Kaulig Racing, nestled right on the Richard Childress Racing campus in Welcome, North Carolina, has leaned on that technical alliance for years to keep its two-car operation humming with Chevrolet power. For 2025, AJ Allmendinger even believed that they were working better together than ever before. But whispers of strain have grown louder of late.

In August earlier this year, Kaulig made a bold push into the Craftsman Truck Series alongside Ram for 2026. Questions about its alliance with RCR — a Chevy loyal for decades — were bound to follow soon after. While Kaulig Racing did try to separate its Truck program and Chevrolet operations, CEO Chris Rice says, they will still be on their own in 2026.

Kaulig goes solo, squeezing RCR options

“We’re gonna be out on our own in Cup. We’re not going to be able to alliance with RCR and do those things… So we [are] building our own Cup program, building our own bodies and different things like that,” he laid it out on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kaulig Racing’s decision to sever ties with Richard Childress Racing hits hard for the veteran team owner, stripping away a key technical lifeline that’s bolstered both outfits since Kaulig’s Cup debut in 2021. With Kaulig’s shop literally sharing space on RCR’s campus, the alliance meant shared engineering smarts, data swaps, and a “One Welcome” vibe that helped Kaulig snag two Cup wins through A.J. Allmendinger.

But as Stellantis pumps $13 billion into reviving Ram and Dodge in NASCAR, Kaulig is eyeing to become their primary team. Back in August, Matt Kaulig would say, “It’s up to us to do a great job with RAM […] So, they would probably make that determination as well as we could — who they would go with if they do go to Cup or Xfinity. Currently, Kaulig’s locked in to field five Ram trucks in 2026.

That corporate split ends the RCR partnership, leaving Childress to absorb the blow of losing a reliable ally just as his own three-car stable eyes stability. But only weeks ago, Kaulig was trying to distance its Truck program and other operations, respecting its alliance with RCR. Owner Kaulig had revealed that the two teams were to be housed in a way to not mix proprietary resources from Stellantis and General Motors.

[Update] As of Thursday, Rice revealed that they have begun hiring ‘left and right’ to put together a team “capable of standing on its own two feet.”

It’s a pragmatic move born from owner Matt Kaulig’s vision to stand independent after a decade in the sport. But it stings for RCR, which now faces thinner resources without Kaulig’s two charters feeding into joint efforts.

That independence extends to driver decisions, where Rice turned candid about Justin Haley, the guy who drove Kaulig’s No. 31 full-time in 2022 and 2023 before jumping to Rick Ware and now Spire.

New hopes for Justin Haley?

Justin Haley knows that uncertainty all too well after a tough year in Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet, where he’s posted a 22.06 average finish, just one top-five at Daytona, and sits 31st in points. Now parting ways with Spire at season’s end, the 26-year-old finds himself without a seat. Just then, Chris Rice had a bit to share.

“You know, Justin is a part of our family, and if we can find a spot, we would love to find a spot for Justin, but we’ve kind of made our bed in the Truck Series, and we know where our Truck Drivers are going to be, and who they’re going to be. We’ve got some loose ends to tie up, and if we can find a spot for Justin, we definitely will do that,” he said.

“We love Justin, we appreciate Justin and what he’s done for us, just like Blake Koch. We appreciate those guys, but sometimes you’re full.” Haley’s solid runs at Kaulig, 22nd in points his rookie year, make him a natural fit, but with Ty Dillon locked in the No. 10, Allmendinger in the No. 16, and Truck spots filling fast, the door’s barely cracked.

Over at Spire Motorsports, Daniel Suarez could steady the wobbly No. 7 after Haley’s exit. The 33-year-old Mexican star, with 323 starts, two wins, and 75 top-10s under his belt, just wrapped a frustrating stint at Trackhouse Racing, where he notched seven top-10s but crashed out nine times en route to 28th in points.

These shifts leave Haley navigating a tight market, but they also spotlight fresh opportunities elsewhere in the field.