Elliott Sadler will climb back into a NASCAR truck seven years after his last appearance in the category. Kaulig Racing and Ram announced that Sadler will drive the Ram number 25 in the Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway, scheduled for August 14. The confirmation was made public one hour before the start of the North Wilkesboro race, where Ryan Newman occupies that same seat as part of the Free Agent programme that Ram designed for its return to NASCAR in 2026.

Photo By Getty Images - Nascar

Sadler, born in Emporia, Virginia, has not competed since 2019, when he ran two Xfinity Series races with Kaulig Racing at Richmond and Las Vegas. His return comes at the oval he considers special and in front of fans from his home state. "I'm really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel at Richmond Raceway. It's been a special place for me, and I'm grateful to Ram and Kaulig Racing for giving me this opportunity," he said. His NASCAR career includes 438 Cup Series starts with three wins, 13 Xfinity Series victories, and a Truck Series win at Pocono in 2010. His best season was 2004, when he won two races and finished ninth in the top‑series standings.

Chris Rice, CEO of Kaulig Racing, shared a team with Sadler at South Boston Speedway in the early nineties. Rice was his crew chief, and together they won the track championship in 1995. "Elliott and I grew up racing together at South Boston, so having him with us at Richmond, in front of our home‑state fans, is special," said Rice. "We won a ton of races together, and thanks to Ram, Matt Kaulig and everyone at Kaulig Racing, we have the chance to go for one more."

Photo By Getty Images - Nascar

The Ram Free Agent programme has turned the number 25 truck into a rotating platform since the company returned to NASCAR in 2026. The seat has already been occupied by Tony Stewart, Jamie McMurray, Clint Bowyer, AJ Allmendinger, Ty Dillon, Colin Braun, Corey LaJoie, Travis Pastrana, Parker Kligerman and Carson Ferguson. Each driver is announced shortly before the race, none competes for the championship, and Ram evaluates individual performances to award an internal recognition at the end of the season. The initiative is not about scoring points but about maintaining a presence in the Truck Series by combining veterans with guest drivers from other disciplines.

Photo By Getty Images - Nascar

Sadler joins a list that already has Ryan Newman confirmed for North Wilkesboro and Conor Daly for Indianapolis on July 24. The Richmond race will take place at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be broadcast on FS1. It will be Sadler's first Truck Series start since that win at Pocono fifteen years ago, on an oval where Kaulig Racing already fielded him in 2019 and where Ram now hopes that Sadler's experience will translate into another weekend of attention for the number 25 truck.