Team Information:
Started: 25th
Finished: 24th
Laps: 59/94
Laps Led: 0
Status: Accident
2016 Driver Points: 13th
2016 Owner Points: 15th
Ben Rhodes Race Recap:
Ben Rhodes, driver of the No. 41 XPO Logistics Toyota Tundra, made his track debut at Talladega Superspeedway in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Fred’s 250. Starting 25th, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender utilized the draft, and pit strategy, to break into the top-15 by lap 30, and was scored inside the top-five by lap 50. Unfortunately, just past lap 60, as Rhodes was running third, the “Big One” collected the ThorSport Racing driver and 13 other trucks. Rhodes would be credited with a 24th-place finish behind race winner, Grant Enfinger.
Ben Rhodes Quote:
Are you okay and what happened in the accident?
“I’m fine. We had a really fast XPO Logistics Tundra today, and I hate that it ended that way. I just felt a huge shove from the rear and I had no chance of controlling it, or where I was going to go. At the same time, I was trying to follow the 24 (Grant Enfinger) down to get a good side draft and I was hoping he was going to pull me with him, and maybe we could both get down there. This is the best run that we’ve had in a couple races now. This has just been a tough year. These incidents happen, but it seems like this has kind of been the story of our year, getting caught up in messes that may or may not be caused by us. We just have to regroup from here, and focus on Martinsville.”
News & Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had two practice sessions on Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday’s Fred’s 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Ben Rhodes was 11th, and seventh, respectively, in both sessions.
- Making his track debut at Talladega Superspeedway, Rhodes started 25th, ran as high as second, and finished 24th, due to an accident on lap 59 of 94.
- In 19 starts in 2016, Rhodes has led 55 laps en route to two top-five, and five top-10 finishes.
- In 23 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 fourth (Abreu), 19th (Hayley), and 22nd (Crafton).
- Up Next: The Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, October 29 at 1:30pm ET.