Kaulig Racing’s growing Ram 1500 program took on one of NASCAR’s toughest short tracks Friday night, and while the results didn’t come easy, the team showed clear signs of progress during the Tennessee Army National Guard 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Under the bright lights of the high-banked half-mile, all five Ram entries were tested from the drop of the green flag. Bristol is known for chaos, tight racing, and very little margin for error—and that’s exactly what the Kaulig Racing lineup faced throughout the night.

Queen Leads The Charge With A Top-10
Brenden Queen happy about his Top-10 finish at the Tennessee Army National Guard 250. (Kaulig Racing).

Leading the charge for Ram was Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, who brought home a solid 10th-place finish after battling through traffic and adversity all race long. It marked another important milestone for the program, as a Kaulig Ram 1500 has now finished inside the top 10 in five of the first six races of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.

Queen’s night didn’t start strong. He finished 28th in Stage 1 and 26th in Stage 2, but as the race wore on, the No. 12 Cummins-backed Ram came alive. With about 60 laps remaining, Queen had worked his way up to 12th and continued pushing forward, eventually cracking the top 10 in the closing laps.

“Today didn’t start off the best, but we joked about just needing a blue-collar day. We needed to finish. The last couple races have been rough and man, I’m just proud of everybody on this Cummins Ram 1500. (Crew Chief) Eddie (Pardue) and the guys did a good job just getting us better in the race. Obviously, we missed some wrecks, and that’s part of it, but learned a lot. Derek Kneeland helped me out so much spotting, and I was able to really learn a lot tonight,” Queen said after the race.

Haley Delivers Stage Points Breakthrough
Justin Haley after Friday night’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250. (Kaulig Racing).

While Queen delivered the headline finish, Justin Haley arguably showed the most consistent pace throughout the event. Driving the No. 16 Ram 1500, Haley earned valuable stage points—something the Ram camp had been chasing all season.

Haley finished 12th in Stage 1 and made a strategic call late in Stage 2 to stay out on track, which paid off with a third-place stage finish and eight stage points—the most earned by any Ram driver so far this season. He ultimately crossed the line in 15th, continuing a streak of strong, consistent results with five top-15 finishes in six races.

“This was probably the best this 16 group has been competitively this year. We are constantly improving. We hadn’t gotten stage points yet this season, so going into today, that was one of my goals. We got some great stage points at the end of stage one and had a really solid day. I’m happy with today and this Kaulig Racing team,” Haley explained.

Tyrrell Keeps It Consistent
Ram: Race for the Seat competitors, Mini Tyrrell and Carson Ferguson signing autographs at Bristol. (Kaulig Racing).

Meanwhile, Mini Tyrrell once again delivered a steady and clean performance. The No. 14 Ram driver avoided trouble in a race filled with incidents and brought his truck home in 19th place—his third 19th-place finish of the season. While it may not jump off the stat sheet, consistency like that is key for a developing team.

Mini Tyrrell’s No. 14 Ram 1500 goes through pre-race inspection. (Kaulig Racing).

“Oh, the night was good. I mean, I can’t complain. It’s our third top 20, and I guess my number is 19 because it was our third 19th place finish of the season. I can’t complain about that. It was pretty cool getting to race around a lot of the Cup drivers tonight,” Tyrrell said.

Ferguson Impresses In Free Agent Debut
Carson Ferguson after Friday night’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250. (Kaulig Racing).

One of the most talked-about storylines heading into Bristol was the debut of Carson Ferguson in the Ram “Free Agent” entry. With a background in dirt racing, Ferguson was making his first start in a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event—and doing it at Bristol, no less.

Despite the steep learning curve, Ferguson impressed. He lost a lap early but fought back, stayed out of trouble, and brought the No. 25 Ram home in 21st place. Along the way, he provided plenty of excitement with close calls and aggressive racing that kept him in the spotlight throughout the broadcast.

No 25 team pushes Carson Ferguson’s truck to the grid. (Kaulig Racing).

“It was awesome. Just being able to be a part of something like this is really surreal. Growing up watching all this, I wanted to be a part of it, and to say I got to do it is pretty emotional for me and my family. I lived a dream tonight. I’ve been doing the dirt stuff, but this has always been a childhood dream of mine. Thanks to Ram and Kaulig Racing and all our great partners, it’s really special,” Ferguson shared.

LaJoie Shows Speed Before Late Issue
Corey LaJoie’s No. 10 Mopar Ram 1500. (Kaulig Racing).

Rounding out the Ram lineup was Corey LaJoie in the No. 10 entry. His night showed flashes of speed, including a strong seventh-place finish in Stage 2. However, penalties and a late mechanical issue derailed what could have been a solid finish. Running 16th with just 35 laps to go, LaJoie was forced into the wall, ending his race early and relegating him to a 29th-place result.

Building Momentum Toward Texas

All things considered, Bristol was another step forward for the Ram and Kaulig Racing partnership. The team showed improving speed, better execution, and the ability to adapt in one of the most demanding environments on the schedule.

With momentum building and results trending in the right direction, the Ram 1500 program continues to prove it belongs in the fight.

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