48-year-old Ryan Newman will drive the No. 25 Ram 1500 for Kaulig Racing at the NASCAR Truck Series race at North Wilkesboro Speedway on July 18th. Newman's last appearance in a NASCAR national series race was in 2021, and his last appearance in the Truck Series was in 2018.
Kaulig's free agent program has a new name.
Newman is the newest driver in Kaulig Racing's free agent program, which runs in collaboration with Ram. Previous drivers in the program include Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, Travis Pastrana, Colin Braun, AJ Allmendinger, Parker Kligerman, Corey LaJoie, Ty Dillon, and Carson Ferguson.
Newman shared his thoughts in a statement released by the team: 'I'm really excited to be back behind the wheel in North Wilkesboro and to be part of Ram's Free Agent Program. It's a special feeling to return to a brand where I achieved so much success early in my career; racing in Wilkesboro is always a pleasure.'‘
Career statistics and current status
Newman, who has 733 starts and 18 wins in the Cup Series, achieved his greatest victory at the 2018 Daytona 500. With 51 pole positions in his career and finishing second in the 2014 championship, Newman was among the best qualifying drivers of his era. In the NASCAR O'Reilly Series, he has 65 starts and 7 wins.
Newman's Truck Series experience was limited to just seven races, with his first Truck Series attempt in Atlanta in 2008 being a winner. He participated in qualifying rounds for the 2021 Bristol Dirt Race but did not finish in the race. The driver is continuing his active racing practice this year with two consecutive top-ten finishes in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series.