Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Team Information:
Started: 8th
Finished: 12th
Laps: 100/100
Status: Running
Driver Points: 4th
Recap:
Ben Rhodes, driver of the No. 27 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, looked poised to get his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) win in Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona (Fl.) International Speedway. The ThorSport Racing driver, who finished third in Segment one of NASCAR’s new race format, and 12th in Segment two, restarted the third and final Segment seventh, on lap 46. On lap 52, Rhodes took the lead, leading the field twice for 20 laps. With four laps remaining in the 100-lap event, a caution was displayed for a spin in Turn 2, setting the field up for a green-white-checker flag finish. The Safelite AutoGlass driver restarted third and worked with teammate, Grant Enfinger to lead the outside line into Turn 2 on the final lap. Unfortunately, Rhodes would get sideways coming out of Turn 2, ultimately causing the “Big One” and relegating the sophomore driver to a 12th-place finish behind race winner, Kaz Grala.
Quote:
“ThorSport worked really, really, really well together tonight. I had my teammate Grant Enfinger pushing behind me and he was trying to push me to the win. We had the momentum on the high side, going three-wide. Unfortunately, I was still being pushed coming off the corner – this is where the truck feels weightless and is most out of the racetrack. I was pushed sideways and couldn’t hang on. I then had direct contact with my other teammate, Matt (Crafton). Unfortunately, we were all wrecked. Now we are going to have to Safelite repair Safelite replace all of the trucks. One of the ThorSport trucks was going to win the race.”
Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had one practice session on Thursday evening in preparation for Friday night’s 100-lap event. Ben Rhodes was fourth-quick overall.
- Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 marked Rhodes second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway (DIS). The Safelite AutoGlass driver started eighth, led the 32 truck field twice for 20 laps and finished 12th in the 18th-annual event.
- In two starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, Rhodes has led 20 laps en route to one top-10 finish.
- In 28 career starts, Rhodes has one pole (Martinsville-1, 2016), and has led 75 laps en route to three top-five, and eight top-10 finishes.
- Rhodes ThorSport Racing teammates finished 11th (Coughlin), 14th (Crafton), and 16th (Enfinger).
- Up next: The Active Pest Control 200 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on Saturday, March 4.