Truckin’ Thursdays: Will Jamie McMurray or Clint Bowyer Fare Better With RAM?

One of the most intriguing ideas in NASCAR got a little bit more fascinating this past weekend.

Clint Bowyer and Jamie McMurray were added to the roster of drivers of Kaulig Racing’s free agent No. 25 RAM truck in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. McMurray will drive at the new track at San Diego (Coronado Naval Base) later this summer while Bowyer will take on Miles the Monster at Dover Motor Speedway.

They join notable names like Tony Stewart, Corey LaJoie and Parker Kligerman (who will drive at Texas Motor Speedway this week) running the team’s All-Star Truck Series ride.

Bowyer and McMurray are both coming out of broadcasting to run these events, and each had a lot of success in their Cup Series careers. McMurray won a handful of Crown Jewel races while Bowyer almost won a championship with Michael Waltrip Racing at one time (2012).

Both are respected broadcasters now, but the real question is, how they will do?Let’s take a look at the facts.

The No. 25 RAM, for all its pomp and circumstance, has one top-10 finish so far this season — and it wasn’t from Stewart, either. It was from former Truck Series standout Colin Braun at St. Petersburg, acing the first-time event on that street course (ninth).

So, how should we set expectations for these veterans? First, let’s talk about Kaulig’s success with its new manufacturer as a whole in 2026. Spoiler: It’s not very pretty.

Between Justin Haley, Brenden Queen and Mini Tyrell, there have been just three top-10 finishes among them; the trio is still seeking their first top-five finish with the program. It’s obvious there is a lack of speed right now, which is to be expected of a new team.

Unfortunately, Dover is not a great equalizer. Dover has been known to break suspensions, test tempers and even flip a car or two over the years. With that being said, I do think Bowyer could get a solid run out of the truck before it falls apart. Just rest assured that it will absolutely fall apart; mechanical failure is a big risk I expect to bring Bowyer down.

That leaves San Diego.

Absolutely no one knows what to expect when these trucks are ripping around Naval Base Coronado, and I think that could be a real shot for McMurray.

McMurray always did have a knack for pulling out unexpected success over the course of his career. I mean, his jump to the Cup Series famously started with a fill-in win for Sterling Marlin’s No. 40 back in 2002.

What’s more, Kaulig has arguably one of the best road racers of all time in its stable with AJ Allmendinger. You have to think that he’ll be involved with getting the Kaulig trucks ready for the weekend.

I feel like Jamie Mac absolutely has a better shot to run well. Heck, I’ll say that given who we’re talking about, he’s got an opportunity to win at San Diego, a track no one in the series has run on before.

Regardless, the All-Star rotation RAM is doing is a very cool and interesting concept that is so good for our sport. I’ve been a big fan of this idea since the Stewart announcement, and I continue to be. I also think that the attention it brings to the sport is vital these days, especially for the lower series.

The greatest pressure it could have, though, is on the guys who drive regularly each week for Kaulig. In order for this concept to work, they have to get better, too.

Hopefully, by the time we get to San Diego and Dover, the finishes will back up the potential. These old drivers deserve the chance to put on one more show.