KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Facing elimination at Kansas Speedway, Ben Rhodes and ThorSport Racing made a gamble in the final stage that didn’t pan out as the team failed to advance in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoffs.
Entering the round of 10 finale at 12 points below the cutline, Rhodes started his day on the right note – qualifying fourth for the 134-lapper.
But something went colossally wrong in the opening stage, as in 30 laps, the two-time champion dropped 13 spots to 17th.
With stage points seemingly out of the question, it became clear that Rhodes and crew chief Doug Randolph would have to get creative to advance.
After finishing 21st in Stage Two, Rhodes caught a caution he desperately needed on lap 76. Matt Mills’ truck snapped right before entering Turn Three and into Corey Day, causing severe damage and ending both drivers’ races.
Rhodes pitted during the break, and just before the race went back green, he came back down pit road to top off on fuel. The team wasn’t planning to pit again.
As most lead-lap cars pitted under green later on, Rhodes cycled inside the top five. With worn-out tires, he needed the race to remain green to maintain his track position.
At one point, Rhodes had leapfrogged Grant Enfinger for the final spot on points, but it didn’t stick. Spending time battling Dawson Cram for third, Rhodes slipped back below the cutline before completely running out of fuel while coming to the white flag.
“I was trying to stay in traffic to save as much fuel as I could and also manage the tires but ultimately where I was running it was too little too late,” Rhodes said. “When we fired off something was wrong with the truck to start the race. We made massive adjustments and it didn’t seem like anything was fixing it.
“I think somehow our bar load got away from us. We have to go back and see what happened there.”
It’s been a mainly disappointing season for Rhodes, going winless to this point with just two top fives. His average finish is 15.6, the worst clip since his 2016 rookie campaign.
Rhodes became the first defending champion to get eliminated in the opening round.
“I hate it for Kubota and all of our partners and everyone at ThorSport Racing who work really hard,” Rhodes said. “I wanted to give them a championship run. It comes and goes like that. We have had three really good seasons in the past with a first, second and first. I wish we had a better season all around.
“When you don’t have the finishes and the running positions to get the stage points, it leads to this.”
Daniel Dye also got eliminated from the playoffs, hitting the wall twice in Stage One and making two trips to pit road – once for repairs and once for a flat tire. He finished 27th, three laps down.