Two former champions are carrying ThorSport Racing into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase presented by Mobil 1, but they arrive with a heavy weight on their shoulders. The Sandusky, Ohio-based organization enters the Chase opener at Bristol Motor Speedway mired in a 43-race winless streak. That drought stretches all the way back to Ty Majeski’s victory at Phoenix Raceway in November 2024.
Ben Rhodes claimed titles in 2021 and 2023, while Majeski secured his first championship in 2024 and finished just behind eventual champion Corey Heim in the finale last season. Yet, finding an exact reason for the current slump has proved difficult. Rhodes pointed to a mix of execution issues, driver or team mistakes, and plain bad luck, though he insisted that searching for more speed remains non-negotiable.
If we have one of those in the next seven races, it’s over for us, right? We don’t have the luxury of a points buffer.
“I wish I could put my finger on one solid thing and say, ‘That’s it,’ ” Rhodes said during Tuesday’s Truck Series Chase Media Day. “In certain instances, I can say execution. There’ve been some mistakes by me or even by others and then there’s been some bad luck that’s happened this year, but you can’t use that as an excuse to say that we don’t need to be searching for more speed.”
Layne Riggs leads the standings heading into the opener, with Majeski resetting sixth at 50 points back and Rhodes ninth at 65 points behind. Jake Garcia missed the Chase cut and sits 12th. Despite a strong start featuring top fives in two of the first three races, Rhodes tapered off, though he feels tracks like Bristol, Talladega, Martinsville, and Homestead play directly into the organization's strengths. The three-week break before the seven-race stretch to decide the champion also offered a welcome reset, especially for the road crew members putting in long hours at the shop.
Rhodes has four top-five finishes and has led 147 laps this season—fourth-most among the 10 Chase drivers—alongside a second-place finish at Bristol last fall and a dirt race win there in 2022. Thursday also marks his 250th consecutive Truck Series start, yet his motivation stems entirely from ending the dry spell. “I just want to win races and championships. I’m pretty hungry right now based on this winless streak we’ve had,” Rhodes said.
Majeski has captured two poles and five top-five finishes this year, but has only led 34 laps and carries three DNFs into the postseason, the most among the 10 playoff drivers. Having also won at Bristol in 2022 for his first series victory, Majeski plans a cautious strategy for the opening rounds before attacking later.
“I think for us it’s about taking maybe a little bit more careful approach to the first three and then being aggressive in those last four, all the places that are more in our wheelhouse and feel like we have a good chance to win,” Majeski said. With zero points buffer and no room for a hiccup, Majeski knows the margin for error is nonexistent. “If we have one of those in the next seven races, it’s over for us, right? We don’t have the luxury of a points buffer.”
