Mini Tyrrell Secures No. 14 Ram Truck Ride, Wins 'Race For The Seat'

It’s the opportunity every local short track racer dreams of, a full-time ride in the NASCAR National Series. Timothy “Mini” Tyrrell, a standout in the zMAX CARS Tour, was able to secure his shot at NASCAR stardom through Ram’s eight-episode “Race For the Seat” reality TV show contest, which pitted 15 NASCAR hopefuls against each other.

The final episode, in which Tyrrell narrowly defeated Carson Ferguson to win the contest, premiered on Friday on Ram’s official YouTube channel. As a result of winning the contest, Tyrrell will pilot the No. 14 Kaulig Racing Ram Truck entry full-time during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2026.

“I’m just overwhelmed. Winning “Race for the Seat” is something I never in a million years figured would happen,” said Tyrrell in a press 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.”

The decision to allow a winner of a reality TV show pilot one of Ram’s trucks full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season was bold concept, but as Ram has shown in its return to NASCAR, they are looking to push the envelope.

“Ram is built on grit, competition, and a relentless drive to approach our NASCAR effort differently,” said Tim Kuniskis, Head of American Brands, SRT Performance, North America Marketing and Retail Strategy, Stellantis. “Race for the Seat brought that spirit to a national stage. The series gave emerging drivers a chance to prove themselves under real pressure and earn their shot in the NASCAR Truck Series with Ram and Kaulig Racing. Mini earned his place on our team, performing exceptionally throughout the competition and is a natural fit for Ram’s ‘last tenth’ culture.”

The competition was filmed over a three-week period at the conclusion of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, and tested drivers on their abilities at a wide-range of vehicles and racetracks, including short tracks like South Boston Speedway and Caraway Speedway and Virginia International Raceway, a road course.

In addition to their ability to wheel the race car, drivers were also judged on their ability to handle the rigor of press conferences, their leadership qualities, and overall marketability for the Ram Trucks brand.

The tests given to drivers throughout the competition allowed Kaulig Racing, the team that will field the five Ram Truck entries in 2026, a much larger net to evaluate talent than is usually available.

“Race for the Seat allowed us to evaluate drivers in a way you normally don’t get the chance to,” said Matt Kaulig, Team Owner of Kaulig Racing. “Over eight episodes, we saw how they competed, prepared, adapted, and handled pressure across different tracks and challenges. Mini proved he was ready for this opportunity, and we’re excited to welcome him to the Kaulig Racing team.”

Heading into the final showdown at South Boston Speedway, Ferguson held a slim one-point advantage over Tyrrell, but was not able to hold off his competitor. While Tyrrell landed the full-time ride, Ferguson had one last chance to score a $50,000 prize and a one-off start in Kaulig Racing’s No. 25 free-agent truck in the Fall race at Martinsville Speedway.

The winner of each heat race from the final challenge, plus the top-two drivers in the Race For The Seat standings entering South Boston, would battle it out in a 20-lap contest in a Late Model Stock Car race.

Ferguson came out on top in a dominant effort to secure the cash prize, and the start in the No. 25 truck at Martinsville Speedway in the Fall.

Now, the 21-year-old Tyrrell will prepare for the full 25-race NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule, and will look to parlay this opportunity into a long-term NASCAR National Series career. Tyrrell will get his first crack in his debut race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Daytona International Speedway on Friday, February 13.

As previously announced, Bruce Cook, a veteran crew chief and former car owner in the series, will serve as the crew chief for the No. 14 truck during the 2026 NASCAR Truck Series season, and he’ll provide a veteran presence for the young driver, looking to acclimate to the NASCAR Truck Series. Cook will also field an ARCA Menards Series ride for Tyrrell at Daytona International Speedway, and more ARCA starts could materialize.