RACE RECAP: Phoenix Raceway

Ty Majeski – No. 66 Road Ranger

Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Phoenix Race Information

Started: 8th

Stage 1: 11th

Stage 2: 5th

Finished: 20th

Laps: 154/154

Laps Led: 0

Status: Running

Driver Points: 4th

Owner Points: 4th

“We wanted to bring a championship home for Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) and everybody at ThorSport. I thought the best opportunity there for us was to try to wiggle the 38 (Zane Smith) a little bit and try to get underneath him and try to set up the race between Ben (Rhodes) and I. I was just trying to be aggressive underneath him and lost it off of (turn) two. All you can ask for is the chance to win the championship with five to go and we had that tonight, and it just didn’t pan out. I’m proud of our season and proud of what we accomplished as a 66 bunch. Joe (Shear, Jr., crew chief) and the team have been great to work with. It just stings to be that close and see it in front of you and just come up a little bit short. We will come back next year and come back stronger.”– Ty Majeski

Matt Crafton – No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards

Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Phoenix Race Information

Started: 9th

Stage 1: 5th

Stage 2: 6th

Finished: 12th

Laps: 154/154

Laps Led: 0

Status: Running

Driver Points: 9th

Owner Points: 12th

Christian Eckes – No. 98 CMR Construction & Roofin g/

Curb Records Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Phoenix Race Information

Started: 7th

Stage 1: 9th

Stage 2: 15th

Finished: 30th

Laps: 151/154

Laps Led: 0

Status: Running

Driver Points: 8th

Owner Points: 9th

Ben Rhodes – No. 99 Kubota Tractor Corporation

Toyota Tundra TRD Pro

Phoenix Race Information

Started: 6th

Stage 1: 6th

Stage 2: 10th

Finished: 2nd

Laps: 154/154

Laps Led: 8

Status: Running

Driver Points: 2nd

Owner Points: 2nd

“I liked the fact that my crew chief, Rich Lushes, gives me those opportunities. He’s bold. He makes a lot of crazy pit calls like that, and sometimes they work. We were just on the cusp of making it work. I think if that last restart had come out, we could have held them off and be really happy right now.

But I’m not. So here I am. I tell you, I’m thankful for those calls, I just wish it could have worked out differently. That was just the story of two versus four. I couldn’t get the jump I needed on the green. I just didn’t have the grip with my two tires that the other guys had, and it was just extremely difficult to hold them off.

I even — coming into the checkered flag there, I even tried to drive it in as deep as I could to get to him. And the TV didn’t show it the best, but I just banged the truck off the wall because I wasn’t going to make the corner. I just used the wall to turn me and kind of pulled shades of Ross Chastain, I guess. I didn’t ride it, but I hit it and was able to barely stay in front of the 18.

Gave it all I had, and just didn’t have any more. We needed more pace all day long.” – Ben Rhodes

Thorsport PR