From JR Motorsports PR –

 

DRIVER: Ben Rhodes / No. 88 Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet
RACE: 3M 250 (250 laps / 218.75 miles)
TRACK: Iowa Speedway
DATE: Sunday, May 17, 2015

 

Quotes | Ben Rhodes

 

“Iowa Speedway has a unique feel – it has a challenging surface with bumps in the middle of turns one and two and multiple racing grooves. The facility is first class and the fans are some of the best! The goal for this weekend is to keep my Alpha Chevrolet out of trouble and finish in the top 10. The first race is all about completing laps.

 

“JR Motorsports has given me an unbelievable opportunity with this car and race team. I am surrounded with knowledge and some of the biggest names in the sport. By going to the track with the team almost every week, I have learned a lot about the setup of these XFINITY Series cars and also how they react and change during runs. Our goal for the rest of the season is to be running near the top five each week and to hopefully be challenging for a win later in the season.”

 

Notes | No. 88 Team

 

ROOKIE REPORT: Rhodes produced a record-setting year in 2014, as he amassed five wins, 11 top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and six poles en route to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKNPSE) Championship. He was declared the 2014 Rookie of the Year and voted the Most Popular Driver in the NKNPSE. Rhodes also ran two ARCA races and made four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts, earning one top-five and three top-10 finishes in his first foray into NASCAR’s national series. Sunday’s Iowa race will mark his NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) debut.

 

RHODES AT IOWA: The 18-year-old previously raced at Iowa Speedway in the NKNPSE. In four starts at the 0.875-mile oval, he has led 140 laps, earning one win (May 2014), two top-five and four top-10 finishes.

 

HIGH SCHOOL GRAD: Rhodes will graduate from Holy Cross High School (HCHS) with an impressive 3.98 GPA. The HCHS senior will miss his graduation ceremony, scheduled for Friday, May 15, to be in Iowa for his NXS debut, but HCHS president Tim Weihe will present the soon-to-be graduate with his high school diploma on stage at driver introductions on Sunday, May 17.

 

ALPHA ENERGY SOLUTIONS ON BOARD THE 88: Alpha Energy Solutions, Inc., based in Louisville, Ky., is a commercial and industrial mechanical service provider with multiple specialties. One of the largest self-performing service providers in the Midwest, Alpha provides building management services to commercial and industrial customers.

 

2015 SCHEDULE: Rhodes will pilot the No. 88 for 10 races in 2015. Following his debut at Iowa this weekend, he’ll be racing at Chicagoland (June 20), New Hampshire (July 18), Iowa (Aug. 1), Watkins Glen (Aug. 8), Mid-Ohio (Aug. 15), Road America (Aug. 29), Kentucky (Sept. 26), Dover (Oct. 3) and Homestead (Nov. 21).

 

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