Ram: Race for the Seat is an American reality television competition series that aired from January 25 to February 6, 2026. The series features 15 aspiring race car drivers from various short-track backgrounds competing for a full-time professional ride in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for the 2026 season. The competition served as the official launch for Ram Trucks' return to NASCAR competition.
On February 7, 2026, Timothy "Mini" Tyrrell was crowned the winner, earning the seat in the No. 14 Ram 1500 for Kaulig Racing.
Premise The show follows 15 contestants living together in a house in North Carolina while undergoing a series of on-track and off-track evaluations. Drivers are judged on their performance in Late Model Stock Car, Legends, and Go-kart competitions, as well as their physical fitness, technical feedback, and media marketability. The winner of the competition receives a fully funded primary sponsorship from Ram for the entire 25-race NASCAR Truck Series season.
Judges and mentors The competition is overseen by a panel of industry leaders: Tim Kuniskis: CEO of Ram. Matt Kaulig: Owner of Kaulig Racing. Chris Rice: President of Kaulig Racing. Ty Norris: Kaulig Racing Chief Business Officer.
Contestants The roster consisted of 15 drivers selected from regional series such as the CARS Tour, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, and ARCA Menards Series.
Driver Background Result Timothy "Mini" Tyrrell CARS Tour (LMSC) Winner Carson Ferguson Dirt Late Model / Legends Runner-up Austin Beers NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Finalist Landon Huffman Late Model Stock Cars Finalist Trevor Ward Virginia Late Model Triple Crown Semi-finalist Mike Christopher Jr. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Semi-finalist Casey Kelley Late Model Stock Cars Eliminated Cody Kelley Late Model Stock Cars Eliminated Tanner Reif ARCA Menards Series West Eliminated Jared Fryar Late Model Stock Cars Eliminated Kade Brown Late Model Stock Cars / Legends Eliminated Ryan Gemmell NASCAR Classic Series Eliminated Chase Burrow Late Model Stock Cars Eliminated Jonathan Cash SE Modifieds / LMSC Eliminated Grant Griesbach Midwest Super Late Models Eliminated Reference:
Venues The series was filmed at several prominent racing facilities in the Southeastern United States: Virginia International Raceway (Alton, VA): Used for road course testing and precision driving. South Boston Speedway (South Boston, VA): Site of the season finale 20-lap Late Model showdown. Caraway Speedway (Sophia, NC): Used for short-track oval challenges and heat races. Rockingham Speedway (Rockingham, NC): Hosted high-speed oval testing and technical evaluations.
Episodes The series premiered on FOX before moving to FS1 and the official Ram Trucks YouTube channel. No. Title Original air date 1 "The Return of the Ram" January 25, 2026 2 "Dirt vs. Asphalt" January 26, 2026 3 "Under the Microscope" January 27, 2026 4 "The Elimination Oval" January 28, 2026 5 "Media Mayhem" January 29, 2026 6 "Sim to Reality" January 30, 2026 7 "The Final Four" February 5, 2026 8 "A New Champion Crowned" February 6, 2026
See also Roush Racing: Driver X
References