Two Cup Series winners are getting back into NASCAR as part of a special opportunity. Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer are both joining Kaulig Racing and its free agent program.
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The two Fox Sports personalities announced the news during the pre-race show at Talladega Superspeedway. They confirmed that they will each take over the No. 25 Ram 1500 for an upcoming race.
Clint Bowyer will take over the free agent truck on May 15th at Dover Motor Speedway as part of All-Star weekend. McMurray will drive the entry during the historic trip to Naval Base Coronado. He will compete in the Truck Series race on June 19th.
Back behind the wheel! @ClintBowyer will be racing in the NASCAR Truck Series at Dover (May 15th) and @jamiemcmurray is climbing in for San Diego (June 19th). https://t.co/iCKz5f63YM https://t.co/gFgyHFVMz8 pic.twitter.com/ddHWOkOOa1
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) April 26, 2026
"I won't lie, I'm pretty nervous," McMurray said during the pre-race show. "I haven't been in a car in a while.
"It's weird, we didn't even talk about doing this together, but I'm also excited to get to go back and do it. It's been a long time since being in any type of racing."
McMurray hasn't competed in any NASCAR series since the 2021 Daytona 500. He hasn't competed in the Truck Series since a 2008 race at Martinsville Speedway.
Bowyer retired from NASCAR after the 2020 season, his final year with Stewart-Haas Racing. He remained out of the sport for several years before returning for a one-off Truck Series start at Nashville Superspeedway in 2024. He finished 17th.
Bowyer said at the time that this would be his final start in NASCAR. However, what started as a promising night turned frustrating for the veteran.
His Spire Motorsports Chevrolet sustained damage after hitting Chase Purdy in a restart stackup. This knocked him out of contention for a top-10 finish and relegated him to a 17th-place finish.
"I can't quit like that," Bowyer told media members on pit road after the race. "There's no way in hell. I'll find something."
Based on the radio chatter between Bowyer and Spire Motorsports, the expectation at the time is that he would be back in a Chevrolet for a race at Martinsville Speedway. This never happened, but now he will return to NASCAR while joining a new manufacturer.
The Kaulig Racing free agent program is a new creation for the team's inaugural season in the Craftsman Truck Series. One entry will feature a new driver each week. This No. 25 has already featured Hall of Famer Tony Stewart (Daytona), Ty Dillon (Atlanta, Rockingham), IMSA champ Colin Braun (St. Petersburg), Corey LaJoie (Darlington), and dirt star Carson Ferguson (Bristol).
