“People tell me it's going to take way longer”: RAM CEO hints at big setback in their NASCAR Cup Series push amid Truck return

RAM CEO Tim Kuniskis outlined the struggles of making a Cup Series entry. In an interview with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, Kuniskis shared that it's 'much easier' to make the Truck Series than to reach the Cup level.

The Stellantis-owned brand has put up a mammoth effort to field five RAM 1500 trucks as an OEM. With Kaulig Racing set to be the lead factory team, three full-time drivers have been confirmed as of now. On Monday, the brand announced that the fourth entry will be a free agency program with a rotating roster of drivers.

With the fifth entry still undecided, Kuniski highlighted the brand's Cup Series efforts.

"You can't get a team the caliber of Kaulig without a sincere desire to go to Cup," he said, "It is 100 percent our desire to go to Cup. It's very difficult, though. It's much easier to go to truck than it is to Cup, and it takes a long time."

"They would never have signed with us. They would have never formed this partnership if we didn't have a sincere desire to get there. And we do. We want to get there. It is our goal to get there. People tell me it's going to take way longer than I have the patience for, but we're trying," he added via Fox Sports.

Kuniskis admitted that engine development was the key obstacle in RAM's Cup Series entry. Truck Series has a common engine across all OEMs, whereas Cup engines require extensive time and effort, making even 2027 a far-fetched timeline for the brand.

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RAM CEO names 'No.1 criteria' for the free agency program

Tim Kuniskis shed light on the factors deciding RAM's fourth Truck entry. After Daniel Dye, Brenden Queen, and Justin Haley, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne were the rumoured drivers named for the No.25 car.

Kaulig Racing president, Chris Rice, dismissed those speculations and set the record straight in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR radio. Per Rice, neither driver has been locked into a contract, but admitted that the team has contacted them for a possible drive.

Reflecting upon the same, Kuniskis said(via aforementioned source),

"These are credible, safe drivers that can be on the grid and not cause any problems for anybody — that's the No. 1 criteria."

Drivers like Corey LaJoie and Cleetus McFarland have also been rumoured for the No.25 entry. LaJoie made nine Truck Series starts this year. The 34-year-old drove for Spire Motorsports and finished among the top-10 more often than not. His best result was a fifth-place finish at Richmond, Michigan and Martinsville.

McFarland, on the other hand, is yet to make his NASCAR debut, but has scored two top-10 finishes in the ARCA Menards Series.