Team Information:
Started: 8th
Finished: 12th
Laps: 146/146
Laps Led: 0
Status: Running
2016 Driver Points: 13th
2016 Owner Points: 14th
Ben Rhodes Race Recap:
Ben Rhodes, driver of the No. 41 USA Cares Toyota Tundra, made his track debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series DC Solar 350. Posting the third, and 10th-fastest times in the series two practices on Saturday morning, Rhodes backed-up his time in qualifying Saturday afternoon, posting the eighth-fastest time overall.
Throughout the 146-lap event, Rhodes battled a tight-handling Toyota Tundra, despite multiple attempts throughout the race to aid in the handling. Crew chief Kevin Bellicourt brought the USA Cares Toyota Tundra to pit road, under caution, for scheduled stops at lap 39, for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, and twice under the lap 95 caution for four tires, fuel and adjustments, and again to top-off with fuel before the restart at lap 98. Restarting 19th, Rhodes was able to work his way through traffic in the final 48 laps to finish 12th behind race winner, Tyler Reddick.
Ben Rhodes Quote:
“This track was all about experience tonight – just knowing how your truck transitions from practice during the day to the race at night. You experience such huge swings on the race track, from temperature and how sensitive the asphalt is. When we practiced during the heat of the day, and then raced in much cooler temperatures, it made for a totally different race track, and a completely different handling race truck. We thought we were pretty good going into tonight, we were just trying something new, trying a different strategy, but we learned as we went. Overall I think everyone under the ThorSport Racing umbrella needed to be a little bit better. We just need to work on the transition from day to night, and our pit stops, and we’ll be right there.”
News & Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had two practice sessions on Saturday morning in preparation for Saturday night’s DC Solar 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). Ben Rhodes was third, and 10th, respectively, in both sessions.
- Making his track debut at LVMS in the NCWTS, Rhodes started eighth, ran as high as seventh, and finished 12th in the 146-lap event.
- In 18 starts in 2016, Rhodes has led 55 laps en route to two top-five, and five top-10 finishes.
- In 22 career NCWTS starts, Rhodes has one pole (Martinsville), and has led 55 laps en route to three top-five, and eight top-10 finishes.
- Rhodes’ ThorSport Racing teammates finished eighth (Crafton), 18th (Hayley), and 20th (Abreu).
- Up Next: The fred’s 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 22 at 1pm ET.