saw Ram roll out a virtually race-ready prototype of what the brand plans to field next year.
Significantly, the truck is markedly smaller than today’s Ram 1500. For his part, Kuniskis hinted that the reporters who showed up at the Ram headquarters briefing should think about what they saw. The brand is finally ready, after a seemingly endless delay, to bring out an all-new midsize pickup.
The decision to return to NASCAR right now thus seems to be carefully timed to coincide with the midsize production model’s arrival.
Along with the NASCAR news, Ram this month announced it will bring back the Hemi engine for the big 1500. The decision to drop the V-8 with the launch of the next-generation truck has been seen as one of the reasons for Ram’s sales slump last year.
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