ThorSport Racing – 2017 Las Vegas Recap

Ben Rhodes Holds Off Christopher Bell to Claim First Truck Series Win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
 
Team Information:
Started: 6th
Stage 1: 6th
Stage 2: 1st
Finished: 1st
Laps: 146/146
Laps Led: 20
Status: Running
Driver Points: 2nd
Owner Points: 10th
 
How did you hold off Christopher Bell for your first career NCWTS win?
“I have no idea. I used every play in my playbook. I knew if I could keep him close to me, he couldn’t break the bubble. Every time he tried to break the bubble and get far away, he’d suck right up to the 27 Safelite Toyota Tundra and be right there on our bumper. So I had to keep him at a distance, and that was the most nervous thing I think I’ve ever done in my life.”
 
How can you describe the emotion of your team with this win?
“There was uncontrollable screaming on the radio. I don’t even know. This is the biggest high of my life. This is crazy. I just never thought it would come after so many things went wrong, and now it did and we’re here.”
 
What does this win mean to you?
“I never thought it would come. It seemed like every time we were there something would happen and our 27 Safelite Toyota Tundra was on point tonight. We might not have been the fastest truck, but we pulled it off at the end, and it matters. We’re in the round of six now and we are going to Homestead. This team just showed that it deserves to be in the Playoffs after it’s been so close.”
 
What was going through your mind on the last restart?
“I just thought I was going to be pushing the guy in front of me, and I was trying to do everything I could to get points and have a good day. Our tires started smoking and those guys had contact – playing rough – and they made the opportunity, and we took it. That’s all our plan has been, ever since we had to fight for points to get into the Playoffs. Our plan was to capitalize on the opportunity they gave us, and they gave us a big opportunity tonight.”
 
Notes:
  • Rhodes won the 21st Annual Las Vegas 350, his first win in 45 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts.
  • The Safelite driver finished sixth in Stage 1, and won Stage 2, in NASCAR’s unique three-round qualifying at LVMS.
  • The ThorSport Racing driver locked himself into the second Round of 6 in the NCWTS Playoffs following Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday, October 14.
  • In 18 starts this season, Rhodes has one pole (Pocono), one win (Las Vegas), and has led 160 laps en route to six top-five and 11 top-10 finishes.
  • In 45 NCWTS starts, Rhodes has two poles, one win, and has led 215 laps en route to nine top-five, and 19 top-10 finishes. 
 
 
Coughlin Scores Career-Best Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway


Team Information:
Started: 12th
Stage 1: 14th
Stage 2: 12th
Finished: 6th
Laps: 146/146
Laps Led: 0
Status: Running
Driver Points: 13th
Owner Points: 14th
“I thought we had a really good run today. It was a little frustrating we couldn’t get a top-five there – I thought we had a fender on them going into Turn 3, but unfortunately, that just didn’t work out for us. Still, a sold day, and we have a lot of stuff to build on.”
 
 
 
Crafton Scores Top-10 Finish Following A Controversial Restart at Las Vegas
 
Team Information:
Started: 5th
Stage 1: 5th
Stage 2: 5th
Finished: 7th
Laps: 146/146
Laps Led: 0
Status: Running
Driver Points: 3rd

Owner Points: 2nd

 
Matt Crafton, driver of the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra finished fifth in both Stages at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS), and looked poised to contend for a race win late in Saturday’s Las Vegas 350. Unfortunately, a controversial restart late in the 146-lap event left the ThorSport Racing driver with a seventh-place finish in his 17th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start at the 1.5-mile track. 
 
 
Grant Enfinger Scores Top-10 Finish In Track Debut at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
 
Team Information:
Started: 10th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 10th
Finished: 9th
Laps: 146/146
Laps Led: 0
Status: Running 
Driver Points: 10th

Owner Points: 12th

 

“We had a pretty good Jive Communications Tundra. We struggled with track position, and we were a little tight the first half of the race, but the second half of the race, we really came alive. Jeff Hensley (crew chief) made a really good call there at the end to pit under green. We took two tires, and really should have come out second, but we got checked-up behind somebody, and ended up third on the restart. Hensley made another gutsy call to come in and take left-side tires under that last caution. I feel like we had a shot to win there. We got up to second, and started running with the 29 really hard, and just lost momentum. The 16 got to our outside, and I just lost the air, and we got together and tore up the right side. We finished ninth, but we had a shot at it – a little torn-up sheet metal, but we were going for it there at the end.”

 
Thorsport PR