![\"Dale](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1683827380-e1714445822970.jpg\")
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. one of the world’s richest drivers<\/p>\n
Tony Stewart\u2019s return to NASCAR competition in 2026 has quickly become one of the most buzzed-about stories of the offseason. The three-time Cup Series champion is set to drive the No. 25 Ram truck for Kaulig Racing<\/a> in the Craftsman Truck Series<\/a> season opener at Daytona International Speedway<\/a>. This marks Stewart\u2019s first Truck Series start since 2005 and his first NASCAR race since retiring from full-time Cup competition in 2016.<\/p>\n Ram\u2019s decision to re-enter NASCAR with a splash is no accident. Instead of a low-key debut, the brand and Kaulig Racing have chosen one of the sport\u2019s biggest stages and one of its most iconic figures.<\/p>\n The move instantly turned heads, capturing the attention of fans, media, and drivers alike. Among the first to weigh in was Dale Earnhardt Jr., who shared his take on the news during his Dale Jr. Download podcast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Why Daytona is the Perfect Stage<\/p>\n On Dirty Mo Media\u2019s Dale Jr. Download<\/a>, Earnhardt Jr. homed in on the significance of Stewart\u2019s venue and the larger strategy at play.<\/p>\n \u201cHe picked a doozy. Tony Stewart isn\u2019t scared of it. I wouldn\u2019t have picked Daytona. I would\u2019ve picked somewhere else. But this is what Dodge wants to do. They want to create noise. They want to create a splash. This doesn\u2019t work for Dodge by just building trucks and going out and winning races. They need the story and the big deal on social media. They need everyone talking about this.<\/p>\n This is the start. This is how they get their board and everyone at Dodge to financially support what it\u2019s going to take to get all the way back to the Cup Series. Winning races matters, but they need engagement. That\u2019s what this is all about. Bring Tony. They\u2019re going to have the attention. Bringing Tony Stewart back to Daytona in a truck. That\u2019s how you do it. One hundred percent.\u201d<\/p>\n Earnhardt Jr. emphasized that Stewart\u2019s return is about more than racing results. It\u2019s a marketing masterstroke designed to ignite excitement and conversation from the very first green flag.<\/p>\n Stewart\u2019s Challenge: Back in NASCAR at Daytona<\/p>\n Since his last NASCAR start in 2016, Stewart has remained active in motorsports, notably racing in NHRA Top Fuel. Returning to Daytona, a track famous for its high-speed packs and unpredictable multi-truck accidents, raises the stakes. Stewart hasn\u2019t competed in a NASCAR-style pack race for years, making his comeback even more intriguing.<\/p>\n The 2026 Truck Series opener will be Stewart\u2019s first in that series since 2005, underscoring how extraordinary this return is, even for a driver of his caliber.<\/p>\n Ram and Kaulig: A Bold Re-Entry<\/p>\n Tony Stewart\u2019s drive with Kaulig Racing is more than a one-off; it\u2019s the first step in Ram\u2019s broader NASCAR comeback. As Earnhardt Jr. pointed out, Ram\u2019s approach is all about making headlines and building momentum, not just quietly rejoining the grid. The hope is that this high-profile return will spark fan engagement and pave the way for a full-fledged Cup Series campaign down the road.<\/p>\n For NASCAR fans, the story brings a beloved name back to the spotlight at one of racing\u2019s most legendary venues. When the green flag drops at Daytona, all eyes will be on Tony Stewart and the No. 25 Ram truck, eager to see what unfolds in this highly anticipated return.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tDogli Wilberforce<\/a> is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on NASCAR\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty Images Dale Earnhardt Jr. one of the world’s richest drivers Tony Stewart\u2019s return to NASCAR competition in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":124249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[446],"tags":[49,48,634,82],"class_list":["post-413693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nascar","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nascar","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=413693"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/413693\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/124249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=413693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=413693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=413693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}