Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race | Friday, November 8, 2024
FORD’S CHAMPIONSHIP STREAK
Ford’s championship streak continued tonight as Ty Majeski earned the manufacturer’s third straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title. It also continues a streak that has seen Ford win the last five NASCAR championships dating back to Joey Logano’s Cup title in 2022. Overall, Ford has won six of the last seven championships awarded in NASCAR’s top three divisions over the last three years.
MARK RUSHBROOK PRESS CONFERENCE
HOW ARE YOU ABLE TO DO THIS SO CONSISTENTLY? “Great people. Great teams. Great drivers. That’s how you do anything in this sport, for sure. We look at them one at a time and celebrate them one at a time. I wasn’t even sure of those stats until you went through them, but every race means a lot to us. Every championship means a lot to us and, like I said, when we got ThorSport back in Ford we knew we could do great things together and to be back here with them again and celebrating another championship it means a lot.”
THIS IS BECOMING A TREND. YOU HAVE TWO MORE LEFT. HOW DO YOU LIKE YOUR ODDS? “If you look at who we have in there, pretty good odds. Anything can happen in these races, as you know. In Xfinity the strength of Stewart-Haas and Cole Custer coming back here. He got it done last year, especially on that last restart and it was incredible to see him win and proud to have Cole and Stewart-Haas back here representing us again. For sure in Cup, the last two champions in Logano and Blaney. We’ve got a 50/50 shot there, so we’re looking forward to the race. Like I said, anything can happen. Great cars. Great drivers. Great teams and looking forward to it.”
WHAT’S IT LIKE BACK IN DEARBORN FOR THE EMPLOYEES? “They’re celebrating. I’m getting text messages tonight from Jim Farley, our CEO. From Jim Baumbick, Lisa Materazzo, our head of product development and head of marketing. They’re paying attention. Our employees are paying attention. It means a lot for Ford to be in motorsports and to be competing at this level and whenever we have that success we enjoy it. We know how hard it is. We’ve gone through long spells without getting the race wins or the championships sometimes, so to be able to celebrate every one is important.”
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE FORD TEAMS IN PARTICULAR THAT THEY CAN SEEMINGLY FLIP THE SWITCH IN CRUNCH TIME? “I wish it was as easy as flipping a switch (laughing). That’s the nature of racing at this level. It’s so competitive that you think you have an advantage and maybe you do, but it can be short-lived and when you’re at a disadvantage you just have to keep working hard on every element of your program and when it comes together it comes together and you celebrate it.”
IS THIS A FULL CIRCLE MOMENT FOR TY AFTER BEING WITH ROUSH A FEW YEARS AGO AND NOW BOUNCING BACK WITH THORSPORT? “I was actually thinking about that a lot during the race and the amount of time that has passed from when we first met Ty and having him in different programs with RFK. We even put him in IMSA and Mustang GT4’s for a while and to see that he’s found such a great home at ThorSport and see him celebrating success with race wins and especially this championship, it’s really a proud moment for us because, like I said, it’s all about the people and relationships. To have that duration with him means a lot.”
WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND WITH GUYS WHO FELL BACK AND THEN STARTED TO CHASE TY DOWN AT THE END OF THE RACE? “You’ve just got to roll with it knowing that anything can happen and you never know when a caution is going to be thrown or not. They made some changes on the truck on the last stop, so we know what’s going on with that, but you don’t know what the other trucks or cars are doing. Heim certainly had a bad set of tires or a bad setup the second-to-last run and we didn’t know if they were going to adjust it and make it better and come back stronger. When Corey got put to the back with the penalty that certainly helped, but he was still coming strong at the end.”
TWO STRAIGHT CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR THORSPORT SINCE THEY CAME BACK TO FORD. WHAT HAS THE CONNECTION BEEN LIKE? “They had raced with us before and we had a strong relationship for sure. When they left we were disappointed, but understood why at the time. As soon as they reached out with an interest to come back, it was immediate. I literally drove from Michigan down to Ohio to meet with Duke personally and to understand why they wanted to come back and how they wanted to come back and the deal was done. We’re very happy because they’re like-minded people. They want to win. We want to give them the best resources to be able to win and it feels like family. It’s just very comfortable with them.”
Ford Performance Notes and Quotes NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Championship Race | Friday, November 8, 2024
FORD CLAIMS THIRD STRAIGHT NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP AS TY MAJESKI WINS SEASON FINALE AT PHOENIX RACEWAY
Ford’s championship streak continued tonight as Ty Majeski earned the manufacturer’s third straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title.
It also continues a streak that has seen Ford win the last five NASCAR championships dating back to Joey Logano’s Cup title in 2022.
Overall, Ford has won six of the last seven championships awarded in NASCAR’s top three divisions over the last three years.
For Majeski, who led 132-of-150 laps, it’s his sixth series win and first championship.
This is the sixth series championship for ThorSport and the third with Ford.
Ford has now won five series titles overall and four in the last six seasons.
FORD NCTS CHAMPIONS
2000 – Greg Biffle 2019 – Matt Crafton 2022 – Zane Smith 2023 – Ben Rhodes 2024 – Ty Majeski
TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 – VICTORY LANE INTERVIEW – WHAT DOES THIS CHAMPIONSHIP MEAN TO YOU? “It means a ton. Looking at the sport as a whole from the outside you don’t realize how hard it is to get these opportunities and how hard it is to not only win races or find a good opportunity, but become a champion. This is surreal. I’ve put my whole life into this. I’ve put a lot of hard hours driving through the night to make it to races and then get back to work at ThorSport the next morning and all of that work paid off tonight. Thank you to Joe Schear. He’s one bad dude. I love that guy to death. Man, this thing was on point tonight.”
HOW MUCH EXPECTATION DID YOU PUT ON THIS RESULT ONCE YOU KNEW HOW GOOD YOUR TRUCK WAS? “I knew yesterday. I was so relaxed. We unloaded top of the boards and I knew we were gonna have a truck to beat tonight. We just had to execute every single restart, and I felt like I did that. I put a lot of emphasis on that coming into this race. A lot of times this race is won and lost on restarts and thankfully we had a little bit of a long run. Those last 20 laps or so were the longest of my career. A huge thank you to all of our partners – Road Ranger, Soda Sense, Curb Records, Duke and Rhonda Thorson, Ali Thorson. Everything that they do they’ve given us so many tools to go out and win championships like this and thankfully we were able to execute for them tonight.”
HOW NEAT WAS IT TO DO A POLISH VICTORY LAP AT THE PLACE ALAN KULWICKI DEBUTED IT? “It’s just special. The Kulwicki Driver Development Program, I won the competition in 2015. It’s kind of a full circle moment to be able to do that Polish Victory Lap here tonight. It’s so special. Alan means a lot to me and I’m glad to carry his legacy on a little bit tonight.”
CONGRATULATIONS. YOU’RE THE CHAMPION. “God, I can’t believe it. Just a huge thank you to Duke and Rhonda Thorson. Joe Schear Jr. He’s one bad dude. This is so much fun racing with this group. I’m so proud to have the opportunity to drive these great race trucks. Man, there are a lot of times in my career when this looked like a far dream and Duke and Rhonda really gave me my third opportunity after I had two opportunities that failed. Man, I can’t thank them enough. My wife, Ali. She’s been there every step of the way. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs and I’m just so proud of these guys.”
YOU ARE ONE OF THE MOST BLUE COLLAR DRIVERS IN ALL OF MOTORSPORTS. WHAT DOES THIS SAY TO OTHER SHORT TRACKERS TRYING TO CHASE THEIR DREAMS? “It’s possible. You just need to find a way to set yourself apart from everybody else. I did that by working in the shop. I started as an engineer at ThorSport in 2021 with three or four races. I didn’t know what it was gonna turn into and now we’re champions. A huge thank you to Road Ranger, Curb Records, Soda Sense – we have so many partners that go into this. Again, Duke, Rhonda Thorson, Ali. This is special. We’re gonna celebrate this one.”
WHAT WILL THE CELEBRATION LOOK LIKE? “I don’t know, probably not like Ben Rhodes.”
MARK RUSHBROOK, Global Director, Ford Performance Motorsports – HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK IN VICTORY LANE? “We had so much fun here last year. We love coming out here to Phoenix and racing as part of NASCAR Championship Weekend and to have Ty Majeski and ThorSport here representing Ford in the Championship 4. For them to get it done, to get the race win and win the championship means so much for us as a company and for our employees. We’re so proud to be able to partner with such great people like Duke Thorson and Ty Majeski as a driver. We’re so happy.”
HOW IMPORTANT WAS THE DECISION TO BRING THORSPORT BACK TO FORD A COUPLE YEARS AGO? “We’ve had a great history with them and when we had the opportunity to have them come back to Ford it was an immediate decision to absolutely welcome them back to the family. They’re like-minded people. They want to win. They want to have the best people and the best tools and put the best product out on the track, so we’re really happy to be here with them.”
DOES IT EVER GET TIRING SEEING THAT F-150 IN VICTORY LANE? “Absolutely not. It looks beautiful sitting there.”
Ford Performance Results:
1st – Ty Majeski 9th – Ben Rhodes 10th – Layne Riggs 14th – Jake Garcia 17th – Conner Jones 19th – Matt Crafton 29th – Keith McGee 30th – Lawless Alan 34th – Frankie Muniz
FRANKIE MUNIZ, No. 27 More Core Diamond Drilling Ford F-150 – “It’s unfortunate. I felt like I’ve got a good opportunity to run with some guys and made some passes. I lost a few spots on restarts, but went back out and passed them again, so it was good for me to figure out how to get by people. I haven’t really gotten to do that much this year, so that was really positive, and then we just wanted to keep going. We wanted to keep running, but there was nowhere for me to go. I hit from behind. I got hit from behind into the 42 and then the 42 got moved and the 18 was right there stopped and I went right into him. I don’t feel like there was anything I could have done there. It was a luck situation of getting through it and it’s unfortunate. That said, I’m so grateful for my team – Reaume Brothers Racing and Ford Performance. I’m so excited for next season. This year wasn’t what we had hoped, but this proved that I can race with guys. I can pass here. We’re gonna be better next year and I’ve got the whole off-season to prepare and we’re gonna go get it.”
HEIM FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN TRUCK SERIES SEASON FINALE IN PHOENIX Scores Series-Best Six Wins in 2024
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 8, 2024) – Corey Heim came up just short of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series title, finishing runner-up in Friday night’s season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Heim won the first stage, led 16 laps in the TRICON Garage No. 11 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and worked his way back up through the field after a mid-race restart violation to finish second to race-winner Ty Majeski. The Toyota Development Driver finishes the 2024 season with a series and career-best six victories.
TRICON Garage teammate Taylor Gray also earned a top-10 result in Friday’s race with a sixth-place result at the one-mile Arizona oval.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Phoenix Raceway Race 23 of 23 – 150 Laps, 150 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Ty Majeski* 2nd, COREY HEIM 3rd, Christian Eckes* 4th, Nick Sanchez* 5th, Grant Enfinger* 6th, TAYLOR GRAY 11th, TANNER GRAY 15th, DEAN THOMPSON 18th, STEWART FRIESEN 22nd, TIMMY HILL 32nd, WILLIAM SAWALICH *non-Toyota driver
“I think the story of the night was no one had anything for the 98 (Ty Majeski). They were above average all year, and then they show up to Phoenix and completely tore us up. I drove my guts out and did everything I could. I made a mistake getting out of line, but I drove back to the front and had another shot at him, but he just had two tenths in the bag at any point. I would go 110 percent and he was still two tenths faster than me. There is not much you can do about that. I feel like this is the best Safelite Tundra TRD Pro that we’ve had all year – even better than we dominated with, and we still had nothing for him. It is hard to be upset by that, just don’t know what I could have done better. Nothing to hang our heads about there. We had a great season in our TRICON Garage camp. We set career highs at pretty much everything we possibly could of for myself and the team and as an organization. Huge thank you to them and everyone at Toyota Racing and Safelite for all of their efforts. It sucks to come up short – we were the best truck all year, us and the 19 (Christian Eckes) and just got our ass kicked. It is what it is.”
Does it make it easier because you ran as hard as you did and still came up short?
“Honestly, the penalty was brutal at first, but we were able to tear our way up through there and get back up to third in two restarts. Really didn’t do too much damage, except maybe a little bit to the tires, but when you are two tenths off of the 98 (Ty Majeski), you need a little more than a little tire to make it work, I mean, you saw the 19 (Christian Eckes) – we were still better than the 19 on 10 lap older tires, and he was still another two tenths faster than us. I don’t know. I drove super hard. I gave him fits at points, but he was in another zip code all night.”
How concerned were you when you went back?
“I would be lying to you if I didn’t say I thought it would be a lot harder than it was. I was just able to choose the right lanes and get good runs on restarts and kind of get my way through there, quicker than I thought I was going to – I don’t know. I just got right back behind the 98 (Ty Majeski) and didn’t have anything for him.”
WILLIAM SAWALICH, No. 1 Starkey/Soundgear Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 32nd
What happened to take you out of the race early?
“It was just tight close racing, which is what you expect here at Phoenix. We had a really fast Starkey, Soundgear Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I can’t thank the guys enough at TRICON. We were coming back through the field. We started in a little bit of a hole due to qualifying. We just weren’t too fast. I don’t know what place we were in the time, but we were making good progress. It sucks what happened. My guys don’t deserve that.”
Could you have done anything?
“I think I was four-wide or three-wide on the top. I think the 7 (Connor Mosack) – I don’t know what was going on with him. I was kind of just wedged in there, and had nowhere to go, and as soon as I tried to check up, I got hit and then hit the 18 (Tyler Ankrum) and kind of went all over the place. I did what I can.”
How do you feel about your third Xfinity start tomorrow?
“I feel really good. We were really fast in practice, so super excited about that. Final race of the year with those guys, and then got next year to look forward to. Can’t thank everyone enough, and hopefully it is a good day tomorrow.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 47 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 30 electrified options.
Ty Majeski stormed to his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship by securing a dominant victory in the 2024 Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, November 8.
After starting on the pole, the 30-year-old Majeski from Seymour, Wisconsin, led a race-high 132 of 150-scheduled laps in the season-finale event. He led the first 38 laps before he was overtaken by Championship 4 contender Corey Heim. Majeski finished the first stage in second place at the conclusion of the first stage. He regained the lead during the first stage’s pit stop period and before the start of the second stage, Majeski prevailed after a mid-stage battle with Heim on the track to claim the second stage victory.
Majeski would then lead the field to the start of the final stage period with 52 laps remaining. During three caution periods due to on-track carnages and three restart periods throughout the final stage, Majeski retained the lead through every restart period. He executed the final one with 27 laps remaining to his advantage as he motored away from Heim along with Championship 4 finalists Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger. Majeski capped off the 2024 season with his third Craftsman Truck Series victory this year and his first championship in his third full-time series campaign.
With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, Championship 4 finalist Ty Majeski claimed the final pole position of the 2024 season and the sixth of the season with a pole-winning lap at 138.180 mph in 26.053 seconds. Joining him on the front row was Championship 4 finalist Corey Heim, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 138.021 mph in 26.083 seconds. Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger, the remaining two Championship 4 finalists, lined up in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Before the event, Lawless Alan dropped to the rear of the field in a backup after he wrecked his primary truck during the finale’s qualifying session.
When the green flag waved and the finale commenced, the field fanned out through the frontstretch’s dogleg as Ty Majeski led the way through the first two turns. Majeski pulled away through the backstretch and led the first lap. His Championship 4 rivals Corey Heim and Christian Eckes followed suit in second and third, respectively.
Over the next four laps, Majeski stretched his early advantage to more than a second over Heim and Eckes while Nick Sanchez and Stewart Friesen followed suit in the top five. Behind, Dean Thompson retained sixth place ahead of Connor Mosack, Championship 4 finalist Grant Enfinger, Kaden Honeycutt and rookie Layne Riggs. Conner Jones, Chase Purdy, Rajah Caruth, Tyler Ankrum and the Gray brothers of Tanner and Taylor were racing in the top 16.
Through the first 10-scheduled laps, Majeski continued to lead by two seconds over Heim while third-place Eckes trailed by three-and-a-half seconds. Behind, Sanchez and Friesen remained in the top five. Enfinger, who lost three spots despite starting in fifth place, was up to seventh place behind Thompson. Majeski stabilized his lead to more than two seconds over Heim and by nearly six seconds over Eckes 10 laps later as Enfinger drove his way back to fifth place behind Sanchez.
At the Lap 30 mark, Majeski’s lead decreased to six-tenths of a second over Heim as the latter started to close in on the former for the top spot. Majeski slightly increased his lead to nine-tenths of a second over Heim at the Lap 35 mark before Heim assumed the lead from Majeski entering the backstretch on Lap 39. By then, Eckes retained third place and trailed the lead by more than four seconds. Enfinger retained fifth place behind Sanchez but trailed the lead by more than 10 seconds.
On Lap 41, the finale’s first caution period flew when Frankie Muniz got bumped by William Sawalich as he slid sideways in Turn 3 as Heim barely avoided McGee’s sideways truck. Muniz’s incident was enough for the first stage period scheduled to conclude on Lap 45, to officially conclude under caution as Heim claimed his 10th Truck stage victory of the 2024 season. Majeski, Eckes, Sanchez and Enfinger followed suit in the top five while Thompson, Mosack, Riggs, Conner Jones and Friesen were scored in the top 10.
Under the stage break, they pitted for the first round of pit service. Following the pit stops, Majeski reassumed the lead as he exited pit road first. He was followed by Eckes, Heim, Sanchez and Enfinger. Amid the pit stops, Heim endured slow pit service after he was forced to reverse his No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro into his pit stall to ensure his pit crew could change the left-side tires. Enfinger barely clipped his rear tire changer while entering his pit stall.
The second stage period started on Lap 54 as Majeski and Eckes occupied the front row. The field fanned out through the frontstretch’s dogleg as Majeski and Eckes dueled for the lead. Majeski would then use the outside lane to muscle his No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 ahead and gain the lead through the first two turns as Heim muscled through into second place ahead of Eckes and Sanchez. As the field continued to fan out through the backstretch, Majeski led the next lap over Heim while Eckes, Sanchez, Thompson and Enfinger followed suit in the top six.
On Lap 58, the caution returned when Jack Wood, who was racing outside the top 25, got sideways after making contact with Bayley Currey who was racing in a three-wide battle with Matt Crafton. It resulted in Wood spinning and backing his No. 91 Mongoose Chevrolet Silverado RST into the outside wall in Turn 2. The incident and damage to the rear end of Wood’s truck were enough to make Wood the first retiree of the finale. During the caution period, Crafton and Daniel Dye pitted while the rest of the field, led by Majeski, remained on the track.
As the event restarted under green on Lap 64, a four-wide battle for the lead ensued between Majeski, Heim, Sanchez and Thompson through the frontstretch’s dogleg. Heim muscled ahead from the inside lane entering the first two turns and Majeski closed to Heim’s rear bumper entering the backstretch. Majeski tried to make a move beneath him, but Heim transitioned to the outside lane and fended off Majeski to retain the lead. With Heim leading the race, Majeski retained second ahead of Sanchez and Eckes while Riggs moved up into the top five. Riggs then challenged Eckes for fourth place while Mosack, Enfinger and Thompson closed in from sixth to eighth, respectively. By then, Thompson was penalized for a restart violation.
At the halfway mark on Lap 75, Majeski, who overtook Heim for the lead five laps earlier despite making contact with the latter, extended his advantage to more than a second over Heim. Sanchez, in third place, trailed by more than two seconds. Behind, Riggs and Eckes trailed in the top five ahead of Mosack, Friesen, Enfinger, Taylor Gray and Purdy. Ben Rhodes, Rajah Caruth, Tanner Gray, Conner Jones, Kaden Honeycutt, Daniel Dye, William Sawalich, Tyler Ankrum, Matt Crafton and Stefan Parsons followed suit in the top 20.
When the second stage period concluded on Lap 90, Majeski had stretched his advantage to more than three seconds and captured his seventh Truck stage victory of the 2024 season. Heim followed suit in second while Riggs, Sanchez, Eckes, Mosack, Enfinger, Taylor Gray, Friesen and Rhodes were scored in the top 10.
During the stage break, the lead lap field led by Majeski returned to pit road for service. After the pit stops, Majeski retained the lead after he exited pit road first while Sanchez, Eckes, Riggs, Heim, Mosack, Taylor Gray, Enfinger, Caruth and Tanner Gray followed suit in the top 10. Amid the pit stops, Crafton was penalized for improper fueling to his No. 88 Menards Ford F-150.
With 52 laps remaining, the final stage period commenced as Majeski and Sanchez occupied the front row. At the start, the field fanned out through the frontstretch’s dogleg as both Sanchez and Majeski dueled in front of the field entering the first two turns. Majeski and Sanchez would continue to duel for the lead entering the backstretch in front of Heim and Riggs before Mosack, who was racing in the top six behind Eckes, ran up the track and hit the outside wall.
As the field scattered to avoid hitting Mosack, Tyler Ankrum then got bumped by Sawalich as he spun his No. 18 LiUNA! Chevrolet Silverado RST back across the middle of the backstretch, which triggered a multi-truck wreck that involved Sawalich, Andres Perez de Lara, Stefan Parsons, Friesen, Frankie Muniz, Spencer Boyd and rookie Thad Moffitt. The carnage was enough to place the finale in a red flag period for more than six minutes. By then, Heim, who restarted in fifth place and had moved up to third place before the caution, was penalized for a restart violation, after he steered his No. 11 Safelite Toyota to the left and below the frontstretch’s apron before reaching the start/finish line.
Once the red flag lifted and the field proceeded under a cautious pace, some of the drivers, including Mosack, Friesen and Currey, pitted while the rest of the field, led by Majeski, remained on the track.
The next restart period began with 43 laps remaining and featured Majeski as he fended off Sanchez, Eckes and Riggs through the frontstretch’s dogleg and the first two turns. Majeski proceeded to lead Riggs through the backstretch while Sanchez, Taylor Gray, Enfinger, Caruth and Eckes all followed suit. Meanwhile, Heim, who restarted 19th after serving his penalty, was up to 16th place. As Heim proceeded to climb his way into the top 14, Majeski held a narrow lead over Riggs with 40 laps remaining as Sanchez, Taylor Gray, Enfinger and Eckes followed suit in the top six.
Shortly after, the caution returned when Conner Jones, who was racing in 11th place, spun in Turn 2 after he made contact with teammate Jake Garcia amid close-quarters racing and was nearly hit by teammate Ben Rhodes while sliding towards the outside wall. The incident occurred in front of Heim, who made his way into 11th place. During the caution period, some of the drivers, including Enfinger and Eckes, pitted while the rest, led by Majeski, remained on the track.
During the next restart period with 33 laps remaining, Majeski and Riggs led the field to the start as Majeski muscled ahead from the outside lane through the frontstretch’s dogleg. Heim went to the apron to gain spots towards the top-five mark entering the first two turns, as Majeski muscled away from the field entering the backstretch. But the caution quickly returned as Riggs made contact with Sanchez in a battle for the runner-up spot and spun his No. 38 Love’s Travel Stops Ford F-150 in Turn 2. Nathan Byrd also spun as he jammed on the brakes to avoid Riggs.
The following restart period with 27 laps remaining featured Majeski muscling ahead of a three-wide battle for the runner-up spot. Heim, Sanchez and Daniel Dye battled through the frontstretch’s dogleg and the first two turns before Heim muscled his way into the runner-up spot entering the backstretch. As the field fanned out, Majeski led the following lap ahead of a hard-charging Heim while Sanchez, Eckes and Dye were in the top five.
Meanwhile, Enfinger was mired in ninth place as Majeski stretched his advantage to a second over Heim. Eckes would then charge his No. 19 NAPA Chevrolet Silverado RST into third place on the track. With his fresh tires and only 24 laps remaining, it placed three Championship 4 finalists in the top three on the track while Dye was assessed a restart violation penalty.
Down to the final 20 laps of the finale, Majeski was leading both the race and the championship battle by more than a second over Heim while third-place Eckes trailed by more than two seconds. Meanwhile, Enfinger was in sixth place behind Sanchez and Taylor Gray while Honeycutt, Mosack, Tanner Gray and Rhodes were in the top 10.
Five laps later, Majeski added another second to his advantage as he led by more than two seconds over Heim while Eckes trailed in third place by three-and-a-half seconds. By then, Enfinger moved his No. 9 Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado RST up to fifth place despite trailing the lead by more than seven seconds. Majeski, who was posting the fastest lap times on the track, continued to extend his advantage to more than three seconds over Heim with 10 laps remaining.
With five laps remaining, Majeski stabilized his advantage to more than four seconds over Heim while Eckes continued to trail in third place by five seconds. Meanwhile, Enfinger trailed in fifth place on the track by nine seconds while Sanchez was mired in fourth place.
When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Majeski remained in the lead both in the race and the championship battle by more than four seconds over Heim. Heim was unable to narrow the gap between himself and Majeski for a final lap charge. Majeski smoothly navigated his No. 98 Road Ranger Ford F-150 around the Phoenix circuit for a final time before he returned to the frontstretch to claim the checkered flag and win both the race and his first Truck Series championship.
With his first title, Majeski also claimed his sixth career race victory and became the 21st competitor overall to win a championship in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series division. He was also the third consecutive Ford competitor to win a Truck championship in recent seasons and the seventh to achieve a first title under the series’ current inception of the Playoff-elimination format.
Majeski also delivered both the sixth Truck driver’s championship and the third owner’s championship for ThorSport Racing while veteran crew chief Joe Shear Jr. notched his second title in the series.
The 2024 season marks the fourth time over the previous seven seasons that the championship-winning competitor won the season-finale event on a schedule and the third time over the last five seasons that it occurred at Phoenix Raceway. Majeski’s 2024 championship comes in his third full-time Truck season driving for ThorSport Racing, a team whom Majeski drove for in select events in 2021 before he was elevated to a full-time ride in 2022.
Photo by Ron Olds for SpeedwayMedia.com.
“God, I can’t believe it,” Majeski said on the frontstretch on FS1. “Just huge thank you to [team owners] Duke and Rhonda Thorson. Joe Shear Jr., he’s one bad dude. This is so much fun racing with this group. So proud to have the opportunity to drive these great race trucks. There’s a lot of time in my career where this [championship] looks like a far dream and Duke and Ronda really gave me my third opportunity after I had two opportunities that failed. Man, I can’t thank them enough. We have had a lot of ups and downs and just so proud of these guys.”
During his championship interview, Majeski, a five-time ARCA Midwest Tour champion who grew up competing in late models and short-track events, evoked an inspiring message to short-track racers striving to emerge as a future NASCAR champion.
“[Winning]’s possible,” Majeski said. “You just need to find a way to set yourself apart from everybody else. I did that by working in the shop. [I] Started as an engineer at ThorSport [Racing] in 2021 with three or four races, didn’t know what it was going to turn into and now, we’re champions. Man, this is special. We’re going to celebrate this one.”
As Majeski celebrated both the race victory and his first championship on the stage with his team, the remaining three Championship 4 finalists including Corey Heim, Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger were left disappointed on pit road as the trio fell short of winning their first title in the series.
Heim, the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota entry, ended up in the runner-up spot both on the track and in the final standings and was left surprised by the late restart violation penalty. He admitted though that he could not keep pace with Majeski to battle for the title amid his late-race rally. Heim, who capped off the season with a series-leading six victories, will return to the Truck Series with TRICON Garage for the 2025 season as he strives to make another run for his first championship.
“It’s hard to even be upset,” Heim said. “I did almost everything right except for that restart violation, but we were able to get our track position back pretty quick and make the most of it. I just had nothing for [Majeski] all day. He was so fast. I’m just proud of myself for not driving through the fastest truck like I drove through last year by [Carson] Hocevar and we’re going to go with our heads up high. A six-win season, career highs for myself, my team, organization, everybody. Just one sport short of the championship.”
Meanwhile, the late pit stops for both Eckes and Enfinger did not pay dividends for either driver as Eckes settled in third place on the track and in the final standings while Enfinger came home in fifth place on the track and fourth place in the final standings.
“[I] Just didn’t have enough today,” Eckes, who achieved four race victories, a season-high 11 stage victories and is set to graduate to the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing in 2025, said. “[Majeski] and [Heim] were just stronger than us. We threw a Hail Mary with the tires and I thought for a second I would be able to catch them and just didn’t have enough. I wish we could have finished [the season] off with a championship, but just came up a little short. So proud of my guys and we’ll move on to 2025.”
“Honestly, [I needed] just more speed,” said Enfinger, who notched back-to-back victories during the Round of 8 and will be remaining with CR7 Motorsports for the 2025 Truck Series season.
“Really proud of the CR7 Motorsports group. All we’ve overcome all year. I feel like we came here with the right mindset, the right game plan and honestly, pretty much the right execution for the stuff in our control. We just flat out didn’t have the speed tonight…It is a special year. Definitely disappointing performance for us tonight, but overall, proud of everything we did. We just flat out didn’t have the short-run speed. I think after 15 laps, we were respectable, but just couldn’t go on the short run.”
Nick Sanchez finished in fourth place, which was enough to settle in fifth place in the final standings and his final campaign in the Truck Series with Rev Racing as he is set to move up to the Xfinity Series with Big Machine Racing in 2025. Taylor Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Ben Rhodes and Layne Riggs, the latter of whom claimed the 2024 Truck Series Rookie-of-the-Year title, completed the top 10 in the final running order.
There were seven lead changes for three different leaders. The race featured six cautions for 43 laps. In addition, 22 of 35 starters finished on the lead lap.
Results.
1. Ty Majeski, 132 laps led, Stage 2 winner
2. Corey Heim, 16 laps led, Stage 1 winner
3. Christian Eckes
4. Nick Sanchez
5. Grant Enfinger, two laps led
6. Taylor Gray
7. Kaden Honeycutt
8. Connor Mosack
9. Ben Rhodes
10. Layne Riggs
11. Tanner Gray
12. Chase Purdy
13. Rajah Caruth
14. Jake Garcia
15. Dean Thompson
16. Brett Moffitt
17. Conner Jones
18. Stewart Friesen
19. Matt Crafton
20. Dawson Sutton
21. Bayley Currey
22. Timmy Hill
23. Stefan Parson, one lap down
24. Daniel Dye, one lap down
25. Matt Mills, two laps down
26. Nathan Byrd, three laps down
27. Thad Moffitt, three laps down
28. Spencer Boyd, four laps down
29. Keith McGee, four laps down
30. Lawless Alan, four laps down
31. Andres Perez de Lara – OUT, Accident
32. William Sawalich – OUT, Accident
33. Tyler Ankrum – OUT, Accident
34. Frankie Muniz – OUT, Accident
35. Jack Wood – OUT, Accident
*Bold indicates championship finalists
Final standings
1. Ty Majeski
2. Corey Heim
3. Christian Eckes
4. Grant Enfinger
5. Nick Sanchez
6. Taylor Gray
7. Rajah Caruth
8. Tyler Ankrum
9. Ben Rhodes
10. Daniel Dye
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams and competitors enter an off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, on February 14, 2025, for a new season of competition.
Layne Riggs has officially been named the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year.
Riggs, a second-generation racer from Bahama, North Carolina, made his Truck Series debut at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in July 2022. By then, he was contending for the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series championship, which he would achieve after he racked up 16 victories and thus becoming the youngest-series champion at age 20. Driving the No. 62 Halmar Friesen Racing (HFR) Toyota Tundra TRD Pro for his Truck debut at Indianapolis, Riggs started 23rd and finished seventh following an overtime shootout. He would make two additional Truck starts with HFR throughout the season, where he finished 19th at Richmond Raceway before finishing 13th during the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway in November after he started on the front row.
The following season, Riggs, who made his first three career starts in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing, also made three starts in the Truck Series. His first start of the 2023 season was with TRICON Garage at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March, where he finished 28th. He then finished 27th in his second start at Nashville Superspeedway while driving for Young’s Motorsports. His third and final Truck start of the season occurred at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park with Spire Motorsports, where he notched his first top-five career result by finishing third.
In December 2023, Riggs was named a full-time Truck Series competitor for the 2024 season, where he replaced Zane Smith in the No. 38 Ford F-150 entry for Front Row Motorsports. He commenced his rookie campaign in 33rd place after being involved in a multi-truck wreck on the opening lap and failing the Damaged Vehicle Policy (DVP) to continue. The North Carolinian would then finish no higher than 10th over his next eight starts before he recorded a stellar third-place run at North Wilkesboro Speedway in May. He then finished fifth at World Wide Technology Raceway in June two races later and cap off the regular-season stretch with back-to-back fifth-place results. With an average-finishing result of 19.4 throughout the 16-race regular-season stretch, however, Riggs ended up falling short of making his first Truck Playoffs.
Riggs then responded back by scoring his first Truck career victory in the 2024 Playoff opener at the Milwaukee Mile in an event where he led 53 of the 175 scheduled laps. With his accomplishment, Riggs became the 125th competitor overall to win in the Truck Series as he joined his father, Scott, in the series’ all-time wins list.
Not long after becoming the second competitor overall to win a Truck Series Playoff opener as a non-Playoff contender, Riggs then became the first non-Playoff contender to win the series’ first two Playoff events on a schedule as he doubled down with a dominant victory at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. As a result, Riggs also became the first competitor to back up a first Truck career victory with a second in back-to-back starts since Ford competitor Chase Briscoe made the last accomplishment between 2017-18.
During the next event on the schedule at Kansas Speedway, Riggs fell short of winning three races in a row, but managed to claim a runner-up result amid a late fuel-mileage battle. After finishing no higher than 22nd during his next two-scheduled events, Riggs would cap off the 2024 season with two consecutive top-10 results, which was enough to claim 11th place in the final driver’s standings by 38 points over Stewart Friesen. As a result, this made Riggs the highest-finishing competitor in the standings who did not make the 2024 Truck Series Playoffs.
With the rookie title accomplishment, Riggs became both the first Ford competitor and the first North Carolina-raised competitor to achieve a Truck Series’ rookie title since Charlotte native Myatt Snider made the last accomplishments in 2018. Riggs also became the first competitor representing Front Row Motorsports to achieve a rookie title across NASCAR’s top three national touring series and he joined his father, Scott, as a Rookie-of-the-Year recipient within one of NASCAR’s top three national touring series.
Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.
Riggs’ closest rival for this year’s Truck rookie title was Conner Jones, who made 13 starts in the No. 66 Ford F-150 entry for ThorSport Racing and achieved a season-best 11th-place result at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. Thad Moffitt, another rookie contender, initially commenced the season as a full-time competitor for Faction46 before he transitioned to Young’s Motorsports towards the halfway mark of the season. He then did not compete in five of the final six events on the schedule as he only returned to compete in the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway, where he finished 27th on the track and 32nd in the final standings, one spot behind Jones.
With the rookie title achieved, Riggs is currently slated to remain at Front Row Motorsports for a second full-time Truck Series campaign in 2025 as he strives to make his first Playoffs and contend for his first series championship.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams and competitors enter an off-season period before returning to action at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2025, for a new season of competition.
NASCAR CUP SERIES: CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT PHOENIX RACEWAY
PRACTICE REPORT
AVONDALE, Ariz. (Nov. 8, 2024) – The NASCAR Cup Series and LEGACY MOTOR CLUB makes their way to the desert and Phoenix Raceway for the final race of the 2024 NASCAR season. This weekend, a 50-minute practice session took place on Friday afternoon, giving all the teams extra time to work on their vehicles. Qualifying to set the grid for the final race takes place on Saturday afternoon. Below is a look at how each of the three LEGACY MOTOR CLUB entries of Jimmie Johnson, John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones fared during practice.
PRACTICE RECAP:
Fastest in practice: No. 12 Ryan Blaney – 27.174 Seconds | 132.480 MPH
Best 10-Lap Avg: No. 12 Ryan Blaney – 131.161 MPH
No. 42 Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE Driven by John Hunter Nemechek
Best Time: 27.759 Seconds | 129.688 MPH (Lap 4)
Overall Practice Rank: 34
10-Lap Avg.: 128.866 MPH | Rank: 30
Total Laps Run: 39
No. 43 Dollar Tree Toyota Camry XSE Driven by Erik Jones
Best Time: 27.452 Seconds | 131.138 MPH (Lap 31)
Overall Practice Rank: 18
10-Lap Avg.: 129.490 MPH | Rank: 21
Total Laps Run: 39
No. 84 Carvana Toyota Camry XSE Driven by Jimmie Johnson
Best Time: 27.908 Seconds | 128.995 MPH (Lap 16)
Overall Practice Rank: 35
10-Lap Avg.: 127.624 MPH | Rank: 35
Total Laps Run: 36
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
John Hunter Nemechek: “Glad that we had an extended practice today, the LEGACY MOTOR CLUB guys threw a lot at our Mobil 1 Toyota Camry XSE. We were able to find a decent balance but we still have some work to do before qualifying tomorrow. We’ll debrief with the rest of the team and come up with a good plan for both Saturday and Sunday.”
Erik Jones: “Thought it was an ok practice. The speed was not bad from the start. We gained a little bit, but we learned from good stuff for tomorrow, so I think we have some choices to make. We were on both sides of the balance being free and being tight and just need to find that happy medium.”
Jimmie Johnson: “Interesting day here in Phoenix. We got an hour of practice with this awesome looking Carvana Toyota. I certainly learned a lot and man, is it different than what I raced here last. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and qualifying and of course the season finale on Sunday.”
TUNE IN ALERT:
Tune into the NASCAR Cup Series: Championship Race qualifying on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. EST live on USA or listen on SiriusXM – NASCAR Radio (Channel 90) and MRN Radio. The NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race takes place on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. EST live on NBC or listen on SiriusXM – NASCAR Radio and MRN Radio.
ABOUT
ABOUT LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ is a professional auto racing club owned by businessman and entrepreneur Maurice “Maury” J. Gallagher and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson. The CLUB competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series fielding the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE of John Hunter Nemechek, the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE of Erik Jones, and the No. 84 limited schedule entry for Jimmie Johnson. Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty “The King” serves as CLUB Ambassador. With a unique title signifying a nod to car clubs of past eras, LEGACY M.C. is an inclusive club for all motorsport enthusiasts to celebrate the past and future legacies of its members, while competing for wins and championships at NASCAR’s elite level. To keep up-to-date with the latest news, information and exclusive content, follow LEGACY MOTOR CLUB™ on Facebook, X, Instagram and at LEGACYMOTORCLUB.com
ABOUT MOBIL 1: For 50 years, Mobil 1 has been trusted by drivers to keep their engines running longer. Our products combine the latest technology and innovation to exceed the toughest standards of vehicle manufacturers and tuning shops—so consumers can get the most out of their time behind the wheel, both on the road and on the track. Turn every day into an adventure with Mobil 1, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand. Learn more at www.mobil1.us or and follow @Mobil1Racing on Instagram and X. Join us. For the love of driving.
ABOUT CARVANA: Carvana’s mission is to change the way people buy and sell cars. Over the past decade, Carvana has revolutionized automotive retail and delighted millions of customers with an offering that is fun, fast, and fair. With Carvana, customers can choose from tens of thousands of vehicles, get financing, trade-in, and complete a purchase entirely online with the convenience of home delivery or local pick up in over 300 U.S. markets. Carvana’s vertically integrated platform is powered by its passionate team, unique national infrastructure, and purpose-built technology. Carvana is a Fortune 500 company and is proud to be recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers.
ABOUT DOLLAR TREE, INC.: Dollar Tree, a Fortune 200 Company, operated 16,622 stores across 48 states and five Canadian provinces as of October 28, 2023. Stores operate under the brands of Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, and Dollar Tree Canada. To learn more about the Company, visit DollarTree.com
The NASCAR 2024 Cup Series Championship season finale is set for this weekend at Phoenix Raceway. As the contenders gear up for an action-packed weekend, they met with the media Thursday to share their thoughts.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Ryan Blaney – Team Penske – Reigning Cup Series Champion
If Blaney wins the championship title, he will be the first back-to-back champion under the current format and the first driver to win consecutive championships since Jimmie Johnson (2006-2010).
Blaney was asked how he thinks his team compares with the other three championship drivers he will face in the Playoffs.
“Every one of us is going to say we feel great about our chances and we think we’re the best group, as they should, right? Everyone needs to be confident in their team.
“I can personally say about our group, I feel like we’ve been incredibly strong all year really. I mean, it doesn’t really show how great we’ve been really as a 12 team. It’s easy for me to see it, how they are operating. I feel like it has been just unbelievable.
“This place has been pretty good to us in the past. I feel like our performance at these types of racetracks this year has been really, really strong. Hopefully that continues.
“But yeah, you never know. You never know who has what speed. We’re going to know tomorrow night (during practice) kind of where everyone stacks up.”
William Byron – Hendrick Motorsports
Bryon qualified for the championship after Christopher Bell was penalized for a safety violation (riding the wall) at Martinsville Speedway and is focused on the challenge ahead.
“I haven’t ever felt as bonded to my team as I am now,” he said. “We had a meeting on Sunday night about it. I feel like we’ve turned the page really, really quickly.
“For me personally, I’ve blocked out a ton of the noise. I haven’t looked at social media. I don’t really care. I’m just focused on trying to get the 24 car as fast as I can. I think past experiences have probably helped fuel that where I’ve been through enough BS in my Cup career where I kind of know what to focus on and what to block out.”
“I feel like this place has always been pretty good to me. It’s just trying to figure out those last couple of little steps to be a little bit better. At the same time, I feel like this week through my prep and things, I feel like I found some things that I want to work on in practice. Like I said, it’s always been a really good track for me. It’s just trying to figure out how to make it that little bit better.”
Joey Logano – Team Penske Cup Series
Logano joins teammate Ryan Blaney in the quest for a championship title. If successful, it would be the third consecutive Cup Series championship for Team Penske and Logano’s third championship.
As he looks ahead to the final race of the season, Logano is primarily focused on the team.
“I guess when it comes to individually, I don’t think about it that much,” he said. He continued, “I think of it more of a team ’cause I know what a championship is worth to everybody. I think that matters more. The individual piece of saying you got three of ’em, like that’s great, don’t get me wrong. I think ’cause I’m still doing it, I guess I don’t look at that that much. But I’d like to see the people that I care about at our race team celebrate.”
He also spoke about the “old man” advantage.
“We feel solid about our position. I told everyone we’re going to old man them to death. That’s our goal. That’s our advantage, is that we got the experience over all of ’em. You do something more than once, you get better at it. You do it more than three times, you get better at it. For us, we’ve been able to kind of put together a program to where we know how to prepare and we feel comfortable in these scenarios now.”
Tyler Reddick – 23XI Racing Cup Series
This will be Reddick’s first time in the Championship 4 but he is not as nervous as one might expect. Instead, he says he feels a “sense of ease.”
“In a really good place I feel like mentally going into this weekend,” he said. “We know what’s ahead of us, but not letting it overwhelm us or myself really for that matter. Coming into this knowing what we have in front of us, ready to go out there and get to work.
He summed up his thoughts heading into the championship weekend and the pressure versus the incentive.
“As a competitor, these are the moments you live for, being able to be in this situation, in this position to go fight for a championship. But certainly when I think of Michael, Denny, the rest of the owners, when I think of everyone back at Airspeed, those that travel on the road, dedicate their lives to this goal, certainly it’s good pressure, but you say ‘incentive’, yeah, there’s a lot of that as well trying to get the job done.”
You can tune into the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock with radio coverage provided by MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Ty Majeski commenced his pursuit for his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship on a high note by winning the pole position for the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Friday, November 8.
The 30-year-old Majeski from Seymour, Wisconsin, commenced the weekend by being the third-fastest competitor during the series’ lone practice session on Thursday, November 7. During Friday’s qualifying session, he posted a pole-winning lap at 138.180 mph in 26.053 seconds, which was enough to claim the top-starting spot over Corey Heim, the latter of whom clocked in his best qualifying lap at 138.021 mph in 26.083 seconds.
By claiming the series’ final pole position of the 2024 season, Majeski notched his sixth pole position of the year, the 14th of his Truck Series career and his first since starting in first place at Kansas Speedway in late September. The 2024 season marks Majeski’s third consecutive full-time campaign in the series, all while driving for ThorSport Racing, and their second time making the Championship 4 round as he attempts to claim his first title in the series.
Majeski will share the front row with Corey Heim, a Championship 4 finalist who is also striving for his first series’ title after ending up in fourth place in the final standings a year ago. Heim, who is set to remain at TRICON Garage for the 2025 Truck Series season, was the fastest competitor during the event’s practice session on Thursday.
Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger, both of whom are contending in the Championship 4 round and squaring off against themselves along with Majeski and Heim, will start fourth and fifth, respectively. The only non-Championship 4 finalist to start in the top five is Stewart Friesen, who will line up in third place after he posted his best qualifying lap at 136.809 mph in 26.314 seconds.
Dean Thompson, Nick Sanchez, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack and Chase Purdy rounded out the top 10 starting spots for the finale.
All 35 competitors entered for Friday’s finale at Phoenix earned a starting spot.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
Ty Majeski, 138.180 mph, 26.053 seconds
Corey Heim, 138.021 mph, 26.083 seconds
Stewart Friesen, 136.809 mph, 26.314 seconds
Christian Eckes, 136.467 mph, 26.380 seconds
Grant Enfinger, 136.348 mph, 26.403 seconds
Dean Thompson, 135.952 mph, 26.480 seconds
Nick Sanchez, 135.947 mph, 26.481 seconds
Kaden Honeycutt, 135.916 mph, 26.487 seconds
Connor Mosack, 135.895 mph, 26.491 seconds
Chase Purdy, 135.890 mph, 26.492 seconds
Layne Riggs, 135.839 mph, 26.502 seconds
Tyler Ankrum, 135.461 mph, 26.576 seconds
Conner Jones, 135.201 mph, 26.627 seconds
Taylor Gray, 135.064 mph, 26.654 seconds
Tanner Gray, 135.064 mph, 26.654 seconds
Daniel Dye, 135.044 mph, 26.658 seconds
William Sawalich, 134.948 mph, 26.677 seconds
Bayley Currey, 134.831 mph, 26.700 seconds
Rajah Caruth, 134.736 mph, 26.719 seconds
Ben Rhodes, 134.338 mph, 26.798 seconds
Jack Wood, 134.318 mph, 26.802 seconds
Matt Crafton, 134.013 mph, 26.863 seconds
Stefan Parsons, 133.804 mph, 26.905 seconds
Brett Moffitt, 133.670 mph, 26.932 seconds
Dawson Sutton, 133.615 mph, 26.943 seconds
Andres Perez de Lara, 133.571 mph, 26.952 seconds
Jake Garcia, 132.363 mph, 27.198 seconds
Matt Mills, 131.661 mph, 27.343 seconds
Timmy Hill, 131.411 mph, 27.395 seconds
Spencer Boyd, 130.199 mph, 27.650 seconds
Frankie Muniz, 128.797 mph, 27.951 seconds
Keith McGee, Owner Points
Nathan Byrd, Owner Points
Thad Moffitt, Owner Points
Lawless Alan, Owner Points
The 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway is set to occur on Friday, November 8, and air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1.
NASCAR and TEAM FJ to expand the European NASCAR championship
SAINT-DENIS-SUR-LOIRE, France (November 6, 2024) – NASCAR and TEAM FJ, the founder and organizer of the official European NASCAR Series, announced today the launch of a new era of NASCAR racing in Europe that will thrill the competitors and all European fans, further growing NASCAR’s footprint and establishing the series position as the best touring car in the Old Continent.
Starting in 2025, the European NASCAR championship will be named NASCAR Euro Series featuring a new logo and visual identity, expanding the presence of the NASCAR brand. The competition platform will deeply improve with the 3rd generation of the EuroNASCAR race car (GEN3) that will be introduced in all races starting in 2025, with further developments expected over the next few years. Enhancements will also be implemented to the racing format to make the races even more entertaining. A new driver development ladder with management support and scholarships will allow the NASCAR Euro Series drivers to climb towards the top level of NASCAR racing in the US.
NASCAR will take a more prominent role in the championship’s image by becoming the prominent brand. The move will align the NASCAR Euro Series with NASCAR’s national series model and cater the NASCAR brand to an ever-growing fan base.
“This new era for NASCAR in Europe is the result of the strategic plan we developed with NASCAR over the last 2 years, fully dedicated to bringing NASCAR to the summit of racing in Europe,” said Jerome Galpin President CEO TEAM FJ – NASCAR Europe. “We definitely want to deliver more to our fans, our drivers, our teams, our partners and bring new ones in to discover the unique competition and atmosphere of NASCAR racing at some of the best European circuits. After 2009 when we founded the Series and 2012 when we became the official NASCAR Series in Europe, this is another major step in our successful history where only the sky’s the limit.”
“As we continue to expand internationally, we’re excited to strengthen our presence in Europe. The launch of this new era means new opportunities and excitement for participants and partners who will join us starting in 2025,” said Chad Seigler, NASCAR’s Vice President & Chief International Officer.
The two NASCAR Euro Series championships will be renamed PRO and OPEN, while a new entry level based on regularity competition will feature a new format and become the Rookie Challenge for very young drivers and drivers without racing experience. The PRO championship will be dedicated as always to professional drivers and elite amateurs, while the OPEN championship will focus on young talents and gentleman drivers. Once again, PRO and OPEN drivers will share the same car, alternating behind the wheel in four exciting races per weekend, two in the PRO and two in the OPEN division.
With the clear goal of offering more European drivers the chance to compete at the top level of NASCAR in the US, NASCAR Europe will set up a ladder system to bring drivers from different environments to NASCAR racing. The Recruitment Tests will represent the first step for drivers coming from other motorsport disciplines, karting or even sim racing. Afterwards, they can move to the Rookie Challenge or step into full-fledged NASCAR racing first in the OPEN and then in the PRO championship.
Approved NASCAR Euro Series drivers will have the opportunity to enter NASCAR road course races in the United States at the top level in the NASCAR National Series. To provide the best preparation, TEAM FJ will set up the new “Road to America” program through a Europe-based NASCAR training and testing team, which will organize tests on European tracks. TEAM FJ will also support and manage drivers to find the best possible opportunities to race in the USA.
Founded in 2009 by French drivers and entrepreneurs Jerome and Anne Galpin through their TEAM FJ organization, the Euro Series was officially sanctioned by NASCAR for the first time in 2012. Since then, the championship grew at an impressive pace, rapidly becoming the most exciting touring car series in Europe, a fan favorite thanks to its action-packed NASCAR sprint races surrounded by American-themed festivals and family entertainment.
The 2025 NASCAR Euro Series season will feature seven events in seven different countries starting on April 12-13 in Valencia, Spain and closing on October 11-12 with the traditional Finals at Circuit Zolder, in Belgium.
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 8, 2024) – The NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, starring the best and most decorated sportsman drivers in drag racing, announced the schedule for the upcoming 2025 season, featuring stops at standout racing facilities across the country.
The 2025 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season begins on Feb. 20-23 at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix and Feb. 21-22 at Orlando Speed World Dragway, and the thrilling year will include 45 divisional events and 21 regional events, with the season finale taking place Nov. 6-9 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The year will also include 15 double divisional events, up from previous seasons, as well as two SPORTSnationals races. The exciting Top Alcohol categories will be contested at three specialty events during the 2025 campaign as well, with the popular Cleetus and Cars event at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (May 2-3), and Night Under Fire at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, Ohio as part of the North Central Regional (Aug. 1-2), and the Firebird Fall Shootout at Firebird Motorsports Park in Phoenix for the Pacific Regional (Oct. 24-25).
Included in the doubleheader divisional events for the first time is a race at Summit Motorsports Park, while World Wide Technology Raceway in St. Louis will host a pair of double divisional events. The spring event on April 30-May 3 is for the West Central Division and the fall event (Oct. 1-4) is for the North Central Division.
Several double divisional events, including races in Gainesville, Brainerd, Norwalk, St. Louis, Dallas and the spring and fall Las Vegas races, will occur either the weekend before or after an NHRA national event as well to help with racer travel and scheduling efficiencies.
“We are excited to see the 2025 Lucas Oil Divisional Series schedule get released,” Lucas Oil Director of Partnership Marketing Brandon Bernstein said. “There is a lot of great racing on great dates and everyone here at Lucas Oil is thrilled for the start of 2025 season.”
The Laris Motorsports Insurance Cajun NHRA SPORTSnationals, which returned to the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series schedule for the first time in nearly a decade last year, heads back to No Problem Raceway in Belle Rose, La. on March 14-16, offering a unique atmosphere and stellar racing that has made the event so popular.
The JEGS SPORTSnationals, which has been a longtime staple on the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series circuit, will again take place at National Trail Raceway on July 9-10 as part of the huge JEGS SPEEDWeek event. The SPORTSnationals features an incredible variety of high-level racing in eight different categories, making it one of the marquee events of the sportsman season, and following the SPORTSnationals the divisional and regional race takes place on July 11-12.
The 21 regional events during the 2025 Lucas Oil Drag Racing will showcase the exciting racing in the Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car classes, giving fans a chance to experience cars running in excess of 250 mph at tracks across the country.
Like previous years, NHRA will stream several Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series divisional races on either NHRA.tv or the NHRA YouTube page for free during the 2025 campaign, including action from all seven NHRA divisions. A full broadcast schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
“We are looking forward to another fantastic season of racing in the Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, and we couldn’t be more appreciative of the tremendous support Lucas Oil and the Lucas family have provided for so many years,” NHRA President Glen Cromwell said. “They’ve played an instrumental role in the success of our sportsman series, which continues to thrive at NHRA Member Tracks across the country. The Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series features incredible racing from some of the best drivers in the world and we’re excited about what the 2025 season has in store.”
2025 NHRA LUCAS OIL DRAG RACING SERIES SCHEDULE
EAST REGION
Gainesville Raceway: February 28-March 1
Maple Grove Raceway: May 22-25
Lebanon Valley Dragway: July 3-6
New England Dragway: August 21-24
Virginia Motorsports Park: September 4-7
NORTH CENTRAL REGION
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: May 2-3
Summit Motorsports Park: June 20-21
National Trail Raceway: July 11-12
Summit Motorsports Park: August 1-2
Beech Bend Raceway Park: August 22-24
World Wide Technology Raceway: October 3-4
CENTRAL REGION
No Problem Raceway: March 14-15
Texas Motorplex: May 16-17
Brainerd International Raceway: August 8-9
Tri-State Raceway: September 5-7
WEST REGION
Firebird Motorsports Park: February 21-22
Mission Raceway Park: June 14-15
Woodburn Dragstrip: July 11-13
Pacific Raceways: August 8-9
Firebird Motorsports Park: October 24-25
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: November 7-8
NORTHEAST DIVISION
Maple Grove Raceway: May 22-25
Lebanon Valley Dragway: July 3-6
Numidia Dragway: July 31-August 1
Numidia Dragway: August 2-3
New England Dragway: August 22-24
Virginia Motorsports Park: September 4-7
Cecil County Dragway: October 17-19
SOUTHEAST DIVISION
Orlando Speed World Dragway: February 21-22
Gainesville Raceway: February 27-March 2
South Georgia Motorsports Park: May 29-30
South Georgia Motorsports Park: May 31-June 1
Rockingham Dragway: October 16-17
Rockingham Dragway: October 18-19
NORTH CENTRAL DIVISION
Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park: April 25-27
Summit Motorsports Park: June 18-19
Summit Motorsports Park: June 20-21
National Trail Raceway (SPORTSnationals): July 9-10
National Trail Raceway: July 11-12
Beech Bend Raceway Park: August 22-24
World Wide Technology Raceway: October 1-2
World Wide Technology Raceway: October 3-4
SOUTH CENTRAL DIVISION
No Problem Raceway: March 12-13
No Problem Raceway (SPORTSnationals): March 14-16
Texas Motorplex: May 15-16
Texas Motorplex: May 17-18
Tulsa Raceway Park: September 18-19
Tulsa Raceway Park: September 20-21
Texas Motorplex: October 6-7
WEST CENTRAL DIVISION
World Wide Technology Raceway: April 30-May 1
World Wide Technology Raceway: May 2-May 3
Tri State Raceway: May 30-June 1
Brainerd International Raceway: August 7-8
Brainerd International Raceway: August 9-10
Tri-State Raceway: September 5-7
NORTHWEST DIVISION
Firebird Raceway: May 16-18
Yellowstone Dragstrip: June 26-27
Yellowstone Dragstrip: June 28-29
Woodburn Dragstrip: July 10-11
Woodburn Dragstrip: July 12-13
Pacific Raceways: August 7-8
Pacific Raceways: August 9-10
PACIFIC DIVISION
Firebird Motorsports Park: February 20-21
Firebird Motorsports Park: February 22-23
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: April 16-17
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: April 18-19
Famoso Dragstrip: September 25-26
Famoso Dragstrip: September 27-28
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway: November 6-9
About Lucas Oil
Founded in 1989 by Forrest and Charlotte Lucas, Lucas Oil Products was created with the simple philosophy of producing only the best line of lubricants and additives available anywhere. Today, it encompasses the most diversified range of products in the automotive, powersports, marine, industrial, outdoor, and motorsports marketplaces, many of which were created by Forrest Lucas himself. In total, the company boasts more than 300 premium products, representing the largest variety of shelf products of any oil company in the United States with a distribution network across 48 different countries. For more information, please visit www.LucasOil.com.
About NHRA
NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
