Watkins Glen International played host to a landmark moment for Ram's NASCAR Truck Series comeback, as Kaulig Racing delivered its strongest performance yet with three Ram 1500s finishing in the top ten.
Prior to Friday's race, Kaulig's five-truck fleet had managed just five top-ten finishes all season, with a best result of seventh place. But the historic road course in upstate New York proved to be the turning point the team needed.
A.J. Allmendinger, who won his first Cup Series race at Watkins Glen back in 2014, led the charge with a sixth-place finish in the No. 25 Ram. The veteran driver was in contention for the team's first top-five of the season until a late-race restart shuffled the order.
"We executed as well as we could and didn't make any mistakes," Allmendinger said. "We got a solid top-10 out of today in our Ram 1500. We were kind of on the cutoff on tires there, so that was a difficult thing, especially on the last restart. The guys behind me had fresher tires. We maximized what we could. I just wish we had a chance to battle for the win for Ram there at the end."
Mini Tyrrell delivered one of the feel-good stories of the day, earning his first career Truck Series top ten with an eighth-place finish. Tyrrell, who won his ride through the Ram: Race for the Seat competition, hadn't even run a truck race before this season. His previous best result was 19th—a full 11 positions lower than his breakthrough at the Glen.
"Finally, a top-10 finish for this team," said an elated Tyrrell. "Man, that's huge. That's major. It's been such a blessing to be a part of this team, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity. My crew chief Bruce Cook made a really good call right there to stay out and keep us on the lead lap. We did what we needed to do, so we'll take that any day of the week. It just gives everybody confidence, gives me more confidence, and what a fun day it was here—this race track is special."
Brenden Queen rounded out the top-ten sweep with a ninth-place finish, while Corey LaJoie finished 12th. Justin Haley was battling for a top-ten position until a mechanical issue derailed his day on the final lap, dropping him to 23rd.
For Ram, this performance represents a significant step forward in its return to the NASCAR Truck Series. The brand has been methodically building its program with Kaulig Racing, and Friday's showing proves the potential is there for even bigger results down the road. With three trucks in the top ten and a clear upward trajectory, the Ram 1500s are starting to look like contenders every time they hit the track.