Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Toyota 200 | Saturday, June 3, 2023
Ford Finishing Results:
7th – Ben Rhodes
20th – Zane Smith
23rd – Josh Reaume
25th – Matt Crafton
30th – Ty Majeski
31st – Stephen Mallozzi
32nd – Hailie Deegan
33rd – Conner Jones
BEN RHODES, No. 99 Bommarito Ford F-150 (Finished 7th) – “We certainly entered this with a lot of momentum, and we were certainly expecting a better run today. It started out great, but as people started flipping the stages because the cautions came out at the wrong times, it produced a lot of excitement like they are intended to do. Unfortunately, as people flip the stages, we lose track position. As we try to come through the field, it just turns into carnage. The truck was clean, all the way up to the very end. [Carson] Hocevar just ran us right into the wall, and that’s what he does. Kind of frustrating to finish seventh with such a good truck and having to fight like we did. All-in-all, I’m glad Bommarito Automotive Group was able to have a good showing with us. I wish we could have got it to victory lane at their home track. One thing we have to go back and work on is our voltage and how we manage temperature better. We ended up losing a lot of horsepower at the end, and that hindered us from making a proper run to the front.”
ZANE SMITH, No. 38 ARRMA RC Ford F-150 (Finished 20th) – WHAT HAPPENED AT THE END? “Well, we got wrecked… unfortunately by another Ford. It was a really good truck and unfortunately, it was taken from us.”
YOU WERE LEADING THE RACE. DOES THAT MAKE IT ANY MORE DISAPPOINTING? “Yes.”
ARE YOU AND TY MAJESKI GOING TO TALK IT OUT? “Yeah. I went to go find him to see if he got hit or something. I didn’t know what his plan was there. I saw an interview earlier where at this track he has more experience here than any others. He still races like it’s his first time here. We see time and time again that the guy on the bottom has to be a little conservative, and that’s why the leaders always choose the top. Maybe he’ll learn next time.”
YOU SEEM HEARTBROKEN. “Yeah, it’s just a bummer. I mean, I kind of did it to myself staying in this series. It is pretty unbelievable how scary some of these guys are. We’ve just had, now, four bad weeks – some self-inflicted, but our day obviously snowballed once we get around some of these guys. It’s just frustrating.”
TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 (Finished 30th) – “Restarts were my struggle all day. Low air pressures and we had the splitter bent, got into Turn 3 obviously trying to get ahead of the No. 38, hit the splitter, had to check up, and went up the racetrack. Obviously when you go up the racetrack, his side took the air from mine, and I went around and wrecked us both. Inexcusable. I misjudged it. Trying to win the race and obviously wrecked two really good Ford F-150s. I’m disappointed in myself. Got to execute when you have the fastest truck by a mile like that. Just inexcusable. Got to be better.”
