Team Info/Stats:Crew Chief: Eddie Troconis
Driver Point Standings: 6th
Owner Point Standings: 8th
Spotter: Lloyd Garner
News and Notes:
- This Week’s No. 41 Carolina Nut Co. Ford F-150… The No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Ford F-150 team will unload Chassis No. 68, nicknamed “Gizmo,” for Wednesday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) Eldora Dirt Derby. Making its second start for ThorSport Racing, this time at Eldora Speedway, the chassis made its track debut in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway, to kick off the 2018 season. The chassis started 24th at Daytona, gaining 20 positions to finish fourth, and giving Rhodes his first top-five finish of the year.
- Dirt Derby Return… After finishing first at Kentucky this past week, Rhodes shifts his focus to his third race at “The Big E.” Competing for the first time at Eldora in 2016, Rhodes started first for Qualifying Race No. 5, finishing first, and lining up to start the feature race fifth. Returning a second time at the “Big E” in 2017, Rhodes started third in Qualifying Race No. 2, finishing second and lining up seventh for the feature event. Unfortunately, Rhodes was collected in a Lap 40 crash, but looks to this year’s race for redemption on dirt.
- King of Kentucky… Starting third in Thursday night’s Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 at his home-track of Kentucky Speedway, Rhodes captured the checkered flag and victory for the second time in his NCWTS career. Leading 38 laps in the race, Rhodes also earned a spot in the series Playoffs, with the win, his second appearance in three (years).
- Catch Rhodes at Eldora… Rhodes will join fellow ThorSport Racing teammates, and other NCWTS drivers, for a series autograph session, Wednesday, July 18, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. ET, located in the Multipurpose Building behind the grandstands in Turns 3 and 4 at Eldora Speedway.
Chatting with Ben Rhodes…
“I think we have a huge amount of momentum going into Eldora Speedway this week. The win at Kentucky secured our spot in the Playoffs, but we are still focused on points. We still have to make sure we are meeting our goal, which is finishing inside the top-five for every single race, including Eldora. Even though I’m not a dirt racer, I think we are going to have a lot of fun. The win helps take the pressure off and allows us to focus more on the fun and surviving the race, rather than putting pressure on ourselves to go get a victory and get ourselves in. Now that the win is behind us, we’re going to have fun the rest of the regular season. We still have a lot of really good races ahead of us. Pocono is a track where we still have the track records – we have some unfinished business there. Bristol is also really good for us – there are a lot of fun tracks coming up in the summer months.”