The motorsport fraternity went bonkers after RAM announced a reality TV show, Race for the Seat, to select a driver for their NASCAR Truck Series team as they return after 13 years. But as per rumors, the show might be over before it even begins, as the name of the winner has already leaked just days before the show starts.

If we are to go by a recent Reddit post, the winner of Race For The Seat is said to be Timothy Tyrell, popularly known as Mini Tyrell.

RAM partnered with NASCAR team Kaulig Racing to give 15 aspiring drivers a chance to compete for a coveted seat in the Truck Series in 2026. The program is part of RAM’s broader return to NASCAR competition, with Kaulig Racing set to field five full-time entries on the Craftsman Truck Series grid.

As per the directives of the show, those 15 drivers would go head-to-head against each other, where they would race in tracks such as South Boston Speedway and Virginia International Raceway. The show will consist of eight episodes. The competition has been billed as “15 Drivers. 10 Challenges. 1 Seat,” with each episode designed to test drivers in real racing and performance-based scenarios rather than staged eliminations.

Mini Tyrell’s name comes up due to his impressive record. At just 21, he has 4 career CARS tour victories. He is also the 2019 Rookie of the Year, and has finished third in 2024 in the overall standings. These stats make him a fan favorite to win anyway.

Competing in the ARCA Menards Series, Tyrell drives the #17 car for Cook Racing Technologies. His recent involvement in Daytona preseason testing has further fueled speculation, with several fans pointing to that opportunity as a strong indicator that he remains firmly in contention.

If this rumor about him winning is correct, Tyrell will drive the RAM truck for Kaulig and join the rest of the team members, which includes Brenden Queen, Daniel Dye, and Justin Haley, in the lineup. Those three drivers have already been confirmed for full-time roles, while the fifth entry is reserved for the winner of the reality series.

Meanwhile, the fifth seat in the team belongs to the “Free Agent.” Instead of having one driver, Ram will reveal the Free Agent before each race. RAM CEO Tim Kuniskis previously explained that the free-agent concept was designed to let fans connect with larger-than-life personalities and experience the sport vicariously through rotating drivers, rather than limiting engagement to a fixed lineup.

As for Tyrell’s news, fans couldn’t help but share their varied opinions on it.

Fans react as RAM’s TV show winner leaked

A fan supported the choice given Tyrell’s background and talent. Here’s what he had to say: “Hope it’s true, would be cool to see him get an opportunity like that. Seems like a solid driver and decent guy.”

Another fan wrote on the same line and hailed Tyrell as a driver. “I’m not shocked, he was announced to run Daytona and most of the other front runners are now going off to do their own things that they probably wouldn’t be doing had they won.”

Apart from his stats, Tyrell’s upcoming participation in the Daytona testing proves he has what it takes to sit in the Truck seat. Which is why his name doesn’t come as a surprise to many.

“Better than having another Rich brat paying his way to the seat, Atleast the seat now holds up to some expectations,” another fan said, lauding the choice and pointing out that Tyrell, after all, isn’t a ‘pay’ driver.

Another fan mentioned how Tyrell runs Mini’s Mission, a non-profit organization for awareness and donations for childhood cancer.

He wrote, “That’s CRAZYYY Tyrell is a great guy, I don’t know if he is rich or not, but does tons of philanthropy campaigns for cancer kids Love Him.”

If not for his racing prowess, then his philanthropy acts might have surely won the hearts of the fans who are aware of it.

“Love the fact that RAM is giving folks this opportunity, takes us back to the time when Roush used to pick up absolute nobodies and make a star out of them,” wrote another fan, mentioning how RAM, back in the day, provided a platform to the budding drivers and made them stars.

Notably, the 15-driver field competing on the show includes names such as Austin Beers, Mike Christopher Jr., Cody Kelley, Casey Kelley, Carson Ferguson, Kade Brown, Ryan Gemmell, Chase Burrow, Jonathan Cash, Tanner Reif, Landon Huffman, Grant Griesbach, Jared Fryar, and Trevor Ward.

The Race For The Seat airs on FOX on Sunday, January 25 at 12 PM ET. Subsequent episodes will stream on RAM’s official YouTube channel through early February, while also airing on FS1.
The winner is expected to be part of Kaulig Racing’s RAM-backed lineup for the season-opening Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona International Speedway on February 13, 2026.