Young late model ace Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell prevailed in the inaugural Ram “Race for the Seat” reality TV show to earn the final full-time ride for Kaulig Racing in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Tyrrell, 21, bested 14 other drivers to earn a season-long opportunity in Kaulig’s No. 14 Ram entry, beginning Friday at Daytona International Speedway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). He joins Daniel Dye, Brenden Queen and Justin Haley as the team’s four full-time drivers, while Kaulig’s fifth truck features a rotating cast of competitors in its Free Agent Driver Program.
“I’m just overwhelmed. Winning ‘Race for the Seat’ is something I never in a million years figured would happen,” Tyrrell said in a team release. “I came into this hoping to learn a thing or two, grow a bit, and see if I could hang with a bunch of great drivers. I’m thankful from the bottom of my heart for my family, for everybody who’s been in my corner, and for Ram and Kaulig Racing for this opportunity — taking a chance on a kid that comes from grassroots racing and elevating me to a professional level. I’m gonna work my tail off to make everybody proud.”
RELATED: Watch the entire series
Hailing from Manassas, Virginia, Tyrrell has competed full-time in the CARS Tour since 2019 with 88 total starts. He banked three victories in 2025, including a $50,000 payday with a win in the Throwback Classic at Hickory Motor Speedway.
But to earn the ride with Kaulig and Ram, Tyrrell had to prevail through a series of challenges — both on and off the track — over eight episodes. He defeated dirt modified driver Carson Ferguson in the season-finale to secure the seat for all 25 races in the highly anticipated Truck Series season. As a consolation, Ferguson will drive the Free Agent Driver Program truck in October at Martinsville Speedway.
Veteran crew chief Bruce Cook will pair with Tyrrell for his rookie NASCAR campaign. Cook most recently called the shots for Halmar Friesen Racing part-time for the No. 62 Toyota Tundra, but he has been a national series crew chief since 2008.
All eight episodes of “Race for the Seat” are available to watch on YouTube with re-runs also airing on FS1 and FS2.