William Sawalich notched his first NASCAR Xfinity Series career pole position for the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on Saturday, November 9.
The two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, posted his best qualifying lap at 134.168 mph in 26.832 seconds, which was enough to claim the top-starting spot over teammate Sheldon Creed, who clocked in his best qualifying lap at 133.432 mph in 26.980 seconds.
With the pole position, Sawalich, who is set to make his third career start in the Xfinity circuit and in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 19 “all-star” Toyota Supra entry, will lead the field to the green flag for Saturday’s 2024 finale at Phoenix. He is set to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing on a full-time Xfinity basis in 2025, where he will be piloting the No. 18 Toyota Supra entry.
Speaking of Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Toyota entry, Sheldon Creed, who is making his final start with the Gibbs organization before he transitions to the Haas Factory Team in 2025, will share the front row with teammate Sawalich. The 2024 Xfinity finale is set to mark Creed’s fifth time starting on the front row this season as he aims to capture his first elusive victory in the series.
Riley Herbst and Chandler Smith will start third and fourth, respectively, while Austin Hill will be the highest-starting Championship- 4 contenders in fifth place as he strives to win his first Xfinity Series championship.
Rounding out the top-10 starting spots are rookie Jesse Love, Championship 4 finalist Cole Custer, Sam Mayer, Championship 4 finalist AJ Allmendinger and Parker Retzlaff.
Notably, Justin Allgaier, the fourth Championship 4 finalist, will start in 37th place of the 38-car field and in a backup car. This is a result of Allgaier wrecking his primary car during Friday’s practice session after he ran over spilled fluid from Brennan Poole’s entry, slid and pounded the outside wall hard against Turns 1 and 2. Aric Almirola, who is contending for the 2024 Xfinity owner’s championship for Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota team, was also involved in the practice carnage as he will start in 38th place, dead last, in a backup car.
All 38 competitors entered for Saturday’s finale at Phoenix earned a starting spot.
Qualifying position, best speed, best time:
William Sawalich, 134.168 mph, 26.832 seconds
Sheldon Creed, 133.432 mph, 26.980 seconds
Riley Herbst, 132.989 mph, 27.070 seconds
Chandler Smith, 132.915 mph, 27.085 seconds
Austin Hill, 132.523 mph, 27.165 seconds
Jesse Love, 132.343 mph, 27.202 seconds
Cole Custer, 132.270 mph, 27.217 seconds
Sam Mayer, 132.178 mph, 27.236 seconds
AJ Allmendinger, 132.139 mph, 27.244 seconds
Parker Retzlaff, 132.042 mph, 27.264 seconds
Matt DiBenedetto, 131.868 mph, 27.300 seconds
Anthony Alfredo, 131.690 mph, 27.337 seconds
Daniel Dye, 131.651 mph, 27.345 seconds
Stefan Parsons, 131.454 mph, 27.386 seconds
Sammy Smith, 131.372 mph, 27.403 seconds
Jeb Burton, 131.324 mph, 27.413 seconds
Shane van Gisbergen, 131.081 mph, 27.464 seconds
Jeffrey Earnhardt, 130.976 mph, 27.486 seconds
Josh Williams, 130.957 mph, 27.490 seconds
Ryan Ellis, 130.785 mph, 27.526 seconds
Connor Zilisch, 130.766 mph, 27.530 seconds
Jeremy Clements, 130.657 mph, 27.553 seconds
Ryan Sieg, 130.577 mph, 27.570 seconds
Dylan Lupton, 130.572 mph, 27.571 seconds
Blaine Perkins, 130.482 mph, 27.590 seconds
Leland Honeyman, 130.359 mph, 27.616 seconds
Dawson Cram, 130.086 mph, 27.674 seconds
Brennan Poole, 129.767 mph, 27.742 seconds
Kyle Sieg, 129.534 mph, 27.792 seconds
Patrick Emerling, 129.450 mph, 27.810 seconds
Parker Kligerman, 129.231 mph, 27.857 seconds
Josh Bilicki, 128.834 mph, 27.943 seconds
Brandon Jones, 128.599 mph, 27.994 seconds
Joey Gase, Owner Points
Greg Van Alst, Owner Points
Garrett Smithley, Owner Points
Justin Allgaier, Owner Points
Aric Almirola, Owner Points
The 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway is set to occur on Saturday, November 9, and air at 7 p.m. ET on the CW Network.
Toyota Racing – Martin Truex Jr. NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Martin Truex Jr. was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Bass Pro Shops Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Has this weekend felt any different?
“Yes and no. I guess a little bit. I don’t really know the significance of it – I guess it hasn’t really sunk in yet, but I’m excited for the weekend. I had a good practice yesterday and I think as far as preparation it’s been the same as usual, so we’ll see how it goes. I’m not sure it’s really sunk in yet and I’m not sure really the emotions. I’m not super emotional I guess, so we’ll see what happens after the race. I’m looking forward to having a fun weekend and hopefully a great day tomorrow.”
Did you have any input on this weekend’s scheme?
“It was a surprise to me. I had no idea. I’m very grateful for it though. It was one of my favorites for sure throughout my career that I’ve had. It doesn’t quite look exactly the same as vinyl, it used to be paint back in the day. When that car was painted it was metallic so a little bit different but it looks amazing. A big thanks to everyone at JGR and Bass Pro for putting it together. It’s really special.”
What do you have planned tomorrow and looking back at your career what are you most proud of?
“People that are coming are my family and I’m not sure aside from them. Just my close family. I’m not sure if there’s any surprises or anything crazy happening. I would guess not. Nice and relaxed and normal. My career, I think, I’m most proud of is not a high probability I guess of doing the things I was able to do. Being able to be around in the Cup Series and in this garage as long as I have. The way it started and the way it ended are two completely different stories I think. Just the perseverance I think. The hard work and how none of it came easy. My success in the Cup Series was certainly very, very difficult to achieve and so I’m very proud of that. But, I’m also very thankful for the opportunities and the people I’ve gotten to work with. Just feel really grateful and lucky to be able to do what I did and have the success that we did.”
Do you take pride in being such a clean driver?
“Yeah, for sure. I don’t know that it was – that I put a great effort into it. I think it just came naturally and that’s just kind of the way I did things. I’m certainly proud of that. I think times have changed a lot since I learned to race with Mark Martin, Tony Stewart and the guys when I came into the Cup Series with. They didn’t put up with things, so you had to learn quickly. That’s just kind of my style and the way I like to do it.”
How emotional do you think you will be leading into the race tomorrow?
“I don’t think I will be. I think I’m focused on what we’re doing, and I think if anything it will all come afterwards. As a driver, you’re trained to put the blinders on, right? And not worry about outside distractions and emotions and all the things that could potentially derail what you’re trying to do on the weekend or on the race day. I think if anything, it probably not really set in until after.”
Can you finally say what you wrote in the champions journal now?
“I don’t think you’re supposed to discuss these things. It’s for insiders only. There’s some cool stuff in there. I will say that. It was one of the neatest things I’ve ever seen in my life to be able to read that and see what past champions have written to each other. I wish it went back in time further. That would’ve been really cool. There was some good stuff there and no I won’t share.”
Can you imagine what a win tomorrow would mean?
“It would be a storybook that’s for sure. It’s not going to be easy. I think we had pretty good speed yesterday but certainly not what we need to win yet so hopefully they can find some magic in the adjustments and the things we’re allowed to do to these cars these days so we’ll see.”
What has Phoenix Raceway meant to you throughout your career?
“Just I enjoy these types of tracks. It’s kind of like a little bit of Richmond and a little bit of Loudon mixed together. I think it’s been a good track for me over the years and being able to win here is definitely big. You want to be able to win at all different types of tracks and honestly you want to be able to win everywhere so it’s definitely cool to get this one checked off.”
Do you think you would do some grassroots racing and what race or track would you like to do still in the future?
“I’ve talked about it in the past few years, and I’d go back to my home track first which is Wall Stadium. They have a big Thanksgiving race every year, the Turkey Derby, and I won it when I was 19. It’s a big race up in that area so I’d like to do it again. Maybe not this year. I’ve talked about it but I’m kind of raced out for the year so I’ll take Thanksgiving with the family this year and then next year I’ll probably be bored so I might do it then.”
Any chance we will see you in Xfinity or a Truck next season?
“Yeah, for sure. I’ve got to talk to Coach (Joe Gibbs, owner and founder, Joe Gibbs Racing) about the Xfinity car (laughter). We will see what the options are there. I would like to run a few of those next year for sure. I haven’t really looked into Trucks at all – not sure about that – but I’m open to doing some things, so hopefully can have some fun next year and that will include some racing, so we will see how that all plays out.”
How is your emotion and have you felt from the reception from the fans this weekend?
“I haven’t really gotten too emotional about it yet. I was telling them earlier; I think it will be more so after the race – you know? We are all so focused on what we are doing and trying to do a good job and have a good weekend, so you really can’t let all of the outside stuff come in and the emotions of it all. I’m trying to block that out. We will see after the race, but as far as the fans and the people in the sport, a lot of people have reached out that mean a lot to me and that’s been cool. Very, very proud of that and the fans have been great – it has been fun.”
Have you talked to Barney Visser at all yet?
“I have not talked to Barney (Visser, former team owner, Furniture Row Racing) yet. I’m sure I’ll hear from him, in his kind of way (laughter).”
What memories do you have from your first Cup race?
“It didn’t go very well. I remember that. I think we blew a right front tire and hit the wall, but just the memories of how it all came. Back in those days, I was really so new to the NASCAR scene, and I couldn’t believe how quickly – I was just getting my feet kind of settled in the Busch Series and things were going well there, and I was winning some races and I was feeling like I kind of belonged in that arena and we were like hey, let’s do a Cup race. It all happened really fast, is what I remember the most, and it was a crazy year and a half in my life, just moving to North Carolina and doing the things that I was doing to being in a Cup car. It all happened really fast.”
Do you think because you know that you will still compete in races next year that has helped your level of emotion?
“Yeah, I would say that is probably something to be said for that. I’m really excited about the future and next year, and just going to have fun again, so yeah, that is part of that. I don’t know. I don’t know what tomorrow will feel like. It will be different for sure knowing that you are not full-time in the Cup Series and all that comes with that, but I’m excited about it, so maybe I’m more happy than anything.”
Has Dale Jr. poached you to try to do any CARS tour stuff yet?
“Not yet.”
Do you think it is coming?
“I’m not sure. It would be fun to race with him again, so if he can’t do any Xfinity races, I might have to jump over there and do that.”
Do you have any idea of what your consumption of racing content will be like going forward?
“I’m not sure, honestly. I’ve got a pretty bad habit of watching everything all of the time, so I don’t know if that will change much. I think I will try to keep up with what is going on, and hopefully have some kind of interaction with the guys at JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) again – the guys that I’ve worked with. We will see. Again, I don’t have any solid plans, I’m just going to go with the flow, and do what feels right and do what I feel like doing, it is going to be interesting, that’s for sure.”
Do you have a goal of what a successful final full-time race would be?
“I want to win, honestly. We come here every single weekend trying to win, I know that this year has not gone the way that we thought that it would, that’s for sure, but the guys are still working really hard, trying everything they can, and I’m doing the same. This is another weekend that we are business as usual and trying to be the best that we can.”
Has the second half of the season felt any different to you?
“No, it has felt pretty normal, really. I mean, you realize the opportunities are slipping away to go back to victory lane and get that last win, so we only have one more shot – that has been the only thing that has been on mind. It has been disappointing at times – at times, we’ve probably wanted it too much and tried too hard and beat ourselves. That is something that happens in this sport, quite often, but I don’t know just been trying really hard and want it really bad, so hopefully tomorrow we can come up with some magic.”
What would be your parting words to the current and up-and-coming drivers?
“That could take hours, I don’t know (laughter). It is honestly – this sport has changed so much, everything about it. From the cars, and the way you go about racing, and try to find speed, and practicing and testing. Everything has just changed so much; cars are so different. A lot of young drivers now – it is just not the same. It is different. It is still very exciting. There is still a lot of people interested, obviously, but it is definitely a lot different. I don’t know if there is any advice other than don’t lose connection to your roots, and try to keep the racing real, and figure out a way that the best drivers and teams win races.”
Who was your favorite owner from your career, and if you answer that, I’ll kill you because I think I was going to be fifth (laughter)? (question asked by Joe Gibbs, owner and founder, Joe Gibbs Racing)
“I don’t think so.”
JOE GIBBS: “I just want to say to everybody that this guy – many times in our meetings and days after – tough things happen, and that guy’s personality and the way he handles things was the real champion. We all just really appreciate him and looking forward into whatever we can talk him into doing next year. Really a class act, and I hope everyone here – I know everyone here – has looked at him the same way, so thank you, Martin (Truex, Jr.).”
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.
Toyota Racing – Denny Hamlin NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
Christopher Bell was clear he feels cheated and that there was race manipulation going on, did you see that and think that your teammate was cheated out of a spot in the Championship 4?
“I do. I agree with him (Christopher Bell). I think that – but it’s hard to put truthfully a whole lot of fault on those that did it because they’re kind of doing what they’re told and what they’re typically even not told. They just know kind of the protocol in which it goes by so it’s really tough obviously. Certainly, the 24 (William Byron) was in a bad spot and obviously going to lose many spots until they let up. It is what is it and there were penalties. Whether that deters stuff going forward, that’s still TBD.”
Do you still believe that the 23 had a tire going down at Martinsville?
“Yeah, I feel that – we looked at the right rear tire and there was no pinholes left. There was no pinholes at all so the tire had gone completely bald. Very similar to what Carson Hocevar’s did earlier in the race. He had the same thing happen to him late in a run. But it’s water under the bridge and certainly we’re moving on.”
What is the next step for 23XI after losing the ruling yesterday?
“The first part is, we’re obviously pleased with the ruling that the judge sees merits in the case. He’s going to move forward to expedite it and expedite the discovery side of it, which is a reverse from what he had before. Obviously, judging on it without prejudice and obviously giving us an opportunity to refile once the situation changes because he knows that things will change over the next few months. Obviously, he understands the complexity of it and obviously understands that this situation is fluid, and we obviously could see some pretty bad harm coming up.”
Do you have any indication of what will happen with the charter?
“No, I don’t have any indication of it – I don’t.”
What will you be watching or saying to Tyler Reddick as a team owner as he competes for a championship tomorrow?
“Just for him, I think it’s just taking a breath, going day by day, right? Not getting too wound up over one practice session or one qualifying session. The Championship is a long way from being crowned, right? We’ve got lots of laps around this place and I certainly think that he’ll have a great shot when it’s all said and done. But, just enjoying it. Truthfully, I think that my first time having a shot in the last race I didn’t enjoy the moment quite as much as I should have because I was nervous and certainly, it’s hard not to get nervous. But I certainly think that he was probably wound a little bit tight yesterday, and I think today is a new day.”
As a competitor or team owner, what would you like to see the Playoff format become if they make changes?
“Just a bigger sample size. That’s the biggest thing. However, you come about it, I think that there’s tons of discussion on ways that could improve it. I agree the Playoffs will never go away which is quite alright, but certainly the small sample size is really tough because obviously you’ve seen the data and could argue the first four out, the first four in. The sample size was so small there that it certainly jumbled up the results a little bit. Look at this weekend, right? The 7 (Justin Allgaier), an innocent bystander has got to go to a backup car which is probably not going to be as good as his primary. Racing has so many variables to it, you have to create a larger sample size to get the true answer. So, I just believe we don’t live in a one-on-one sport, we don’t get a seven-game series or anything like that – we live in a world where in our sport only when our competition makes a mistake, it can cost us. Usually, in any other sport, competition makes a mistake you capitalize, and you score, or it benefits you. Our sport is not like that so you must create a bigger sample size to get the right answer, and I just think that right now we’ve just narrowed it down to try to get these exciting moments week in and week out and I just think there’s a long-term negative effect to that.”
Have you given any more consideration to what can be done to lessen the manufacturer’s involvement on race day?
“I haven’t put any more thought into it, but we all have to realize that the manufacturers are probably these team’s biggest sponsors. And so, they’re going to do what their sponsors want them to do because we are a sponsor driven sport. So, I just don’t know how you’re going to avoid it. We can try to come up with finding ways to not say it over the radio, but there will be so many code words you’ll never understand it and it will be too hard to prove. I hate to say it – we’re never going to stop looking out for our sponsors.”
Can you speak on the driver and person Martin Truex Jr. has been to you over the years?
“I’ve got a lot of great memories with Martin (Truex Jr.), but just really overall I’d just say he’s just an awesome person and one of the best teammates that you’ll ever have. I aspire to have a career like him where in my final race I have a chance to win, and he does. He just – I like that he’s kind of going out on his way in his time under his terms. I really kind of admire his independence as a person and certainly really admire his professionalism as a teammate.”
What are the ups and downs of going through the lawsuit compared to the ups and downs as a race car driver?
“Yeah, I mean, truthfully, I hadn’t been in a courtroom since maybe I was 11. I got sued. I was riding my bike as a kid and a car hit me and they ended up suing me. I know, they lost (laughter). Her brother owned a law firm, so – but anyway. It’s been a while. My adrenaline was pumping because obviously you hear the arguments and what not and of course we feel very adamant on our side of things. Certainly, when you wake up on Friday morning and you know something is coming, you’re nervous because obviously I’ve poured a lot into this sport in multiple ways and certainly financially over the last four years. I’ve put back a lot of the money I got out of it back into it and certainly all could wiped away pretty quickly. Certainly, it’s a nervous time for me and we just hope that this thing gets resolved in a peaceful manner or in a correct manner to fix it. I’m just – it’s got its ups and downs for sure, but it’s difficult because you can’t control it right? I can’t rely on my instincts or things like that to change the outcome or the results. It’s just the facts are the facts. I’ve just never been a part of anything like this, but certainly hate that we’re in the situation that we’re in after everything that we’ve put into the support over the last four years.”
Do you remain confident that you’ll have cars at the Clash and Daytona 500?
“I think it’s all TBD. There’s certain things that we’re going to have to navigate so I hope so.”
What were you sued for when you were a kid?
“Like, mental stress or distress.”
What do you need to do between now and when we roll out at Daytona to be a contender again?
“Between now and Daytona, I’m really not sure there. Certainly, I thought that as an organization we had lost a little bit of the speed in the summer. It’s just people talk a lot about kind of peaking too early and things like that but I don’t believe that. I think that when you hit it, you hit it. It just seemed like the field got a little faster throughout the summer and we were obviously firing off really, really well. In the Round of 8, I finished third, fifth and eighth. I lowered my average finish from the regular season to the Playoffs – I lowered it by two or three spots. So, every year in the Playoffs, except for maybe very, very few, I’ve been better in the Playoffs than I do in the regular season, but we heard Christopher (Bell) say it, when you have three bottom guys win, I didn’t have enough bonus points to be part of the picture for that last points spot. I don’t know, you’ve just got to have circumstances fall in a better fashion for me. Is there anyone that thinks Justin Allgaier’s not a deserving Xfinity Champion, but it just hasn’t happened, right? For various reasons. It’s just – this sport is weird.”
How big of a dynamic is it for NASCAR if 23XI wins the championship tomorrow but can’t race in 2025?
“Furniture Row did it. They ceased to exist after a championship. I think that depending who you ask, I think on one side they could care less whether you’re here or not and for us, we certainly have got a lot of people that have put their heart and souls into this team and want to see it succeed. And certainly, we’ve got an obligation to our team to try to do everything we can to have a fair system. So, we’re just one of the ones that got stuck on the front line and so it’s part of it. Trust me, there’s nothing more we want than to win this weekend. Certainly, there’s a lot of emphasis on trying to win this race and Tyler’s (Reddick) is going to give it his best go. This is a really, really new team and certainly it was an accomplishment to get to this point.”
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.
Toyota Racing – Christopher Bell NASCAR Cup Series Quotes
AVONDALE, Ariz. (November 9, 2024) – Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Phoenix Raceway.
CHRISTOPHER BELL, No. 20 Interstate Batteries/DEWALT Toyota Camry XSE, Joe Gibbs Racing
Do you still feel the same way about your move on the last lap?
“Yeah, I think that. I hate calling the last lap a move, because it was not a move. My intentions were never to ride the wall. I didn’t gain an advantage riding the wall, so it was not a move. I don’t believe that I broke the rule.”
How do you process the last week for yourself?
“I feel cheated. I feel cheated out of a chance to compete for a championship. It all stems from what happened earlier – 15, 20 to go, whenever the race got fixed, and manipulated by Chevrolet, that forced our hands to do what we did and ultimately, it forced me into a mistake on the last lap to get into the wall. I feel like I should have never been in that situation had the race been ran fairly, the 24 (William Bryon) would have lost enough spots to get me into the final race.”
Do you feel like you should be in the Championship 4? Do you feel like Bryon should be penalized?
“I feel like I should be in the Championship 4 – yes. So, in the race, when the manipulation happened – it was clear that I needed a position. With the 23 (Bubba Wallace) falling back, we got that position and whenever we crossed the finish line, the 20 car was in. So, with the cards that were dealt, the 20 car was in position to make the championship event, and we are not in it.”
If you win on Sunday, will it be the most conflicting win you’ve ever felt?
“Yeah, it is definitely going to be tough. No matter how it goes. You want to do well, and we are going to put our best foot forward to do well, but if we do well, and have a successful weekend, then it is going to be even more of bummer and a disappointment, so yeah, it is a very perplexing feeling going into this weekend, and one that I hope I never have again.”
What is the motivation this weekend then?
“The motivation is simple. There is still a lot on the line, there is a lot of money on the line, and we have partners that have paid to be on the 20 car for this race. The list just goes on and on, right? We have – whatever it is – 600 employees at Joe Gibbs Racing that put effort into this race car, and so, it is unfair if I, and my team, don’t put our best foot forward to try and do the best that we can. There is a lot on the line and there should be more on the line.”
At what point were you made of the points situation?
“I was not aware of the points situation until the closing laps. I was informed with probably 20-25 to go that the 24 (William Bryon) was bleeding positions and it appeared at that point that we were going to be fine and be good on points. As the run continued, I actually got visuals on the 24 car, and saw him backing the field up, and it was probably 10 to go when I realized what was going on, and that the 24 was indeed done bleeding positions, so I thought at that point that my race was over – I didn’t know that the 23 (Bubba Wallace) car was a spot for me until the last lap. I knew that I had to pass him, and I got by him into turn three and unfortunately, I slid into wall.”
Could you see the manipulation going on?
“I could very clearly see the race manipulation and the race fixing that was going on.”
With you feeling cheated, how long is this feeling going to stick with you?
“Yeah, it is tough. This has been one of the hardest things that I have had to go through as a race car driver. I believe cheated is the right word. We go through sessions at the beginning of the year to make sure that we don’t do this, and that unfortunately, is what happened, and I was on the losing side of it.”
Is it fair to say that you have a chip on your shoulder and how long is it going to last?
“I mean, yeah, I’m bummed and disappointed, so yeah, I guess, I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder. It is just for this weekend. That is one thing that I’m grateful of – it’s not the Round of 8. It’s not the Round of 12, so I don’t have to go weeks after this. As soon as Sunday is over, I can close the book, and we can focus on 2025 and trying to be in a better position going into that championship race or the cutoff race at Martinsville. I’m incredibly bummed that it came down to that.”
Is there anything that you can say to NASCAR or anything you want to hear?
“It’s definitely – I don’t know how to answer that question. We all know how and if we are putting 100 percent effort into a race, and I don’t know what the answer is, but something has to change to get us out of this box that we are in of manufacturer help and manipulating races to help guys get certain positions. It is not right racing, and it is not fair.”
Will what happened affect how you race in Daytona and Talladega?
“I don’t envy the situation that we are in because talking about team racing, that has been a staple of speedway racing for a long time, and I don’t know what the answer is, especially when it comes to the superspeedway races, but I don’t know have the answer to that, but it definitely happens a lot in those races as well. We saw the same thing at Talladega as well with the 5 (Kyle Larson) lifting coming into the tri-oval, so there is a lot of it that goes behind the scenes.”
Do you think the drivers should have been suspended?
“I don’t think it is my place to speak on what should or shouldn’t happen with the penalties, but the penalties didn’t make right by me, who lost out on the actions that happened on the track.”
Do you think there should have been an opportunity for you to appeal the ruling?
“I think that the rule language needs to be a little bit more clearly defined, and less gray area. I think it needs to be more clearly defined and less gray area.”
What do those sessions include?
“It is just about keeping the sport’s integrity intact, and not manipulating races to change the outcome of the race.”
Is that a NASCAR thing or a Toyota thing?
“No, that is a NASCAR thing. It is not an OEM thing. It is a NASCAR thing.”
Format wise, do you think there is anything that could be done there to help the situation that happened last weekend?
“I think there are a lot of changes that can happen format wise to help the way the races play out. I think all of them need to be looked at and changes need to be made.”
Any specific solutions do you want to offer?
“I think there needs to be a lot of thought into what happens, but certainly, I feel like the wins are – I don’t know – the fact that we had three bottom tier winners in the round of 8 that led to the Championship 4 that we have today. I don’t know what the answer is, but I think a lot of thought needs to be put into it, but I do feel like changes need to be made.”
How will you reflect on the 2024 season?
“Finally, a positive question (laughter). This 2024 season has been the best in my career across all forms of the statistics – more top-10’s, more top-fives, more laps led. That is something that we tried to put emphasis on going into 2024, coming off our 2022, 2023, being in the championship race, but feeling like we didn’t perform at our highest. Even leaving 2024, I feel like it is more the same, that I feel like we left a lot on the table. I’m happy and pleased that I’ve set career highs for myself, and I’m hopeful and optimistic that I can keep breaking those barriers – winning more races, leading more laps, winning more stages, more top-10s, more top-fives.”
How do you handle this weekend?
“At least from standpoint – I’m not going to speak on the team – but for me, it is really easy. It doesn’t matter what my mental state, whenever I put the helmet on and get in the car, I have been able to turn off everything that is going on around me, and focus on the task at hand, and frankly, I look forward to that. Practice was fun. Practice was fun. I got to get into my zone and drive a race car. Qualifying will be fun, and then the race will be fun. It is all of the stuff outside of the car where you are not in race car driver mode that is not fun, and heartbreaking and disappointment. I look forward to putting my helmet on and getting out of the world and getting in my race car.”
If there was extended penalties that could have come as part of race manipulation, would they not have also extend to you and your team?
“Yeah, absolutely, but we shouldn’t have ever been in that spot in the first place, and that is what I go back to. If the race had been run fairly, there would not have been any manipulation on either side. Our hands were forced by hands of our other competitors, and yeah.”
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.
Carson Macedo celebrates in Victory Lane after winning Friday's World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series feature at the World of Outlaws World Finals. (CMS/HHP photo)
On the penultimate night of the 2024 dirt racing season, David Gravel locked up his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series championship as Carson Macedo (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Bobby Pierce (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) claim victory at The Dirt Track at Charlotte
Action continues Saturday with a final day of racing for all three series; tickets are still available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or at the gate
CONCORD, NC (Nov. 8, 2024) – With just one night remaining in the 2024 season for dirt racing’s premier three series, the World of Outlaws World Finals once again delivered an unforgettable night of white-knuckled racing and excitement. David Gravel locked up his first World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series championship, while Carson Macedo (World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars), Bobby Pierce (World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models) and Mat Williamson (Super DIRTcar Series) each emerged victorious.
All Dirt Roads Lead to Gravel
Macedo did everything he could in his quest to catch Gravel in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship hunt, winning Friday night’s 25-lap feature in convincing fashion. But in the end, bolstered by a 15-win season, Gravel locked up the series championship with one night remaining in the 2024 season.
“My car was incredible,” Macedo said after the race. “Once I saw what I needed to do, I started moving around. I could get through the middle of (turns) one and two. When you get passed for the lead and put together the effort to get back by the leader, it’s a testament to how good your car is. I felt really solid.”
Macedo started from the pole and – despite briefly giving up the lead to Buddy Kofoid midway through the race — raced to his first-ever win on the fourth-tenths mile clay oval at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
“It’s definitely a chess game,” the Lemoore, Calif. hotshoe said of the challenging Dirt Track at Charlotte. “As the lines move around, you’ve got to be able to move around with them. I think your car being really good helps too. I felt really confident when Buddy got around me that I could get back around him.
“It feels good to win the battle tonight. But, obviously to lose the war, that’s a little bitter sweet. Congrats to the No. 2 team and David on winning the championship. We fought all year. We fought as hard as we could, and someday, maybe we can be sitting in that spot.”
Kofoid held on for second, with Justin Peck finishing on the podium for the second night in a row. Gravel’s fourth place finish was enough to earn the Watertown, Conn. racer his first career Sprint Car series title.
“We’ve still got one race to go, but it feels good going into tomorrow just racing for a win,” Gravel said. “I want to touch that trophy and raise that trophy above my head. I’ve been doing this for a long time and we’ve been close a lot of years and been on the podium a lot in points. To finally get it done, to do it with Levi, being a dad and having a family, it just feels really, really cool. There’s a small list of World of Outlaw champions and I’m proud to be one of them.”
Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne finished fifth.
Pierce Tightens Points Gap with Shepphard in Late Models
In World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model action, Pierce left nothing on the table in an effort to catch points leader Brandon Shepphard in a wild Friday night feature marred by three cautions. Entering the race 34 points behind Sheppard and eight behind second place Nick Hoffman, Pierce needed to live up to his nickname of “Smooth Operator” throughout a chaotic 35-lap affair to remain in the title hunt.
Starting in the third row after the pill draw, Pierce found the power to work his way forward. Hoffman, meanwhile, found only heartbreak after a broken rear end brought his race – and likely his championship aspirations – to a premature end.
In the closing laps, Pierce battled side-by-side with Winfield, Tenn. racer Mike Marler. With three circuits remaining, Marler drove into the cushion and fell off the pace, as Pierce cruised to victory.
“I didn’t know he jumped the cushion,” Pierce said in Victory Lane. “It’s easy to suck yourself in up there. When I got the lead I was just hoping I didn’t do that, but the car got better as the race went on… I was worried when I pulled that six pill. I get down on myself starting in the third row. This competition is tough.
“Awesome car, like I said. Awesome race track too. I’ve been waiting for a Charlotte like that. Throwing sliders for the win is always an awesome race. We really needed this night. We’re still in the hunt.”
Pole-sitter Cade Dillard finished second, with Marler falling to third. Thursday’s feature winner Ricky Thornton Jr. was fourth and Kyle Bronson rounded out the Top 5.
With the win, Pierce gained 12 points over Sheppard in the championship hunt, which comes to a dramatic conclusion at Saturday’s season finale with Pierce now only 22 points behind.
Battle of the Mat’s in the Super DIRTCar Series
The Super DIRTCar series A-main was the battle of the Mat’s as points leader Mat Williamson and Matt Sheppard, sitting in second, both chased their second win of the night after claiming their heats.
The 2019 Super DIRTCar Series Champion, Williamson, started on the pole and never gave up the lead in the 30-lap show, getting him six laps shy of a 400 leading lap season. Sheppard, who sat 26 points behind Williamson, fought his way through traffic from fifth to third, taking the bottom to pass Justin Haers in Lap 10. Sheppard, with his eyes on Williamson, gets lucky as Demetrios Drellos finds the wall in Lap 12 giving Sheppard the perfect opportunity to get within 0.203 of a second of Williamson.
Despite four cautions and two with Sheppard on his heels, Williamson continued to dominate the field, clinching his ninth win of the 2024 season and fourth at the Dirt Track at Charlotte.
“What a race,” Williamson said as he got out of his car. “When he (Sheppard) starts the night behind you have to be on your toes and I had to really nail the restarts and be pretty good.”
Securing his 31st Super DIRTCar career win – tying him with Jack Johnson for ninth all time – Williamson is one step closer to the 2024 Super DIRTCar Championship. He is now 30 points ahead of Matt Sheppard, followed by Anthony Perrego, Tim Spears and Jimmy Phelps.
TICKETS:
The 2024 season concludes Saturday with feature racing and a championship ceremony for all three series. Saturday single-day tickets start at $65. Tickets are available online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/tickets or at the gate.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the World of Outlaws Final action through the hashtag #WorldFinals. Connect with The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.
Key Takeaway: Bayley Currey and the No. 41 team fought through handling woes at Phoenix Raceway. Currey started the race in 18th, but dropped outside the top-20 in both stages. The team gained a lap back by virtue of the wave around, but were in need of a late caution to advance further through the field. Currey finished the night in 21st.
Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had to work hard all night. Our truck struggled early, but the guys got it pretty decent. We ended up going a lap down early but got it back. We were fighting really hard there and maybe we just did a little too much. Guys on new tires were coming at the end, and we were really hoping for a caution but never got it. Thank you to everyone on this No. 41 team. I know it’s been a a rough year, but they always kept fighting at it. Thank you to everyone with AutoVentive, Precision Vehicle Logistics, DQS, and Masked Owl for their support this year. It really meant a lot to me.” DQS Solutions & Staffing Mission Statement: The core mission of DQS Solutions & Staffing is to attain unparalleled excellence in our specialized domains, specifically staffing and security. Simultaneously, we maintain the flexibility required to collaborate closely with our clients in the creation of innovative products and services within the framework of DQS.
No. 42 J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett Matt Mills Racing @MattMillsRacing @MattMillsRacing
Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team had a quiet night in Phoenix after getting trapped a lap down early on. Mills started 28th and hung relatively around the same spot in both of the first two stages. The team made several adjustments to help the handling, but ultimately they were unable to get back in contention. The J.F. Electric / Utilitra Chevrolet finished the year with a 25th-place run.
Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, that wasn’t the way we were hoping to end our season tonight, but regardless I’m thankful to everyone for all the hard work they put in with me this year. We went to a lot of these tracks basically for the first time with me in a truck, and I learned a ton. Definitely could have been better for us, but hey, I think next year we’ll be up-to-speed a lot quicker. We’ve got a whole offseason to prep and come out of the gate strong, and I think once we get the momentum heading our way we’ll be in good shape. Can’t say thanks enough to everyone at J.F. Electric and Utilitra for sticking with me, and to Al Niece for letting me race his trucks this year.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
No. 44 PopSells.com Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Stefan Parsons | Crew Chief: Jon Leonard Stefan Parsons Racing @StefanParsons_ @Stefan_Parsons
Key Takeaway: Stefan Parsons and the No. 44 team were en route to a solid night at Phoenix Raceway but were unfortunately caught up in a multi-truck crash midway through the race. Parsons qualified 23rd and gained positions in both stages. The team received the free pass and worked inside the top-15 before the incident relegated them to a 23rd-place finish.
Stefan Parsons’ Post-Race Thoughts: “It was awesome to drive one of the Niece trucks tonight. I really thought we could have finished top-10. It sucks that we got caught up in that wreck and had all that damage, but Jon Leonard did a great job bringing a solid truck to the racetrack and making it better all night long. I’ve got to thank PopSells.com, Al (Niece), Lane (Moore), and everyone at Niece Motorsports for the opportunity. I really thought we had a solid shot at a top-10, but it happens. I’m ready to go onto the Xfinity Series race tomorrow and see what happens there.”
About PopSells.com: Founded in 2009, Pop (PopSells.com) has grown to be the world’s largest online, full-service, marketplace for boats and recreational vehicles.
No. 45 AutoVentive / Precision Vehicle Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Kaden Honeycutt | Crew Chief: Phil Gould Kaden Honeycutt Racing @KadenWHoneycutt @KadenHoneycutt10
Key Takeaway: Kaden Honeycutt and the No. 45 team overcame adversity to finish the season with a top-10 finish. Honeycutt qualified eighth but slid to 11th in the first stage with a loose-handling truck. After making adjustments, they dropped to 14th in stage two, but were able to head in the right direction for the final stage. Honeycutt was given a restart violation late in the going but rallied back to cross the line in seventh-place.
Kaden Honeycutt’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had a great comeback tonight. At the beginning, I was free, so we came in and made a change to it. I was struggling with turn and drive-off. The right-front hung pretty hard so that gave us a slow stop. In stage two, we tried to work on it a little more, but tit didn’t do what we needed it to. Then in the final stage, I got us a restart violation which was 100% my fault. We came in, put tires on it, and made more adjustments, and it was extremely good. I think we drove from 21st to seventh.
We learned a lot about the truck tonight and what we need to do different when we come back next November. Hopefully by then, we’ll be running for a championship. I’ve got to say a big thank you to Al Niece, Cody Efaw, Lane Moore, Jason Wilson, just everyone that’s helped me race this year. Also, everyone at AutoVentive, Precision, Moore’s Venture Foods, for being great partners this year.” About AutoVentive: AutoVentive is an industry-leading Software as a Service (SaaS) applications developer providing customized solutions to the automotive logistics industry. The company is part of Liberty Hill Equity Partners, LLC, a Cincinnati-based private equity firm.
About Precision Vehicle Logistics: Precision Vehicle Logistics is a customer-focused group of professionals committed to service excellence in finished vehicle logistics. Precision offers a unique combination of talented experience, industry-leading software and systems, and a network of partners and resources to deliver customized solutions to the world’s leading automakers.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is owned by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. In 2024, Niece Motorsports enters its ninth season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Niece also owns Niece Equipment, which has for over 40 years provided clients with reliable products at competitive prices. Niece Equipment’s reputation is built on service, integrity and dependability. The company provides water and fuel/lube trucks that are engineered with quality and durability in mind for the construction and mining industry. Follow the team on Facebook and Instagram @NieceMotorsports as well as X @NieceMotorsport.
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.
