Ben Rhodes wins NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, as Chandler Smith sweeps title race: A bantamweight boxer in the training room, Ben Rhodes punched like a heavyweight on Friday at Phoenix Raceway. On Lap 142 of 150 in the Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship race, Rhodes tapped the tailgate of Zane Smith’s Chevrolet with the nose of his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota, nudged Smith up the track in Turn 2 and made the pass that secured his first title.(Read More)(11-5-2021)
#18-Chandler Smith won the season finale Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix Raceway Friday night. The win is his first win at Phoenix, his second of the season, and the second win of his career.
Smith started from the pole, won stages 1 and 2, and led 39 laps en route to the victory.
#52-Stewart Friesen quietly finished second.
#99-Ben Rhodes finished third, and with the finish, locked up the 2021 Truck Series championship.
#2-Sheldon Creed led the most laps of the race, pacing 106 of the 150 out front. He finished fourth after Smith muscled away the lead on lap 133.
#21-Zane Smith finished fifth. With 10 laps to go, Smith was in position to be the champion, but a pass from Rhodes on lap 141 dashed his hopes as the position determined the championship.
#98-Christian Eckes was sixth.
Though he fell short of the championship, the drive of the night went to #4-John Hunter Nemechek. After claiming the regular season championship and leading the series with five race wins, Nemechek’s hopes for the championship went south just after the drop of the green flag. Contact dropped him in the field and a flat tire on lap 7 forced him to pit under green. He fell two laps down. After regaining the lost laps, Nemechek charged his way through the field, but was only able to make it to the 7th position before he ran out of laps.
#38-Todd Gilliland, #42-Carson Hocevar, and #16-Austin Hill finished eighth through 10th.
#88-Matt Crafton was the lone championship contender to finish outside of the top-10. He ended the night in 12th.
There were 12 lead changes among 3 drivers and 4 cautions for 25 yellow flag laps.
The average speed of the race was: 99.374mph.
See race details at: Race Results, Drivers Points Standings, Owners Points Standings, Cumulative Report, Penalty Report.
Paint Schemes
Race Fast Facts – Phoenix
Chandler Smith # won the 27th Annual Lucas Oil 150, his second victory in 38 Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his second victory and ninth top-10 finish in 2021.
This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in three races at Phoenix Raceway.
Stewart Friesen (second) posted his fifth top-10 finish in six races at Phoenix Raceway. It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2021.
Ben Rhodes (P) (third) posted his fourth top-10 finish in seven races at Phoenix Raceway. Rhodes wins the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship.
Chandler Smith (first) was the highest finishing rookie. Smith wins the 2021 Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors.
Ben Rhodes and ThorSport Racing win the 2021 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series title.
Toyota has clinched the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Manufacturers title this season. It is the manufacturer’s series leading 12th manufacturers championship.
(NASCAR)(11-5-2021)
Championship Fast Facts
Driver Champion: Ben Rhodes
Team: No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota Tundra
• Ben Rhodes has won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Rhodes is the 19th different driver to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Rhodes finished third the NASCAR Camping World Truck season finale at Phoenix Raceway to win the title.
• Rhodes finished the 2021 season with 22 starts, two wins, eight top fives and 16 top 10s.
• During the Playoffs this season, Rhodes has posted three top fives and five top 10s.
• Rhodes, from Louisville, Kentucky, is the first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion from the state of
Kentucky.
Owner Of Driver Champion: Duke and Rhonda Thorson, ThorSport Racing
• This is ThorSport Racing’s fourth all-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver championship (Matt
Crafton, 2013, 2014, 2019; Ben Rhodes, 2021) – most driver titles by an organization in the series all-time.
• This is ThorSport Racing’s first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series owner championship (2021).
• ThorSport Racing is one of 16 different organizations to win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver
championship, and the 15th different organization to win the owner championship.
• ThorSport Racing has posted 23 wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series among five different drivers –
Terry Cook, Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter, Ben Rhodes and Chase Briscoe.
• Owners Duke and Rhonda Thorson fielded their first truck in the series with driver Terry Cook at the Milwaukee
Mile on July 6, 1996.
Crew Chief Champion: Rich Lushes
• This is Rich Lushes’ first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship; his previous best
championship finish was ninth with driver Myatt Snider in 2018.
• Lushes has become the 23rd different crew chief to win a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship.
• Lushes has two career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victories – all with driver Ben Rhodes.
(NASCAR)(11-5-2021)
Final Truck Series Playoff Standings After Phoenix:
1) #99-Ben Rhodes, 4034
2) #21-Zane Smith, 4032, -2
3) #4-John Hunter Nemechek, 4030, -4
4) #88-Matt Crafton, 4025, -9
See the complete Drivers Points and Owners Points
#18-Chandler Smith won the Cometic Gasket pole for the Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix Raceway with speed of for his first pole at Phoenix and of his career.
#2-Sheldon Creed will start second, followed #38-Todd Gilliland, #99-Ben Rhodes, #88-Matt Crafton, #42-Carson Hocevar, #52-Stewart Friesen, #19-Derek Kraus, and #1-Hailie Deegan.
The drivers competing for the championship tonight:
#99-Rhodes will start 4th, #88-Crafton from fifth, #21-Zane Smith will start 13th, and #4-John Hunter Nemechek will start 16th.
Three trucks missed the race; the #6-Norm Benning, #10-Jennifer Jo Cobb, #41-Dawson Cram.
See the complete Lucas Oil 150 Starting Lineup and check out the complete Qualifying Results.(11-5-2021)
Qualifying Fast Facts
Chandler Smith # won the Cometic Gaskets Pole Award for the 27th Annual Lucas Oil 150 with a lap of
26.359 seconds, 136.576 mph.
This is his first pole in 38 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races.
This is his first pole and 15th top-10 start in 2021.
This is his first pole in three races at Phoenix Raceway.
Sheldon Creed (second) posted his 17th top-10 start of 2021 and his third in four races at Phoenix Raceway.
Todd Gilliland (third) posted his fourth top-10 start at Phoenix Raceway. It is his 18th in 22 races this season.
Chandler Smith (first) was the fastest qualifying rookie.
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship 4 drivers will start in the following positions – Ben Rhodes (4th), Matt Crafton (5th), Zane Smith (13th) and John Hunter Nemechek (16th).
(NASCAR)(11-5-2021)
Pit Stall selections
Final practice for the Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix Raceway is over, after 50 scheduled minutes, the top-five, slowest and notes:
#38-Gilliland 135.844
#2-Creed 135.176
#26-Ankrum 135.054
#18-Smith 134.917
#99-Rhodes 134.529
Slowest: #9-Enfinger 109.612
Most laps run: #45-Alan, 37
Notes: #99-Rhodes was the fastest of the championship contenders in fifth.
#4-Nemechek was ninth, #21-ZSmith was 12th and #88-Crafton was 18th.
See complete results on the Final Practice speeds page(11-5-2021)
Qualifying Order
Crew Rosters
Goodyear Tire Notes
The Entry List for the season-ending Lucas Oil 150 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Phoenix Raceway is posted, with 41 teams/drivers [for 36 spots] are listed.
Since trucks are entered, 5 drivers will miss race.
See the full entry list on the Lucas Oil 150 Entry List page.
