CONCORD, N.C. — One week after being involved in a race-ending wreck North Wilkesboro Speedway, Ben Rhodes bounced back in a big way.
It started midway through the 127-lap North Carolina Education Lottery 200, as the No. 99 ThorSport Racing driver started climbing his way through the field, cracking the top five on lap 71.
As Niece Motorsports’ Carson Hocevar and TRICON Garage’s Corey Heim maintained tight control of the race early on, battling back and forth for the lead in stages one and two, it seemed unlikely that Rhodes, who started 19th, would find his way to the front.
But on the final restart, with 25 laps to go, Rhodes got the jump and pushed past McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Christian Eckes, Heim and Hocevar to find clean air. Heim, who was on the rear bumper of Eckes, slid under the No. 19 Chevrolet to take second. The outside line did not work in Eckes’ favor, as the MHR driver lost several positions.
TRICON Garage’s Dean Thompson capitalized, muddling his way into the lead pack to secure third. Hocevar’s No. 42 Chevrolet was in fourth.
Out front, Rhodes was hoping for a long, green-flag run — which he got.
The No. 99 Ford was .895 seconds ahead of Heim as they crossed the finish line. Along with collecting his first win of the season, Rhodes brought Ford its first NASCAR Truck Series victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“We had to take it slow and methodical from 19th. It’s not easy to pass in the Truck Series, especially here at Charlotte, but I’m so happy to get a win here. This is the North Carolina guy’s backyard. We’re a Sandusky (Ohio) based team, so it means a lot to myself and the team owners,” Rhodes said.
And @benrhodes takes the #NASCAR Truck Series win under the lights at Charlotte Motor Speedway ✨ pic.twitter.com/7By0inRhiN
— SPEED SPORT (@SPEEDSPORT) May 27, 2023
How It Happened
Polesitter Tanner Gray and Ty Majeski led the 36-car field to the green flag at 8:51 p.m. (ET).
Heim filed into the lead on lap five, while Majeski began sliding back in the pack. Hocevar, who started 12th, was making moves and was up to second by lap 26. At the conclusion of stage one, it was Heim, Hocevar, Thompson, Rajah Caruth and Zane Smith completing the top five.
On lap 45, Hocevar using the outside line to sweep past Heim as the two battled for the lead halfway through stage two. On the front stretch, Hocevar took the advantage over Heim. The No. 42 Niece Motorsports driver enjoyed the second stage win of his career, with Heim, Thompson, Stewart Friesen and Smith filing in behind Hocevar.
On lap 71, Rhodes had made the move for fourth.
The first caution flag of the night waved on lap 80, as Armani Williams broke loose coming out of turn four and spun down pit road in the No. 46 Toyota. The second caution came out only a few laps after the restart, with Smith sustaining significant damage to the left front of his No. 38 Ford.
As the field returned to the green flag with 38 laps to go, Rhodes crossed in front of Hocevar on the restart, taking it three-wide with Eckes. The No. 99 rode the outside line to the front, while Hocevar slid by Eckes.
The final caution waved with 24 laps to go, due to an incident with Kris Wright and Tyler Ankrum. But from there on out, it was an all-out scram for Rhodes to secure the lead. The No. 99 led the final 17-lap, green-flag stretch.
“The truck was good once we got in clean air. The night time came to us and they (pit crew) made some adjustments. I was worried at first and they came to us again. They looked into a crystal ball tonight and they gave me everything I needed,” Rhodes said.
Rhodes earned an extra $50,000 for his victory, as the North Carolina Education Lottery 250 was the first of three races included in the Triple Truck Challenge — a bonus program that boasts a $500,000 purse. Should the No. 99 also win at World Wide Technology Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway, he could earn the full prize.