From ThorSport Racing PR:

 

Ben Rhodes, No. 41 USA Cares Toyota Tundra

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series

DC Solar 350 – Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Race No. 18 of 23

 

 

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.

About USA Cares:

USA Cares is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that addresses the critical and unmet needs of post 9-11 service members, veterans & military families facing service related hardships. The objective is to reach families at the earliest stage of intervention to proactively prevent further financial distress including foreclosure. When USA Cares is contacted to provide assistance, our goal is to respond to each family within 48 hours.  Assistance programs include combat injured, career transition, emergency and housing assistance.  We have responded to more than 80,000 requests for emergency financial assistance, which are paid directly to the creditor in the form of a grant. USA Cares provides the critical support that our veterans and military families need to create a foundation for financial resilience. For more information visit: www.usacares.org

 

About Alpha Energy Solutions:

Alpha Energy Solutions is a commercial and industrial service provider specializing in building automation, indoor energy solutions, chillers, boilers, electrical, equipment rental, food equipment service, piping, plumbing, sheet metal, refrigeration, insulation, and part sales.  With more than 200 service personnel, Alpha is one of the largest self-performing service providers. Alpha’s highly skilled technicians operate quickly and efficiently in all areas of system maintenance and management. As members of the community they serve, Alpha’s associates are committed to job quality and customer satisfaction. To learn more, visit www.alphamechanicalservice.com

 

About ThorSport Racing:

ThorSport Racing, based in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra driven by Cameron Hayley, the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Toyota Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra driven by Rico Abreu in 2016. To learn more visit www.ThorSport.com

 

ThorSport Racing Media Contact:

Jessica O’Brien

Phone: 803-240-5807

Email: [email protected]