Aspiring racers compete for NASCAR contract on new reality show
Fox will air “Race for the Seat,” a reality show in which UFC’s Dana White comments on aspiring drivers trying to join Ram’s NASCAR team.
- Lamb will return to the NASCAR truck racing circuit for the first time in 13 years.
- Ahead of the brand’s first season relaunch, the company partnered with UFC boss Dana White to create a reality show in the style of his popular show “The Ultimate Fighter.”
- Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis said he hopes the show will further increase NASCAR’s popularity as it seeks to connect with more buyers.
Lamb will appear on television on a competitive reality show about the brand’s re-entry into the NASCAR circuit, an effort the truck maker’s CEO plans to use to sell more vehicles.
Lamb announced in June that he plans to return to NASCAR after leaving the racing circuit 13 years ago. This announcement was followed by the announcement of the roster, with two spots on the five-man team notably vacant.
Drivers Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Daniel Dye and Justin Haley will be on the roster full-time. To fill one of the two remaining spots, Ram is running a free agent campaign, offering new drivers one chance to drive for the company each week during the NASCAR season. The fifth spot on the roster will be a full-time racing role earned through a competitive reality show.
The show, titled “Race for the Seat,” was the brainchild of Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis with help from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO Dana White. The show features 15 aspiring racers vying for a spot on the Ram team. Over eight episodes, contestants compete at American speedways. The winner at the end of the season (already photographed) will earn a contract with the Lamb and Kaulig Racing Team for the 2026 season. Kaulig is an anchor factory team representing Ram.
Mr. White has previously produced a “Race for the Seat” style reality show.
White was the creator of “The Ultimate Fighter,” a mixed martial arts reality series in which contestants fight for a contract with the UFC. The show is credited with popularizing MMA in the United States, including Kunikis, who hopes to mirror the success of UFC and The Ultimate Fighter in NASCAR and Race for the Seat.
kuniskis theory
Kuniskis doesn’t just want a reality show to promote the trucks he sells. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, he said Race for the Seat is a business move aimed at expanding NASCAR’s fan base and, in turn, Ram Trucks’ buyer base.
“Look, if I say I made a TV show, that’s not our job,” Kuniskis said. “We don’t make TV shows. We don’t know how to make TV shows.”
But as head of Ram Trucks and director of SRT, the company’s performance vehicle division, Kuniskis knows a thing or two about truck sales and racing. So partnering with White, who has produced a successful reality show, makes sense for Kunikis.
“Most people credit the growth of the UFC to that TV show,” Kuniskis said of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
Kuniskis said he approached White and his team in early 2025 to see if they could help create a television show that would increase the popularity of NASCAR as a whole and, in turn, promote the Ram brand to NASCAR viewers. Half of NASCAR’s roughly 20 million fans drive pickup trucks, Kuniskis said. If NASCAR can grow its fan base, it can connect with more buyers, he said.
“There was no reason for (White) to help us,” Kuniskis said. “To be honest, we were getting flyers.”
However, after some back and forth, White said he was willing to participate in the project. He told Kuniskis that he intended to recreate the ultimate fighter in racing form.
Kuniskis said it’s difficult to profit from racing. Perhaps the engineering team is learning how to improve the powertrain, but it’s hard to quantify how much benefit the engineering lessons bring. He said the TV show is the plan to make the brand’s re-entry into NASCAR even more profitable.
Actor Jacob Loughran, best known for his role as Alice in the movie “The Maze Runner,” will host Race for the Seat. White and Thrill Sports Productions, a company co-owned by White, will produce the show.
The first episode of Race for the Seat will air on Fox on January 20th and will be available on YouTube 24 hours later. Subsequent episodes will premiere on Fox Sports One and air one day later on YouTube.
Liam Rapley covers Stellantis and the UAW for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him: LRappleye@freepress.com.
