Kaulig, Ram Announce Crew Chiefs for 5-Truck Program in 2026

A crew chief lineup featuring a wealth of racing knowledge and experience was announced for Kaulig Racing's five-truck NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series program in 2026.

Chris Rice, CEO of Kaulig Racing, looks on at Rockingham Speedway during the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series race weekend. | Jonathan McCoy | Racing America

On Monday morning, Kaulig Racing officially revealed the crew chief pairings for its five-truck NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team heading into the 2026 season. Aside from the announcement of the winner of "Race for the Seat", who will drive the team's No. 14 Ram 1500, the driver and crew chiefs for the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway are chiseled in stone.

The recurring theme among the group of crew chiefs announced to the Kaulig Racing NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team is experience. Each crew chief has a prior track record of visiting victory lane in the NASCAR National Series ranks.

Daniel Dye, the driver of the No. 10 entry, will have Dan Stillman turning the wrenches for his team. Stillman, who made his NASCAR National Series crew chief debut in 1999 with Ricky Rudd in the NASCAR Cup Series, is a five-time race-winner in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series ranks.

Brenden "Butterbean" Queen, who will drive the team's No. 12 entry, will have Eddie Pardue serving as his crew chief this season. Pardue has served as a NASCAR National Series crew chief since 1998, primarily in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, where he is a three-time race winner.

The No. 14 truck, which will be driven by the winner of the Ram: Race for the Seat reality TV show contest, will be paired with veteran crew chief Bruce Cook. Cook is a one-time race winner as a crew chief in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and a six-time race-winning crew chief in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition.

Justin Haley, the driver of the organization's No. 16 Ram Truck, will have Mike Hillman Jr. as his crew chief in the upcoming season. Hillman is a 23-time race-winning crew chief in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and he took home two series championships with Todd Bodine at Germain Racing in 2006 and 2010.

The legendary Tony Stewart, who will be the first driver behind the wheel of Kaulig Racing's "Free Agent Program" No. 25 truck at Daytona, will be paired with Alex Yontz, who will serve as the full-time crew chief for the No. 25 team's rotating cast of characters in 2026. Yontz is an eight-time race winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.