Toyota Racing - NCWTS Phoenix Post-Race Report - 11.05.21

CHANDLER SMITH, No. 18 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports--Finishing Position: 1st--The other Kyle Busch Motorsports team in Victory Lane with Chandler Smith. Second win of the year for Chandler as well as Rookie of the Year. How was your race?--“Yeah, for sure, first and foremost, All Glory to the Man Upstairs, without him, none of this would be possible. I wouldn’t have all these awesome relationships with all these guys, my racing family. This is my family. Also, he’s blessed me with a great family and being around great people and being able to come out to Phoenix Raceway in front of these fans tonight and be able to compete in high tier equipment. I’m just really blessed right now. Can’t thank Safelite, Toyota Racing, Danny (Stockman), KBM, Kyle (Busch), everybody that goes down the line to make this happen.”

 

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Bombardier LearJet 75 Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 3rd

You see the emotion out of Ben Rhodes. Ben, you started the season with a win at Daytona and you finish the season winning the Championship at Phoenix. You sir are the Camping World Truck Series Champion.

“That was the hardest last 40 laps I think I have ever driven in my life. I was doing things to the race car I probably shouldn’t have been doing, it was dumb, but I had everything to lose. And we brought it home and won it. I don’t even know what to say. This is crazy. Bookends for the season, I am so proud of my ThorSport Racing group. This wasn’t like a vision we had, right, everyone wants to win it, but you just don’t know, it’s so hard. I just can’t thank Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) enough. They are the reason I’m here tonight, Bombardier, Toyota, Menards, WileyX, we have so many people that help us, I can’t even talk right now I’m so excited.“

 

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK, No. 4 Pye-Barker Fire & Safety Toyota Tundra, Kyle Busch Motorsports

Finishing Position: 7th

It’s amazing John Hunter Nemecheck finished seventh given everything you went through tonight. I know you were short on the championship and that’s what mattered. Can you bring me through everything you had to battle out there tonight?

“Yeah, I got run in to the first corner, got in to the fence, somebody else ran in to us on the left side and this thing is killed pretty much, but had a left front tire go flat, went down two laps, got both of our laps back, but just needed more laps I guess. After all, felt we had the best truck tonight Playoff wise for sure. Drove from pretty much last to seventh there and running down Ben (Rhodes) and Zane (Smith) for the championship, just not enough. That’s what’s frustrating. A huge shout out to all of our partners. I’m disappointed, frustrated. Thank you Pye-Barker Fire Alarm Services, Toyota, Kyle (Busch), everyone. Thankful for the opportunity. We came here to win races this year, we succeeded, came up short of the championship. I’ll be #BackForMore next year.”

 

MATT CRAFTON, No. 88 Ideal Door/Menards Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing

Finishing Position: 12th

What were you fighting tonight?

“We really fought free off all night. Really free off, center off. Never really could get ahold of it for whatever reason. I’m excited for Ben (Rhodes), Duke and Rhonda (Thorson), everybody over there. This Menards Toyota Tundra – we qualified well, I mean, decent. I was really worried about that because every time we qualify decent here, we don’t race good. All-in-all, regroup, head to Daytona – go to 2022.”

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

 

1st, CHANDLER SMITH

2nd, STEWART FRIESEN

3rd, BEN RHODES

4th, Sheldon Creed*

5th, Zane Smith*

6th, CHRISTIAN ECKES

7th, JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK

10th, AUSTIN HILL

11th, JOHNNY SAUTER

12th, MATT CRAFTON

15th, DEREK KRAUS

18th, DREW DOLLAR

22nd, WILL RODGERS

27th, CHRIS HACKER

28th, DANNY BOHN

*non-Toyota driver

 

AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 5, 2021) – Tundra driver Ben Rhodes won his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) championship on Friday night with a third-place finish at Phoenix Raceway. Rhodes’ championship marks the ninth Truck Series driver title for Toyota.

TOYOTA FAST FACTS

• •                Rhodes won two races, claimed eight top-five results and 16 top-10 finishes over 22 races to claim the 2021 NCWTS Driver’s Championship.

• •                The title is Rhodes’ first NASCAR championship in his sixth full-time season competing in the Truck Series and the third year racing a Tundra for ThorSport Racing.

• •                Rhodes won Toyota’s 200th NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at the Daytona International Speedway road course on February 19, 2021

• •                It is the fourth driver’s championship for ThorSport Racing (Matt Crafton – 2013, 2014, 2019).

• •                The 24-year-old Louisville, Kentucky native is the seventh Tundra racer to capture a driver’s championship. In addition to Rhodes, Brett Moffitt (2018), Christopher Bell (2017), Erik Jones (2015), Matt Crafton (2013 and 2014), Todd Bodine (2006, 2010) and Johnny Benson (2008) have also captured Truck Series titles for Toyota.

• •                Toyota also clinched its series-high 12th NCWTS Manufacturer’s Championship (2006-2010, 2013-2017, 2019, 2021) earlier this season at Martinsville Speedway with Tundra drivers winning 15 races during the 2021 season. Toyota has scored a total of 213 victories since joining NCWTS competition in 2004.

TOYOTA QUOTES

BEN RHODES, No. 99 Toyota Tundra, ThorSport Racing

“That was the hardest last 40 laps I think I have ever driven in my life. I was doing things to the race car I probably shouldn’t have been doing, it was dumb, but I had everything to lose. And we brought it home and won it. I don’t even know what to say. This is crazy. Bookends for the season, I am so proud of my ThorSport Racing group. This wasn’t like a vision we had, right, everyone wants to win it, but you just don’t know, it’s so hard. I just can’t thank Duke and Rhonda (Thorson) enough. They are the reason I’m here tonight, Bombardier, Toyota, Menards, WileyX, we have so many people that help us, I can’t even talk right now I’m so excited.“

 

PAUL DOLESHAL, group manager, motorsports and asset management, Toyota Motor North America

“To see Ben’s excitement in winning his first career NASCAR championship has been really special. We couldn’t be more thrilled to a part of this championship journey for Ben and help add his name to a remarkable list of Tundra drivers who have won Truck Series championships. Additionally, we are excited to celebrate this title with everyone at ThorSport Racing after their return to the Toyota family this season. Congratulations to Ben, Duke & Rhonda Thorson and all of ThorSport Racing on this accomplishment.”