Popular NASCAR star Elliott Sadler coming out of retirement for Ram drive

Kaulig Racing and Ram have announced the latest addition to their Free Agent Program, with Elliott Sadler coming out of retirement to step into the No. 25 Ram 1500.

It has been confirmed that Sadler will drive the truck at the upcoming NASCAR Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway on Friday, August 14.

Sadler, who is now 51-years-old, last raced in NASCAR in 2019, when he made two appearances for Kaulig Racing in the Xfinity Series that season at Richmond and Las Vegas.

Across the Cup, Xfinity (now O'Reilly) and Truck Series, Sadler made 855 appearances during his career, winning 17 races and a regular season championship in the Xfinity Series in 2017.

On top of all of those achievements, Elliott was also a popular figure in the sport, voted as the most popular driver in NASCAR's second division on four occasions.

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Ram snaps up Elliott Sadler for Free Agent program

“I’m really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel at Richmond Raceway in front of the great Virginia fans,” said Sadler in an official team statement.

“It’ll be fun getting back into a truck — I just hope I still remember how to drive it.

"Richmond has always been special to me, and I’m thankful to Ram and Kaulig Racing for giving me this opportunity to compete again.

"I really cherished my career in NASCAR and how special the fans have been to me.”

Elsewhere, Kaulig Racing CEO Chris Rice added: "We are so excited to have Elliott drive for us at Kaulig Racing.

"Elliott and I grew up racing together at South Boston Speedway, so to have him race for us in Richmond, in front of our home state fans is special.

“We won tons of races together and thanks to Ram, Matt Kaulig and everyone at Kaulig Racing we have the opportunity to go out and try to win one more.”

What is the Ram Free Agent Program?

The Ram Free Agent Program is a unique Truck Series entry that gives drivers the chance to compete in a full-time Ram-backed truck without being tied to a traditional team contract. Instead of one driver holding the seat all season, Ram has brought in different free agents to compete throughout the year.

The programme is aimed at experienced racers and drivers looking for an opportunity to return to NASCAR or continue competing at the national level.

Drivers who have taken part so far include Tony Stewart, who kicked off the year at Daytona, alongside other names such as Clint Bowyer, Jamie McMurray, and Parker Kligerman, as well as Cup Series drivers Ty Dillon and AJ Allmendinger.