From ThorSport Racing PR –
Ben Rhodes, No. 27 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Charlotte Motor Speedway – NC Education Lottery 200
Race No. 5 of 23
Team Stats:
Driver Point Standings: 7th
Owner Point Standings: 9th
Sounding Off – Ben Rhodes:
As hard as Kansas was to digest, have you moved on? Are you focused on Charlotte this weekend?
“Yes, we’ve moved on from Kansas. You have to move forward if you expect to win a race. We are actually having fun with it now. My crew chief has taken the ‘debris’ that went through the radiator and made a necklace out of it. He says it will be our good luck charm at Charlotte. Last week we proved that what we learned at the Charlotte test, all the hard work we put in, is enough to win a race with our Safelite Tundra. We plan to do just that at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday night.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Information…The No. 27 ThorSport Racing (TSR) team will utilize chassis No. 62 for Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte (NC) Motor Speedway (CMS). This is the same chassis Rhodes piloted earlier this season at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway, finishing fourth.
- Intermediate Track Success… In 11 career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts on an Intermediate-style track (1.5-miles to 1.54-miles in length), Rhodes has one top-five (Atlanta), two top-10, and five top-15 finishes.
- Testing, 1, 2, 3, Testing… Rhodes and his No. 27 Safelite AutoGlass team participated in the NCWTS test at CMS on Tuesday, May 2. The ThorSport driver posted the seventh-fastest time overall in the session.
- Take me back – Charlotte, 2016… In his CMS debut, the ThorSport Racing driver started 12th, ran as high as fourth, and finished 17th.
- Rearview Mirror – Kansas… Making his second start at the Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, KS, Rhodes started eighth, led the field four times for 25 laps, and finished 23rd. The Safelite AutoGlass driver was leading the 32-truck field with eight laps remaining in the 167-lap event when a bolt went through the radiator, and ultimately blew up the motor.
- Catch Ben in Charlotte… Rhodes, will be at the Safelite AutoGlass display in the Fan Zone on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 from 2-2:45pm ET and will join his TSR teammates for the NCWTS autograph session from 3-3:45pm ET in the Whisky River Hospitality area, under the Ford Grandstands at CMS. Follow @BenRhodes on Twitter for more appearances throughout the weekend.
Rhodes Charlotte Motor Speedway Stats:
- Starts: 1 (2016)
- Started: 12th
- Finished: 17th
- Laps Completed: 134 of 134 laps (100%)
- Laps Led: 0
Rhodes Career NCWTS stats:
- Starts: 31 since 2014
- First Full-time Season: 2016
- Poles: 1 (Martinsville-1, 2016)
- Top-5 Finishes: 4
- Top-10 Finishes: 9
- Laps Completed: 4552
- Laps Led: 100
- First Start: Martinsville-1, 2014 (8th)
- Best Finish: 2nd; Gateway
- Avg. Start: 9.9
- Avg. Finish: 15.1
Charlotte Stages:
- Stage 1 – 40 laps (concludes at lap 40)
- Stage 2 – 40 laps (concludes at lap 80)
- Stage 3 – 54 laps (concludes at lap 134)
Race Information:
Date: Friday, May 19
Time: 8:30pm ET on FOX Sports 1
Track: 1.5-mile
Distance: 134 Laps, 201 Miles
About Safelite AutoGlass®:
Safelite AutoGlass® is the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services with more than 7,200 MobileGlassShops™ and company stores in all 50 states. Last year, nearly 6 million customers chose Safelite for its 24/7 national contact centers, advanced online scheduling, superior repair and replacement systems, and the industry’s only nationwide lifetime guarantee. Founded in 1947, the Columbus, Ohio-based company employs 13,000 people across the United States. For more information visit: www.Safelite.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 JEGS/RIDE TV Toyota Tundra driven by Cody Coughlin, the No. 27 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 RIDE TV/Champion Power Equipment/Jive Communications Toyota Tundra driven by Grant Enfinger. For more information visit www.ThorSport.com.
Edgehill Management Group
Jessica O’Brien
Director of Public Relations, ThorSport Racing
Mobile: 803-240-5807