From ThorSport Racing PR –
Race 18 of 23: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Track Length / Type: 1.5-mile asphalt oval
Race Distance: 134 laps I 201 miles
Race Format: Three Stages | Stage 1: 30 laps (ending at Lap 30), Stage 2: 30 laps (ending at Lap 60), Final Stage: 74 laps (ending at Lap 134)
ThorSport Racing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
ThorSport Racing has made 44 starts at the 1.5-mile asphalt oval with 16 different drivers since 1996:
- Wins: 2
- Johnny Sauter – 2009
- Ben Rhodes – 2017
- Poles: 1
- Matt Crafton – 2015
- Top-five finishes: 12
- Top-10 finishes: 22
- Laps Led: 275
Team Notes:
- Ben Rhodes celebrates the anniversary of his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) win this weekend, coming at Las Vegas Sept. 30, 2017. Starting sixth, Rhodes led 20 of event’s 146 laps in 2017, racing his way to Victory Lane ahead of Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe. Continuing to show his strength at the 1.5-mile track this spring, Rhodes raced as high as third en route to a seventh-place finish.
- Making his 19th start since 2001 at Las Vegas this weekend, Matt Crafton looks to capitalize on his six top-fives, 10 top-10s and 136 laps led at the 1.5-mile asphalt oval. Riding momentum of six top-10 finishes in the last six races leading up to this weekend out west, Crafton hopes to earn his way to the Round of 6 en route to another series championship.
- ThorSport Racing’s General Manager, David Pepper, celebrates his 500th consecutive career start in the NCWTS at Las Vegas this weekend. Working in various professional capacities during his tenure, his first in the long line of starts came working as a show truck driver for Scot Walters and Brewco Racing at Walt Disney World Speedway, Jan. 11, 1998. Serving as a rear tire changer, gas man, jackman, public relations, and marketing and business development in past, Pepper currently works as a spotter for various teams across many racing series, in addition to his general manager duties and spotting for ThorSport Racing’s Grant Enfinger.
- Drivers Ben Rhodes and Myatt Snider will join other Ford Performance drivers at Ford Country in Henderson, Nevada, Thursday, Sept. 13, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. for an autograph session and fan meet and greet.
Ford Facts: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Ford-powered F-150’s have found victory lane 97 times since 1995 in the NCWTS, including four wins at Las Vegas:
- 1997: Joe Ruttman
- 1999: Greg Biffle
- 2007: Travis Kvapil
- 2016: Tyler Reddick
Team Info/Stats:
Crew Chief: Eddie Troconis
Driver Point Standings: 4th
Owner Point Standings: 6th
Playoff Position: 7th
Spotter: Lloyd Garner
Truck: No. 41 Carolina Nut Co. Ford F-150
Chatting with Ben Rhodes…
“This race will be just as important this year as it was last. Coming back the defending winner, it’s a really good boost of confidence for my team considering the spring race was nothing like we had seen. There was a lot of drafting, and we saw a very, very fast pace. I’m hoping that the 100-degree temperatures coming back here in the fall are really going to change up the racing. It’ll take grip away from our competitors and make it really racy with a lot of sliding around. Right now, we’re solely focused on the Round of 6. If we could make that happen with a win this weekend in Las Vegas, it would mean the world to myself and the No. 41 Carolina Nut Ford F-150 team.”
| Chassis No. 62
Nickname: “Jasmine” Starts: 11 Last raced: Pocono – 2018 Poles: 1 (Pocono, 2017) Wins: 0 Laps led: 13 Top-five finishes: 1 Top-10 finishes: 4 Highest start: 1st (Pocono, 2017) Highest finish: 2nd (Pocono, 2017) |
Rhodes at LVMS
Starts: 3 Highest start: 6th (2017) Highest finish: 1st (2017) Last race finish: 7th (2018) Laps led: 20 (2017) Average start: 9.7 Average finish: 6.7 Laps completed: 426 |
Race Recap: Canada
Started: 1st Stage 1: 2nd Stage 2: 15th Finished: 14th Laps: 60/60 Laps Led: 0 Status: Running
|
Rock the Vote
Voting for 2018’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Most Popular Driver is open, and we need your help! Votes can be cast once daily until 12 p.m. ET, Tuesday, November 27, 2018. To vote for your favorite ThorSport Racing driver, log on to nas.cr/2Q6mmiA. Votes shared via Twitter and Facebook count as double.
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Catch the Action
World of Westgate 200: Friday, Sept. 14 | 9 p.m. ET | FOX Sports 1 (FS1) | Motor Racing Network (MRN) | SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90