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  • Chandler Smith claims a dramatic Truck Series victory at Las Vegas

    Chandler Smith claims a dramatic Truck Series victory at Las Vegas

    Executing a three-lap dash to the finish and a final lap crossover move on Zane Smith to his advantage, Chandler Smith raced his way to his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory of the season in the Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday, March 4.

    Smith, a 19-year-old Georgia native who is currently in his second season driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports, led four times for a race-high 32 of 134-scheduled laps as he dueled with Zane Smith prior to the final lap before executing a final crossover move over Smith to muscle away with the victory ahead of Smith and Kyle Busch, thus becoming the second regular season winner two races into the 2022 Truck Series season.

    Qualifying earlier on Friday determined the starting lineup and John Hunter Nemechek, winner of the spring Vegas event, started on pole position after posting a pole-winning lap at 178.583 mph at 30.238 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Kyle Busch, Nemechek’s owner who was making his first of five scheduled Truck Series starts of this season and turned in a qualifying lap at 178.000 mph, while teammate Chandler Smith made it a Kyle Busch Motorsports’ 1-2-3 sweep by qualifying in third place.

    Prior to the event, Matt Jaskol dropped to the rear of the field due to a driver change along with Jordan Anderson and Blaine Perkins, both of whom due to unapproved adjustments to their respective machines.

    When the green flag waved and the race started, Nemechek rocketed with an early advantage ahead of teammate and owner Kyle Busch as the field fanned out to multiple lanes through the first two turns and through the backstretch.

    Following the first lap that was led by Nemechek, Kyle Busch moved into the lead. Soon after, Nemechek slipped to fourth place as Zane Smith and Ben Rhodes moved up towards the front. 

    Through the first 10 laps of the event, Busch and Zane Smith battled dead even for the lead followed by Rhodes while Nemechek and Chandler Smith were in the top five. 

    A lap later, Zane Smith, winner of the season-opening event at Daytona International Speedway in February, overtook Busch to move into the lead as Rhodes also moved into the runner-up spot. 

    Five laps later, Zane Smith continued to lead by nearly four-tenths of a second over Rhodes while Chandler Smith was in third place in his No. 18 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Behind, Kyle Busch fell back to fourth place followed by Carson Hocevar and Tanner Gray while John Hunter Nemechek was back in seventh place ahead of Christian Eckes, Matt Crafton and Ryan Preece.

    Through the first 20 laps of the event, Zane Smith was leading by nearly a second over Chandler Smith while third-place Kyle Busch trailed by more than a second in his No. 51 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Hocevar was in fourth followed by Tanner Gray while Rhodes was back in sixth ahead of Nemechek.

    A lap later, the first caution of the event flew when Blaine Perkins spun and made contact with the outside wall on the backstretch. Under caution, some led by Zane Smith pitted while the rest led by Chandler Smith remained on the track. Following the pit stops, Todd Bodine, a two-time Truck Series champion who was making his first NASCAR national touring series start since 2017, was penalized for speeding on pit road. In addition, Stewart Friesen was penalized for an uncontrolled tire violation.

    Just as the field restarted under green on Lap 27, the caution immediately returned when Zane Smith made contact with Colby Howard in Turn 1, which sent Howard’s No. 91 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST bouncing off of Crafton’s No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra TRD Pro as he then spun in Turn 1 while Chase Purdy and Hailie Deegan also sustained damage while trying to avoid Howard. At the moment of caution, Rhodes had managed to overtake Chandler Smith for the lead. Then, NASCAR ruled that the first stage would conclude under caution. As the green and white checkered flag flew to conclude the first stage on Lap 30, Rhodes claimed his first stage victory of the season followed by Chandler Smith, Tanner Gray, rookie Jack Wood, Carson Hocevar, Matt Crafton, Kyle Busch, Nemechek, Ty Majeski and Zane Smith.

    Under the stage break, some led by Rhodes pitted while the rest led by Hocevar and Gray remained on the track.

    The second stage started on Lap 37 as Gray and Hocevar occupied the front row. At the start and as the field fanned out, Hocevar passed Gray to take the lead while Nemechek, Kyle Busch, Majeski and Eckes battled for third place. Then in Turn 3, Majeski, Eckes and Nemechek made contact, but all three competitors managed to keep their trucks running straight as Nemechek moved up to third followed by Majeksi, Kyle Busch and Eckes while Hocevar continued to lead, 

    By Lap 40, Hocevar was leading by less than three-tenths of a second over Gray as Kyle Busch challenged Gray for the runner-up spot. 

    Five laps later, Hocevar continued to retain a narrow advantage over Kyle Busch while Nemechek was in third. Behind, Gray was in fourth ahead of Ty Majeski and Rhodes.

    During the following laps, however, Kyle Busch reassumed the lead. By Lap 50, Busch was leading by half a second over teammate Nemechek while Hocevar was back in third place. Gray and Majeski were in the top five followed by Rhodes, Eckes, Chandler Smith, Stewart Friesen and Derek Kraus.

    Five laps later, the caution flew when Bodine got loose and spun his No. 62 Camping World Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in Turn 4. Under caution, some led by Busch pitted while the rest led by Gray remained on the track.

    With the field restarting for a one-lap dash to the conclusion of the second stage, Rhodes managed to overtake Gray for the top spot and fend off the field to claim the second stage victory on Lap 60 and sweep the stages. Busch settled in second place followed by Majeski, Nemechek, Gray, Chandler Smith, Crafton, Eckes, Friesen and Derek Kraus.

    Under the stage break, some led by Rhodes pitted while the rest led by Kyle Busch remained on the track.

    With 68 laps remaining, the final stage started as Kyle Busch Motorsports’ competitors occupied the top-three spots. At the start, Busch received a push from teammate Nemechek to retain the lead as he brought Nemechek’s No. 4 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro with him. Behind, Zane Smith overtook Hocevar to move into fourth place as Stewart Friesen and Ryan Preece joined the party.

    Four laps later, Nemechek ignited a side-by-side battle against owner Kyle Busch for the lead. While teammates Nemechek and Busch battled for the lead, Friesen and Zane Smith started to challenge Chandler Smith for third place.

    A few laps later, the caution returned for an incident involving Chase Purdy and Jack Wood. At the moment of caution, Nemechek emerged with the lead ahead of his two KBM teammates. Under caution, Crafton and Spencer Boyd pitted while the rest led by Nemechek remained on the track.

    With 57 laps remaining, the race restarted under green. At the start, Nemechek received a push from teammate Chandler Smith to retain the lead. Behind, Zane Smith moved up to third while Kyle Busch was left in a battle with Hocevar for fourth.

    Seven laps later, Nemechek was leading by three-tenths of a second over teammate Chandler Smith while bossman Kyle Busch trailed by seven-tenths of a second. Zane Smith was in fourth followed by Derek Kraus while Friesen, Preece, Eckes, Rhodes and Hocevar were in the top 10. Grant Enfinger was in 11th followed by Gray, Tyler Antrum, Matt DiBenedetto and Majeski while Crafton was mired back in 23rd. In between Matt Mills and Kaz Grala. Meanwhile, Todd Bodine was in 26th.

    With 45 laps remaining, the caution returned when Bodine spun in Turn 4 and across pit road as his rear deck lid came loose despite making significant contact with any obstacles.

    Under caution, the leaders except for Timmy Hill peeled to pit road and Nemechek retained the lead followed by teammates Busch and Chandler Smith. Following the pit stops, Zane Smith was penalized for speeding on pit road. In addition, Hill dropped to the rear of the field and yielded the lead to the KBM competitors.

    Down to the final 40 laps of the event, the race restarted under green. At the start, teammates Nemechek and Chandler Smith battled dead even for the lead through the first two turns before Smith peaked ahead through the backstretch. As Smith took the lead, Eckes challenged Nemechek for the runner-up spot while Rhodes, Kyle Busch, Hocevar and Nemechek battled.

    Two laps later, the caution returned when Hocevar, who was overtaken by Rhodes and Busch in Turn 3, got loose and was hit by Preece’s No. 17 United Rentals Ford F-150 before spinning his No. 42 Premier Security Solutions Chevrolet Silverado RST through the frontstretch grass.

    Then as the field restarted with 32 laps remaining, the caution returned during the following lap when Ty Majeski got loose entering Turn 4 and turned his teammate Ben Rhodes, sending Rhodes’ No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra TRD Pro hard into the outside wall and out of the race as his truck briefly came off the ground. 

    Down to the final 23 laps of the event, the race restarted under green as teammates Chandler Smith and Kyle Busch occupied the front row. At the start, Smith rocketed ahead with the lead as Eckes made his way into second place ahead of Busch. 

    Three laps remaining, Chandler Smith was leading by a narrow margin over teammate Busch while Eckes, Grant Enfinger and Nemechek were in the top five. By then, Carson Hocevar was posted for changing lanes prior to the restart.

    Then with 16 laps remaining, Kris Wright drew the caution when he spun his No. 44 iHeartRadio Chevrolet Silverado RST in Turn 2. 

    Five laps later, the race resumed to green flag competition as teammates Chandler Smith and Eckes occupied the front row once again. At the start, Eckes received a strong push from Preece to take the lead as Kyle Busch made a move to the outside lane to rocket pass teammate Smith, who was falling out of the lead pack. Shortly after, Busch overtook Preece for the runner-up spot as he pursued Eckes for the lead.

    Then with nine laps remaining, Eckes, who was challenged by Busch for the lead, spun after making contact with Busch, which sent Eckes’ No, 98 Curb Records Toyota Tundra TRD Pro sliding below the banking and pounding the infield wall drivers’ side before coming back across the track with significant damage despite being dodged by the field. While Busch proceeded with the lead, Eckes’ strong run concluded in the garage.

    Down to the final three laps of the event, the field restarted under green. At the start, Zane Smith emerged with the top spot following a strong start over Kyle Busch as the field fanned out entering the backstretch. Behind, Preece and Chandler Smith placed Kyle Busch in a three-wide situation as Smith moved into second place followed by Busch while Preece slipped in Turn 3.

    During the following lap, Zane Smith continued to lead ahead of a hard-charging Chandler Smith while Kyle Busch remained in third. Then through the backstretch, Derek Kraus, who got loose during the initial lap, made contact with Grant Enfinger, which sent Kraus’ No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST bouncing off of Nemechek’s No. 4 Toyota before slipping sideways below the banking. In spite of the incident, Kraus continued as the race proceeded under green. 

    Back at the front, Chandler Smith drew himself alongside Zane Smith’s No. 38 Michael Roberts Construction Ford F-150 through Turns 3 and 4 while Kyle Busch lurked behind the two leaders.

    When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Chandler Smith and Zane Smith dueled for the lead as Chandler peaked ahead on the outside lane. Then in Turn 1, Chandler Smith remained on the outside lane in front of teammate Kyle Busch while Zane Smith tried to clear the two Kyle Busch Motorsports competitors from the bottom lane entering Turn 2. Chandler Smith, however, pulled a crossover move against Zane Smith’s slide job process, which gave Chandler’s No. 18 Toyota the inside lane as he rocketed back to the lead entering Turn 3. As Zane Smith was unable to mount another challenge for the lead, Chandler Smith was able to able to pull away and cross the finish line in first place by less than three-tenths of a second over Zane Smith followed by the field.

    As the field took the checkered flag, Grant Enfinger crossed the finish line on fire and with damage to his No. 23 Champion Chevrolet Silverado RST after making contact with the outside wall in Turn 3. Behind, Nemechek, who was losing ground following the contact with Kraus, was involved in a vicious accident after spinning before being t-boned by Jordan Anderson in Turn 3. Also involved was Spencer Boyd, who dislocated his shoulder and announced plans to check in to a hospital for get x-rays.

    With the victory, Chandler Smith notched his third Camping World Truck Series career win in his 40th series start. He also recorded the first victory of the season for Kyle Busch Motorsports and the first NASCAR win for the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro stock car.

    “When you guys tune into me halfway through the race, ‘how did he get up there?”’ Smith, who motioned towards the sky, said on FS1. “It’s the good Lord, man. He performs miracles all day. He’s given me this talent, this opportunity to drive this truck for Kyle Busch Motorsports and for [sponsor] Safelite. I’m just beyond thankful for this whole opportunity. All the glory goes to Him, all my guys, my wife, everybody’s that’s a part of this deal that deals with me, honestly, every single day. I’m just super thankful right now. Man, I’m just another guy that’s just trying to race cars for a living. I’ll do whatever the good Lord lets me do.”

    Zane Smith, who was trying to claim back-to-back victories after winning the season-opening event at Daytona, settled in second place followed by Kyle Busch, who led 31 of 134-scheduled laps.

    “[Chandler Smith’s truck] was, definitely, the best truck tonight,” Busch said. “They did a great job being able to execute there. We split him on that second-to-last restart and there on that last restart, he split us. Kind of a little payback, I guess, but then I was worried that [Zane Smith] was gonna win. Overall, [Chandler Smith] was able to get a good run and get cleared down the backstretch here. Really proud of those guys. [Crew chief] Danny [Stockman Jr.] and Chandler both just executed very well tonight. Cool to see [sponsor] Safelite in Victory Lane with them. Our JBL Tundra was just not quite as good as theirs…Overall, a really good night. First and third.”

    Following the event, however, Zane Smith was disqualified and stripped of his runner-up result when his truck failed post-race inspection because his lug nuts did not conform to the rule book.

    With Busch promoted to second place behind teammate Chandler Smith, Friesen was credited with third place followed by Ryan Preece and Tanner Gray. Matt DiBenedetto, Matt Crafton, Bret Holmes, Austin Wayne Self and Ty Majeski finished in the top 10. The seventh-place result for Crafton occurred in his 500th Truck Series consecutive career start.

    Dean Thompson was the highest-finishing rookie competitor in 11th behind Ty Majeski, Todd Bodine finished 21st, Enfinger finished 23rd and Nemechek managed to finish 25th on the lead lap.

    There were 21 lead changes for 10 different leaders. The race featured 10 cautions for 52 laps.

    Following his victory, Chandler Smith leads the regular-season standings by five points over Tanner Gray, 15 over Ty Majeski, 17 over Ben Rhodes and 22 over Stewart Friesen.

    Results.

    1. Chandler Smith, 32 laps led

    2. Kyle Busch, 31 laps led

    3. Stewart Friesen

    4. Ryan Preece, three laps led

    5. Tanner Gray, seven laps led

    6. Matt DiBenedetto

    7. Matt Crafton

    8. Bret Holmes

    9. Austin Wayne Self

    10. Ty Majeski

    11. Dean Thompson

    12. Tate Fogleman

    13. Carson Hocevar, nine laps led

    14. Chase Purdy

    15. Matt Mills

    16. Tyler Ankrum

    17. Kris Wright

    18. Timmy Hill

    19. Lawless Alan

    20. Loris Hezemans

    21. Todd Bodine

    22. Matt Jaskol

    23. Grant Enfinger

    24. Derek Kraus

    25. John Hunter Nemechek, 23 laps led

    26. Jordan Anderson – OUT, Accident

    27. Spencer Boyd – OUT, Accident

    28. Christian Eckes – OUT, Accident, four laps led

    29. Thad Moffitt, 20 laps down

    30. Kaz Grala – OUT, Engine

    31. Ben Rhodes – OUT, Accident, nine laps led, Stage 1 & 2 winner

    32. Jack Wood – OUT, Accident

    33. Hailie Deegan – OUT, Accident

    34. Colby Howard – OUT, Accident

    35. Blaine Perkins – OUT, Dvp

    36. Zane Smith – Disqualified, 15 laps led

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series competitors and teams will return to action at the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19 at 2:30 p.m. ET on FS1.

  • Chandler Smith wins race, Rhodes captures Truck Series title at Phoenix

    Chandler Smith wins race, Rhodes captures Truck Series title at Phoenix

    Phoenix Raceway was the site of the Championship 4 race for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for the second straight year. John Hunter Nemechek, Zane Smith, Matt Crafton, and Ben Rhodes each had a shot at the title. Three of them were looking for their first Truck Series title.

    Out of those four, Ben Rhodes was able to capture the Truck Series championship for the first time in his career in only 141 starts. The Kentucky native made the winning move by passing Zane Smith with eight laps to go and never looked back to claim the 2021 Truck Series championship.

    “I wouldn’t even be here today if it wasn’t for Duke and Rhonda (Thorson, ThorSport team owners),” Rhodes said. “They gave me my opportunity in this sport. They were my very first full-time national team that I raced for and I’ve been with them ever since. They’re so amazing and I can’t even begin to thank them enough. This has just been a ride of a lifetime. I hope it’s not over. I want to keep going now. This is amazing.”

    While there was a Championship 4 race out on the track, there was also a race winner to be decided as well. Chandler Smith qualified on the pole with qualifying back for the first time this year. Stages of 45/45/60 laps made up the 150 lap event.

    One of the Championship 4 contenders, Nemechek, got in the wall early on Lap 1. As a result of the contact with the wall, his left-front tire went down and he lost two laps in the process after bringing the truck to pit road. The first yellow flew shortly thereafter on Lap 11 for the No. 45 of Lawless Alan who crashed on the frontstretch. The caution allowed Nemechek to gain one of his laps back.

    Despite Smith starting on the pole, the Georgia native lost the lead to the No. 2 of Sheldon Creed but was able to grab the lead back with 10 laps left in the stage and collect the first stage win. Rhodes finished fifth, Crafton seventh, Zane Smith ninth and Nemechek was 30th, 1 lap down.

    During Stage 2, there were no cautions and it was a relatively calm stage. There was one newsworthy item though as Sheldon Creed clinched the most laps led of the season on Lap 80 and won the $50,000 bonus from Marcus Lemonis of Camping World. Even though Creed dominated the stage, the California native was passed again for the stage win, this time on the last lap of the stage when Smith made the move on the start/finish line. Rhodes was third, Zane Smith sixth, Crafton eighth and Nemechek finished 27th, still one lap down.

    The final stage began with 51 laps to go but didn’t stay green for long. The fourth and final yellow flag flew on Lap 102 for the No. 12 of Tate Fogleman who stalled on the track. The caution allowed Nemechek to regain his lap and get back in contention for the title.

    Following the restart with 45 to go, Zane Smith passed Rhodes for third and became the highest-ranked Championship 4 driver. As for Nemechek, the North Carolina native continued his rally up toward the front and got as high as ninth with 10 laps to go. Nemechek’s run stalled out to seventh and Zane Smith looked comfortable in fourth. Unfortunately for Smith, he was passed by Rhodes with eight to go and fell to runner-up in the Championship 4. Rhodes, however, ended the season with the championship title after opening the season up with two victories at Daytona.

    Chandler Smith passed Creed for the lead and the eventual race win with 17 laps to go for his second win of the 2021 season. The Georgia native also won the Rookie of the Year title as well.

    Photo by David Myers for SpeedwayMedia.com

    “Overall, we unloaded today and got out on the track really good,” Chandler Smith said about the win. “Our Safelite Toyota Tundra topped off P2 right off the bat and was really comfortable, but was here in 2019, kind of thought the same thing and had a little experience under my belt and good news to base off of.”

    “We didn’t get a mock run in and I told my crew chief Danny Stockman how many numbers freer we needed to be from the end of practice to qualifying. We were solid in qualifying and that gave us a good adjustment to where we needed to be tonight.”

    Zane Smith finished fifth and fell short once again for the second consecutive year.

    “It’s been a wild of a year,” Zane Smith said. “I don’t know which one hurt more, last year or this one. We fired off good, honestly too good, and just got way too tight. We tried everything from inside the truck and all the tools I had and didn’t really help. Couldn’t hold them off.”

    There were four cautions for 25 laps and 12 lead changes among three different leaders. Smith led six times for 39 laps en route to victory.

    Championship 4 Results:

    (3rd) Ben Rhodes, 2021 Truck Series Champion
    (5th) Zane Smith
    (7th) John Hunter Nemechek
    (12th) Matt Crafton

    Stage 1: Chandler Smith, Creed, Gilliland, Friesen, Rhodes, Hocevar, Crafton, Eckes, Zane Smith, Kraus

    Stage 2: C. Smith, Creed, Rhodes, Friesen, Gilliland, Z. Smith, Hocevar, Crafton, Enfinger, Eckes

    Official Race Results of the Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway:

    1. Chandler Smith, won both stages, led 39 laps
    2. Stewart Friesen, led five laps
    3. Ben Rhodes
    4. Sheldon Creed, led 106 laps
    5. Zane Smith
    6. Christian Eckes
    7. John Hunter Nemechek
    8. Todd Gilliland
    9. Carson Hocevar
    10. Austin Hill
    11. Johnny Sauter
    12. Matt Crafton
    13. Grant Enfinger
    14. Tyler Ankrum
    15. Derek Kraus
    16. Chase Purdy
    17. Hailie Deegan
    18. Drew Dollar
    19. Ryan Truex
    20. Jack Wood
    21. Dean Thompson, 1 lap down
    22. Will Rodgers, 1 lap down
    23. Jordan Anderson, 1 lap down
    24. Willie Allen, 1 lap down
    25. Ty Dillon, 1 lap down
    26. Austin Wayne Self, 3 laps down
    27. Chris Hacker, 3 laps down
    28. Danny Bohn, 3 laps down
    29. Taylor Gray, 4 laps down
    30. Cory Roper, 4 laps down
    31. Spencer Boyd, 4 laps down
    32. Kris Wright, 7 laps down
    33. Tyler Hill, OUT, Alternator
    34. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Electrical
    35. Tanner Gray, OUT, Rear Gear
    36. Lawless Alan, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: With the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season now complete, teams will start prepping for the 2022 season that begins February 18, 2022, at Daytona International Speedway. It will air live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 7:30 p.m.

  • Ben Rhodes survives three overtimes to win at Daytona Road Course

    Ben Rhodes survives three overtimes to win at Daytona Road Course

    The Truck Series returned to Daytona International Speedway once again this week, but this time on the Daytona Road Course. There were three overtime restarts and on the second restart, Ben Rhodes was close to taking the white flag, but a late yellow flew. However, Rhodes prevailed and took home the win after starting on the pole and holding off Sheldon Creed for the win.

    “It’s unbelievable,” Rhodes said about winning twice at Daytona. “I don’t have words for it. I don’t even know what to say. This is so cool. I just have to thank my team. The Bombardier Tundra was fast all day. ThorSport Racing gave me a truck that handled this year and we were fast. Rich (Luches) is a really good crew chief. It’s good to be paired up with him and all of the guys on my team. I’m just thrilled. I don’t know what to say. I’ve been on cloud nine all week, so it’s above that. I’m just so happy.”

    Originally, 12-13-19 made up the 44-lap race, but three late-race yellows extended the race distance to 51 laps.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 12

    Prior to the race start, NASCAR had determined a wet race for the initial green-flag since late day rain showers moved through the area, and left the track damp.

    John Hunter Nemechek was fast from the get-go and dominated early on. He took the lead from pole-sitter Rhodes while Raphael Lessard and Zane Smith spun each other out in Turn 1. One caution slowed the stage with eight to go when the No. 04 of Cory Roper came to a stop in Turn 3.

    The late yellow brought out a one-lap restart for the stage, but Nemechek held off Rhodes for the stage victory. Chandler Smith, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Truex, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed and Riley Herbst were the Top 10 finishers.

    During the stage break, Nemechek stayed out to maintain the lead, but there were some penalties as Chase Purdy was penalized for a safety violation and Sam Mayer was penalized for not going to the rear in the previous restart.

    Stage 2: Lap 14 – Lap 25

    From the restart, last year’s Truck Series champion, Sheldon Creed, was able to nab the lead from Nemechek coming out of Turn 6 and going into Turn 1. The Californian dominated for the majority of Stage 2 until a late stage yellow came out on Lap 22. Stage 1 winner, Nemechek, came to a complete stop due to no oil pressure in Turn 10, prompting the yellow. During this, Creed was on pit road, changing from wet tires to dry tires.

    As the yellow flag flew late, the stage ended under caution and 2020 Talladega winner Raphael Lessard took the stage victory. Grala, Zane Smith, Wayne Self, Gilliland, Crafton, Deegan, Creed, Purdy and Moffitt were the top 10. Rhodes was right outside the Top 10, finishing 11th.

    Stage 3: Lap 27 – Lap 51

    While the first two stages were relatively calm, the final stage saw five cautions. Creed was well on his way to victory but contact between Sam Mayer and Tanner Gray brought out the first overtime of the night.

    On the first restart, Rhodes was able to get by Creed and was just inches away from taking the white flag before the yellow flew once again in a matter of seconds. This time, the No. 44 of Jett Noland, who was making his debut for Niece Motorsports, stopped in the grass and Austin Wayne Self came to a stop just off Turn 10.

    The final overtime restart of the night was prompted by Jennifer Jo Cobb, who came to a complete stop on the frontstretch chicane. The restart came on Lap 48 with race leaders Rhodes and Creed battling hard with each other for the win. However, Rhodes was determined to hold off Creed and stretched out his lead over second place. After 51 laps, the finish came under yellow due to a truck stopped in the grass. Ben Rhodes would win his second consecutive race and give Toyota Racing their 200th Truck Series victory.

    “So cool,” the Kentucky native added about getting Toyota Racing their 200th win, “200 wins for Toyota, I’m so proud to be able to get that for them. You always want to be the guy that delivers for people and I’m glad that I could be the delivery man. That’s so cool. Toyota, they’ve given so much support to us. I think that’s a big reason why we’ve been in victory lane both weeks.”

    There were 10 cautions for 20 laps and nine lead changes among six different drivers.

    Official Results:
    1. Ben Rhodes, led 13 laps
    2. Sheldon Creed, led 17 laps
    3. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 1, led 14 laps
    4. Todd Gilliland
    5. Riley Herbst, led one lap
    6. Matt Crafton
    7. Derek Kraus
    8. Kaz Grala
    9. Timmy Hill
    10. Christian Eckes
    11. Stewart Friesen, led one lap
    12. Chandler Smith
    13. Camden Murphy
    14. Carson Hocevar
    15. Austin Wayne Self
    16. Codie Rohrbaugh
    17. Dawson Cram
    18. Johnny Sauter
    19. Tate Fogleman
    20. Tanner Gray
    21. Tyler Ankrum
    22. Chase Purdy
    23. Parker Chase
    24. Timothy Peters
    25. Brett Moffitt
    26. Raphael Lessard, led five laps, won Stage 2
    27. Bobby Reuse, 1 lap down
    28. Hailie Deegan, 1 lap down
    29. Jett Noland, OUT, Crash
    30. Danny Bohn, 2 laps down
    31. Ryan Truex, 3 laps down
    32. Norm Benning, 3 laps down
    33. Austin Hill, 3 laps down
    34. Cory Roper, OUT, Fuel Pressure
    35. Jennifer Jo Cobb, 4 laps down
    36. Lawless Alan, 6 laps down
    37. Sam Mayer, OUT, Crash
    38. Jason White, 10 laps down
    39. Spencer Boyd, OUT, Transmission
    40. Zane Smith, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will take next weekend off before heading out west to Las Vegas Motor Speedway Friday night, March 5, live at 9 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio.

  • Ben Rhodes powers by Cory Roper for thrilling Daytona victory

    Ben Rhodes powers by Cory Roper for thrilling Daytona victory

    The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returned to action to kickstart the 2021 season at the famous Daytona International Speedway.

    Ben Rhodes, who started 23rd, made a thrilling move to the outside of Cory Roper coming off Turn 4 and claimed the season-opening win at Daytona as multiple trucks wrecked behind the leaders. The victory would mark the Kentucky native’s first superspeedway victory in 120 starts.

    “This is so special, the biggest win of my career,” Rhodes said. “I can’t even believe this. As a driver, you’re always asked about what your biggest accomplishment is. This is it. This is hands-down it. This is the place to be. I can’t even believe it.”

    Prior to the first race of the season, qualifying was held earlier today. Johnny Sauter and the No. 13 ThorSport team qualified on the pole. The pole marked Sauter’s first superspeedway pole position in his career.

    Only one driver moved to the back, which was the No. 19 of Derek Kraus. Stages of 20/20/60 laps made up the original 100 lap event, before going into overtime, as a caution flew with six laps to go and extended the event by one lap.

    Stage 1: Lap 1 – Lap 20

    When the green flag flew, there were already sparks flying on the frontstretch. The No. 15 of Tanner Gray did not get going as the truck stalled somewhat on the initial start, which caused a stack up in the back. James Buescher in the No. 44 Niece Motorsports Chevy had major damage to his front bumper and was credited with a last-place finish. Kraus and Gus Dean were also involved in the incident.

    Despite the early caution, the rest of the stage remained green from Lap 5 to 20. Pole sitter Sauter dominated through the early portions before getting passed late in the stage by eventual Stage 1 winner, Raphael Lessard. Lessard, with the help of his teammate Sheldon Creed, drove right on by Sauter and Enfinger to win the first stage. Enfinger, Sauter, Nemechek, Rhodes, Chandler Smith, David Gilliland, Stewart Friesen and Timothy Peters rounded out the Top 10 in Stage 1.

    During the stage break, Creed was penalized for being too fast on pit road while Codie Rohrbaugh was sent to the rear for a crew member being over the wall too soon. Meanwhile, Matt Crafton was penalized for one lap for pitting outside the box.

    Stage 2: Lap 26 – Lap 40

    Just one caution slowed the second stage when the No. 19 of Kraus spun in Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 35 after Kraus’s left-rear tire went flat. With the late caution, the restart came with two laps to go in the stage. John Hunter Nemechek edged out Lessard for the victory. Sauter, Creed, Rhodes, Chandler Smith, Hill, Peters, Enfinger, and Ankrum were the Top 10 finishers in Stage 2.

    Stage 3: Lap 46 – Lap 101

    In the final stage, there were six cautions that took place in the final 55 laps. One of the notable yellows in the final stage was for the No. 1 of Hailie Deegan. Deegan was making her first Truck Series start at Daytona and ran solidly before spinning on the backstretch and hitting the inside wall causing a yellow with 20 to go.

    The next restart came with 15 to go and the intensity picked up with drivers pushing hard for the win. Unfortunately, the big one occurred with six laps to go with multiple drivers involved. John Hunter Nemechek, Tyler Ankrum, Timothy Peters, Drew Dollar, Raphael Lessard, Austin Hill, Johnny Sauter, Tate Fogleman, Bryan Dauzat and Carson Hocevar were collected in the incident.

    With the late yellow, NASCAR Overtime was called and there was a two-lap dash to the finish. Rhodes got shoved out to the front with the help of his teammate, Matt Crafton, coming off Turn 4, following directly behind Roper who was leading the race. Rhodes had momentum and made the pass to the outside to win by .036 seconds over Roper and Jordan Anderson while another big one occurred behind the leaders.

    By finishing third, Roper earned the first-ever top-five finish of his Truck Series career in 28 starts over a span of four years, dating back to 2018.

    “We took the white flag, and I think it (field) just kind of got jumbled up and I think the 2 (Sheldon Creed) got in the wall a little bit, put me in the wall, flattened the right side and I pulled down to the bottom,” Roper said. “I was able to clear them and come off of (Turn) 2 with the lead. So, it was pretty exciting about that time and I just calmed down and try to stay, listen to my spotter, do what I needed to do. When I pancaked the right side, we got tight off of (Turn) 4 and I couldn’t pull down and got clogged in.”

    There were 10 cautions for 43 laps and 31 lead changes among 12 different leaders.

    Official Results
    1. Ben Rhodes, led seven laps
    2. Jordan Anderson
    3. Cory Roper
    4. Ryan Truex
    5. Carson Hocevar
    6. Sheldon Creed, led one lap
    7. John Hunter Nemechek, won Stage 2, led 14 laps
    8. Codie Rohrbaugh
    9. Chandler Smith, led 22 laps
    10. Drew Dollar
    11. Grant Enfinger, led 13 laps
    12. Kris Wright
    13. Spencer Boyd
    14. David Gilliland, led eight laps
    15. Matt Crafton
    16. Zane Smith
    17. Danny Bohn
    18. Jennifer Jo Cobb
    19. Bryan Dauzat, led two laps
    20. Jason White
    21. Austin Wayne Self, one lap down
    22. Austin Hill, two laps down
    23. Raphael Lessard, won Stage 1, led 12 laps, two laps down
    24. Hailie Deegan, three laps down
    25. Brett Moffitt, led one lap, five laps down
    26. Timothy Peters, led three laps, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    27. Johnny Sauter, led 12 laps, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    28. Tyler Ankrum, led six laps, OUT, Crash
    29. Chase Purdy, OUT, Electrical
    30. Tate Fogleman, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    31. Todd Gilliland, OUT, Crash
    32. Stewart Friesen, OUT, Crash
    33. Derek Kraus, OUT, Damage Vehicle Policy
    34. Gus Dean, OUT, Crash
    35. Tanner Gray, OUT, Drivetrain
    36. James Buescher, OUT, Crash

    Up Next: The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will stay in the Daytona area as the trucks will next race on the Daytona Road Course on Friday night. February 19. live on FOX Sports 1 and MRN Radio at 7:30 pm. ET.

  • ThorSport Racing places three trucks in the top five

    ThorSport Racing places three trucks in the top five

    It was a solid night for ThorSport Racing as they placed three trucks in the top five at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Pole-sitter Johnny Sauter was second, Matt Crafton fourth and birthday boy Ben Rhodes was fifth.

    Sauter qualified on the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series pole for the first time since Texas of 2018. The Wisconsin native had a strong showing early before falling back late in the race. Sauter was able to finish third in the first stage and 10th in the second stage to earn some playoff bonus points. He was also able to lead seven laps in Stage 1. While those were the only laps he led, Sauter was able to get back in the mix late in the going and challenged Kyle Busch for a little while.

    As the laps were winding down, Sauter was trying different lines to catch the eventual race winner Busch, but failed to do so and wound up second.

    “We had a great truck in practice today, obviously qualified well,” Sauter told MRN Radio. “When the green flag dropped, I thought, man this thing is a rocket and then we just went loose, sideways loose. We made a lengthy pit stop there. Nothing you could do. We had to pull spring rubbers and make adjustments, so we lost a lot of track position and got a lot of it back, and I couldn’t get going on restarts tonight. Last year, I was great, but this year, I was spinning the tires. I guess we got to go somewhere in between that.”

    “Just proud of Joe (Shear Jr., Crew Chief) and all of these guys. I thought I had something for Kyle there and I was squeezing in on them there and kept running the third grove down there and he moved up there and took my line away. Then we got tight for a little bit and ended up loose again. So, I’m not exactly sure (what happened). All in all, a good effort from what I thought we were going to have tonight and we came a long way.”

    For Crafton, it was all about tire management. He was running third just a few laps before the finish. However, he was passed by Austin Hill and that relegated Crafton to fourth.

    “We had a lot of tire wear tonight,” Crafton said to MRN Radio. “We were really free all night and just had to tire manage. It was actually a lot of fun. I kind of fell back on restarts, but I was like man, every time I went hard on the restart, it just killed the left-rear tire and then I got really free. Not a great run, but a decent run for this Menards Ford F-150.”

    Rhodes came home with a quiet fifth-place finish. Rhodes was somewhat satisfied with the finish considering the handling issues he experienced during the race.

    “I guess so,” Rhodes said to MRN Radio about the finish. “Considering the day we had, we struggled and we have to get better on a lot of things. We came in and lost spots on every single stop and we were on the splitter the whole race. I couldn’t really go until four laps until the end of the stage. It took me 30 laps for the tires to come up and barely getting it off the splitter, and then at the end, it never even came off of it. I just felt like I had my hands tied behind my back the whole race and wasn’t able to show what we had.”

    “Every time we would make up ground, we would lose it again. It’s just a really hard-fought fifth-place finish for our Carolina Nut Ford F-150. I wish it wasn’t this hard-fought. We worked pretty hard on the birthday here but for as hard as we worked, I wished we would have had a first-place finish. Some nights you have finishes like this and struggles like this. Just as a whole, we need to get better as a team and I think if we do that, we capitalize on these mistakes and we’ll be up there competing for wins with no problem.”

    The other ThorSport contender Grant Enfinger was involved in a wreck on Lap 89, which took him out of the race and he had to settle for a 31st place finish.

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Las Vegas II

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Power Rankings – Las Vegas II

    The NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series returned on-track this past Friday night for the final race in the Round of 8. The World of Westgate 200 featured an action-packed race and left a lot of playoff drivers in trouble. However, it saw one driver break through and quite possibly surprised some race fans who were not expecting him to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. 

    Here are this week’s power rankings following the second Las Vegas Truck Series race of the season. 

    1. Ross Chastain – Chastain provided a dominant performance throughout the race before being passed late for the win. The Florida native started second, won both stages, led the most laps with 88 but ultimately fell short, finishing second. Despite this Chastain clinched a spot in the Round of 6 after winning one of the stages. Should he and the No. 45 Niece Motorsports team continue this dominance throughout the Round of 6, we could very well see Chastain in the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

      Previous Week Ranking – Fifth
    2. Austin Hill – Hill came through at the end passing Chastain for the lead and the eventual race win. It was his third win of the season and he was able to lock himself into the Round of 6. While Hill was already guaranteed a spot, he made it easier for his No. 16 Hattori Racing team by winning. It shouldn’t as a surprise to anybody as this the same team that won the championship last year.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked
    3. Sheldon Creed – Creed and his No. 2 GMS Racing team came into Vegas with a lot of momentum after being consistent late in the season. Previously, at Canada, he finished fourth continuing his top-five finishes. Creed qualified sixth, then finished sixth and seventh in Stage 1 and 1, respectively. While he was unable to lead a lap, the No. 2 team continued their string of top-five finishes by posting their fourth of the season.

      Previous Week Ranking – Second
    4. Brett Moffitt – Moffitt and the No. 24 team had a quiet night finishing seventh after being dominant in the first two races of the Round of 8. The Grimes, Iowa native did, however, finish ninth and third in both stages and led 12 laps. He may have been disappointed not to sweep the entire Round of 8 but the team is going on to compete in the Round of 6 after winning at Bristol and Canada.

      Previous Week Ranking – First
    5. Brennan Poole – Though not competing in the full Truck schedule as originally planned, Poole and the No. 30 On Point Motorsports is making the most of their opportunities when they do compete. It has been an up and down season for Poole who had two DNFs, one top-five and three top-10s heading into Vegas. His schedule has been sporadic due to not having the funding to compete in every race. Hoping to better his spring finish at Vegas, Poole had a lot of work to do. He qualified 18th but it didn’t take him long to get up to the front with the help of a few cautions. Poole finished seventh and fifth in both stages. After all was said and done, the No. 30 driver fell short of his second top-five but managed a sixth-place finish for his fourth top-10 of the year. It was nicely done by the No. 30 On Point Motorsports team especially considering that they don’t compete every week.

      Previous Week Ranking – Not Ranked

      Fell Out
      1.  Stewart Friesen – Friesen and the No. 52 Halmar Racing team had a rough night after being down a cylinder for the majority of the race. The Canadian qualified 19th and finished 19th, down two laps. Despite not having any top-10 stage finishes, Friesen and his team will have another chance to compete for the championship by advancing to the Round of 6.

      2. Ben Rhodes – It was a solid eighth-place finish after starting 13th and surviving the chaos that happened throughout the night. He was also able to record a fourth-place finish in Stage 2.
  • Tagliani and Rhodes round out top three finishers in Canada

    Tagliani and Rhodes round out top three finishers in Canada

    In what has been a strong weekend for Alex Tagliani in the NASCAR Pinty Series, he was ready to test his skills in quite possibly his best shot to win the Truck Series race driving the famed No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Tundra.

    The Canadian had a decent qualifying starting spot of fourth and remained consistent throughout the race. He finished 13th in Stage 1 after making a pit stop late for track position and finished eighth in Stage 2. While Tagliani did not get to lead a lap, he was up front on the final restart with Brett Moffitt. The KBM driver tried to catch Moffitt but he ran out of time. He would wind up second, Tagliani’s best Truck Series finish ever.

    “It’s difficult because you never know if it’s going to go green all the way, as you give up too much distance and there’s no way with the level of competition you can make it up,” Tagliani said to MRN Radio. “It was a pleasure to work with KBM, the whole 51 crew. Thanks to CanTORQUE/Spectra Premium/Rona. The engine was running cool, our RAD in the trucks today.”

    “We had a lot of fun, we were just missing a little bit on the front end. It was a bit tight everywhere. So we made some really good changes and increase the competition on the truck, but not enough for the 24 (Moffitt) today.”

    Ben Rhodes and his No. 99 ThorSport Racing team used pit strategy during the Chevy Silverado 250 to finish third.

    “We had a solid F-150 but we were just lacking in some areas,” Rhodes told MRN Radio. “You know, Tagliani was really, really fast. Moffitt had the best of us today so we’ll go back and do our homework, but really happy to give our Havoline Ford a third-place finish. I think this would be their fifth race coming back and really excited to have them on board.”

    With Rhodes not being in the playoffs, he can now focus on winning and perhaps learning something for next years Playoffs.

    “It’s pretty much going after wins,” Rhodes added to MRN Radio. “It’s just trying to outdo people on strategy, trying to get ourselves track position the best we can and make it easiest on me as possible. So far, my crew has been doing an awesome job, the crew chief and engineer have been calling awesome races. Really proud of our efforts on that.”

    The top-five finish was Rhodes sixth of the season. He also led once for nine laps.

  • MIS NEWS: Ben Rhodes experiences a new kind of speed

    MIS NEWS: Ben Rhodes experiences a new kind of speed

    BROOKLYN, Mich. (July 31, 2019) — It is not often that a NASCAR driver meets somebody who performs at a faster speed or in a more intense environment than a racer does in a race. But Ben Rhodes, driver of the #99 Carolina Nut Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series had that experience when he visited the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard.

    Rhodes was in town to promote the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 on Aug. 10 at Michigan International Speedway. In the middle of media interviews, Rhodes was able to check a bucket item off his list when he got a private tour of the base from Captain Jake “Scooby” Dubie.

    “As a pilot myself, this was a definitely a bucket list item for me to visit with the members and to see all the planes,” Rhodes said. “I had a great time learning how much teamwork went into each flight and cannot wait to share that with my team. I am looking forward to coming back to MIS for the last race of the truck regular season on August 10.”

    The highlight of the day was when the avid pilot was able to observe the F-16s up close and talk to the service members. In the maintenance hangar, Rhodes met with Technical Sergeant Steve Boehme to learn how the planes are prepared for flight. Boehme serves as a crew chief for the pilots.

    Rhodes communicates with his crew chief, Matt Noyce daily to enhance the performance of the truck. The crew chief at the Air National Guard has a vital role to the success of the missions. The pilots depend on the crew chiefs to oversee the preparation of the plane and to ensure the runway is clear of debris for takeoffs and landings.

    Dubie, a pilot for the 180th Fighter Wing, showed Rhodes his flight uniform. They were both impressed how similar each of the helmets were for the pilots and drivers. Rhodes had a keen interest in the uniform to learn if anything could help his performance on race day.

    Rhodes felt the power of the F-16s up close as he stood in the hanger during takeoffs. The flurry of activity hit a fever pitch as the pilots, crew chiefs and all the mechanics prepared the planes for training. Rhodes stood in awe as the jets roared down the runway and lifted into the air.

    Fans can see the 180th Fighter Wing in action this summer. They will be performing the flyover prior to the Consumers Energy 400 on Aug. 11.

    Rhodes received two honorary patches to help him remember his visit. Scooby presented Rhodes a 180th Fighter Wing Patch. The origins of the 180th Fighter Wing’s organizational emblem date back to June 22, 1964 when the unit held a group wide design contest in search of a design that could be used to symbolically represent the newly formed 180th Tactical Fighter Group. The emblem was approved and became recognized federally on October 15, 1962.

    Dubie also presented Rhodes a 112th Fighter Squadron patch. The history of the 112th Fighter Squadron dates back to Feb. 24, 1954 when the unit submitted a formal request to change the old emblem representing the 112th Bombardment Squadron to a new emblem that would represent the newly formed 112th Fighter-Bomber Squadron.

    Sunday ticket holders can stick around on Saturday for a free post-race concert. Michigan’s own, Grand Funk Railroad, will celebrate its 50th anniversary of entertaining crowds at Michigan International Speedway. Skid Row and Sawyer Brown will keep the music going after the checkered flag waves for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Corrigan Oil 200 on Aug. 10.

    Tickets to the Consumers Energy 400 on Aug. 11 and the Corrigan Oil 200 on Aug. 10 can be purchased at www.mispeedway.com. Fans can find the perfect campsite for their families and friends in any of the different campgrounds at the track starting at $130. Fans can purchase tickets and campsites at www.mispeedway.com or by calling 888-905-7223.

    Children 12 and under are admitted free on Friday and Saturday. On Sunday, children 12 and under tickets start at $15.  Children 12 and under can attend three days of NASCAR action for just $15, ensuring families a weekend of fun at affordable prices.

    Any guest who purchases a 12 and under ticket will automatically receive a free kids Pit and Driver Introduction Pass courtesy of Henry Ford Health System. Kids can experience pit road on Sunday morning, sign the start/finish line and view the cars and teams up close on race day. Kids will also have access to pre-race ceremonies, including driver introductions.

    NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track continues to add entertainment to the campgrounds, fan plaza, pre-race and stage breaks to make the race week a cannot miss event. The nonstop entertainment at Michigan International Speedway during the Consumers Energy 400 race week provides something for every guest. The track continues to add value for the guests who camp and those who come just for the races. A speed painter will even be in victory lane after the Consumers Energy 400 to capture the race winning celebration.

    Nestled in the lush Irish Hills of Southeastern Michigan, Michigan International Speedway is NASCAR’s Most Entertaining Track. It has been the love of NASCAR racing and the thrill of a great time for race fans and drivers alike for 50 years.

  • NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Kentucky

    NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series Preview-Kentucky

    After a week off for the Fourth of July holiday, the real fireworks get back on track Thursday night for the Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.

    The Truck Series was at Chicagoland Speedway two weeks ago where we saw last year’s champion take home the trophy. It was Moffitt’s second win of the 2019 season, which occurred on the 1.5-mile speedway, the same as Kentucky.

    The Playoffs continue to be on the horizon and with five races left, there are some drivers who continue to be winless in the series. Believe it or not, only four series regulars have taken home a trophy. Other than Moffitt, Austin Hill won at Daytona and Johnny Sauter won at Dover. Ross Chastain had victories at Kansas and Gateway but sits 10 points out of the top-20. Chastain should easily make it into the Playoffs, but we’ve seen crazier things happen.

    Despite only having four series regulars winning this year, there are other big names who have not won yet. Those include series points leader Grant Enfinger, Stewart Friesen, Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, Harrison Burton, Todd Gilliland and Sheldon Creed, who are all on the outside looking in. With that said, however, those names could break through at Kentucky this Thursday night.

    There are currently 34 Trucks entered on the preliminary entry list for 32 spots.

    Here are five drivers to keep an eye on in Thursday night’s Buckle Up in Your Truck 225.

    1. Matt Crafton – Kentucky could be the place where Crafton breaks his long two-year winless streak. He is the most experienced driver with the most active starts at 20, ever since the first race here in 2001. The No. 88 ThorSport Racing driver has just one win here that occurred in 2015 when he started on the pole and led 43 laps that night. Otherwise, he has six top fives and 15 top-10 finishes with one DNF. Crafton’s average finish is 9.9 with 79 laps led overall. The Tulare, California driver has finishes of third in 2018, eighth in 2017 and 2016, a win in 2015 and sixth in 2014. He doesn’t have any stage wins, but Crafton finished sixth in Stage 1 and ninth in Stage 2 in the 2018 race. Keep an eye on the No. 88 Menards driver who hopes to snap his winless streak Thursday night.

    2. Ben Rhodes – The ThorSport train continues with Ben Rhodes. Rhodes is the previous race winner at Kentucky after leading 38 laps last year. It was a hometown win for Rhodes, as he resides in Louisville, Kentucky just 57 minutes away from Kentucky Speedway. However, prior to his win, Kentucky Speedway had not been too kind to Rhodes. He crashed out of the race in 2017, finishing 27th, and finished 13th in his first race in 2016. The Kentucky native has an average finish of 13.7 with an average start of 5.7. It will mark one year since Rhodes has not won a race in the Truck Series. He currently sits somewhat comfortable in the standings, in fifth, 98 points behind first. He’ll need a win or a finish in the top 10, or top five, to contend in the Playoffs.

    3. Stewart Friesen – Speaking of being close to winning, Friesen has a decent chance of getting his first win Thursday night. He finished second to Rhodes in last year’s race after leading 37 laps. He has Stage finishes of seventh and fourth in the 2018 race, but no stage top-10 finishes in 2017. The Canadian finished 12th in his first outing two years ago. Look for Friesen and his No. 52 Halmar Racing team to be a contender in Thursday night’s race at Kentucky.

    4. Brandon Jones – The Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series regular returns to the famed No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports truck this week. The Atlanta, Georgia native has four starts at Kentucky Speedway and has finished in the top-10 in every start since 2015. Jones has had great results with a best finish of second in 2017. His other finishes include fourth in 2018, seventh in 2016 and 10th in 2015, which equal an average finish of 5.8. The No. 51 truck has not seen victory lane since Texas last month when Greg Biffle earned a popular victory. At Kentucky, the truck has not been to victory lane since 2014 when team owner Kyle Busch brought it to victory lane. Jones will try to put that No. 51 truck back in the winner circle this weekend.

    5. Todd Gilliland – Gilliland has just one start which came in last year’s race. The No. 4 KBM driver finished seventh after starting second and led just one lap. Gilliland has a stage finish of third and sixth in both stages that came in the 2018 race.

    Other drivers on the entry list include Codie Rohrbaugh in the No. 9, Spencer Davis in the No. 11, Dylan Lupton in the No. 15, Tyler Ankrum in the No. 17 and Brennan Poole returns with his No. 30 machine. Josh Bilicki will compete in the No. 34, Chad Finley returns to the track in the No. 42, Jeb Burton in the No. 44, Ray Ciccarelli in the No. 49, Tyler Hill in the No. 56 and Clay Greenfield in the No. 68.

    Ben Rhodes and Noah Gragson are the only stage winners since 2017.

    Kentucky Speedway has seen 21 races and counting since their first race back in 2000. A list of winners include Greg Biffle who won the first race 19 years ago, Scott Riggs, Mike Bliss, Carl Edwards, Bobby Hamilton, Dennis Setzer, Ron Hornaday Jr (2006, 2009, 2011), Mike Skinner, Johnny Benson Jr, Todd Bodine, James Buescher (2012 and 2013), Ty Dillon, Kyle Busch, William Byron and Christopher Bell.

    The race winner has come from the pole three times set by Matt Crafton in 2015, Kyle Busch in 2014 and Ron Hornaday Jr in 2009. The lowest a race winner has ever come from was 22nd by Ty Dillon in 2013 and Hornaday Jr in 2006.

    It will be an all-day show for the Truck Series with first practice at 9:35 a.m. ET and final practice at 11:05 a.m. ET with no TV coverage. Qualifying is scheduled to take place at 4:05 p.m. ET live on Fox Sports 1.

    The Buckle Up in Your Truck 225 can be seen live on Fox Sports 1 and MRN Radio with the green flag flying shortly after 7:30 p.m. ET. Stages will be broken up into 35/70/150 laps to make up the 225-mile race.

  • Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes compete in IMSA IMPC race

    Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes compete in IMSA IMPC race

    In hopes of getting some extra track time in preparation for the Chevrolet Silverado 250 Truck Series race in August, ThorSport Racing drivers took to the track by competing in an IMSA IMPC race this past weekend at Bowmanville.

    Grant Enfinger and Ben Rhodes had a couple of practice sessions on Friday, July 5. After the practice session, the teammates placed 17th overall and 16th in the GS Class.

    Similar to the Truck Series, it was mostly a one day show with qualifying and the race taking place Saturday afternoon. Rhodes qualified the No. 15 Motorcraft Quality Parts Ford Mustang in the third position.

    When the race started, Rhodes and Enfinger were splitting the driver duties and at one point, Rhodes took the lead. Unfortunately, things went downhill for the teammates as Enfinger finished the final stint and wound up 13th. But even with the unfortunate finish, the ThorSport drivers were able to learn something for next month’s race at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

    Enfinger had this to say on Twitter, “Had a great time @CTMPOfficial with @Multimatic and @FordPerformance,” Enfinger said. “Learned a ton to help us when we come back here. @benrhodes did great on the first stint. I lost track position twice then made it back to finish P13. Now to continue the 10 day road trip with the wife.”

    Rhodes even had a few notes that he posted on Twitter as well.

    In response to Enfinger, Rhodes said, “You did good coming back from that penalty!’ #GoodJobTeammate.

    “Man, I really enjoyed it,” Rhodes added on Twitter. This was a huge learning experience for me. You and Tyler (Mcquarrie, IMSA IMPC driver) are super talented and strong competitors. I wish you both the best of luck in the rest of the season! Maybe one day I can rub doors with you guys in the @NASCAR_Trucks!”

    Race day here @ctmpofficial! @benrhodes will qualify and run the first stint, then I’ll finish the race this afternoon. Thanks for the opportunity @fordperformance @Multimatic pic.twitter.com/LhrZQEGU9u—Grant Enfinger (@GrantEnfinger) July 6, 2019

    Our #FordMustang is fast! Qualified P3 for today’s race. Had pole speed but got held up on both fast laps? Make sure to tune in!#MustangNeedsRoomToGallop ?? pic.twitter.com/r9vSkX96lp— Ben Rhodes (@benrhodes) July 6, 2019

    The Chevy Silverado 250 for the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series will take place on Sunday, August 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET. It will be the second race in the Truck Series Playoffs.