Ben Rhodes Takes Chaos-Filled 2023 Craftsman Truck Series Title

NASCAR

Ben Rhodes Wins Carnage-Marred 2023 Championship

AVONDALE, Ariz. – “We’re better than that” was the collective thought after a slugfest of a Truck Series Championship race that ended in quadruple-overtime. While Ben Rhodes celebrates as a two-time champion and Christian Eckes is the race winner, few others left Phoenix with their heads held high. Four separate incidents sent this finale into almost 30 laps of bonus racing. Even with heavy damage, fifth-place was just enough for Ben Rhodes to eek out a second Truck title in three years.

Trying to play spoiler against the Playoff drivers, Ty Majeski led every lap in Stage 1. Championship 4 contender Corey Heim took the lead on pit road between Stages though, giving Stage 2 to the 11.

A long pit stop would bury Heim in traffic though to start Stage 3. As Heim rallied forward, his torrent pace led to a confrontation that set this race and the championship on its head. While trying to pass Carson Hocevar, the No. 42 got into the 11 and spun him into Stewart Friesen.

Hocevar was very hard on himself inside the truck following this exchange, falling way back on the next restart and out of title running. This allowed Ben Rhodes to take command of the championship, until a red flag cleanup ensued for a major crash. Little did anyone know at the time, but this would be foreshadowing for a marathon multi-overtime finish.

Four more cautions prolonged this race’s finish, with the initial incident being Heim seemingly paying Hocevar back. From then, Zane Smith missed a shift from the lead and was turned. Running into the back of the No. 38 gave Ben Rhodes major right front damage, wounding his truck and title efforts.

In the fourth try at overtime though the field remained clean enough for two laps of racing. Trying as hard as he might, Grant Enfinger only got within a truck-length of Rhodes at the finish for the championship.

“I can’t even believe it,” Rhodes said. “Let’s go! I hate when people do that on TV, so I’m sorry. But hey, this is so awesome, man.

“To go 25 laps into overtime, you know what that feels like? Almost lose it three times? Look at the front of the truck. It’s crazy. I didn’t think we were going to make it. I thought we were going to pop a tire. I thought anything that could have gone wrong was going to go wrong. Grant almost got me. Hats off to him. He ran a great race.

“I wouldn’t want to race against anybody else for the championship. He raced me clean, and I respect the hell out of him for it.”

Overshadowed by the championship was Christian Eckes taking the checkered flag. The McAnally-Hilgemann No. 19 team ends 2023 with a fourth victory. Jake Garcia, Chase Purdy, Jesse Love, and Rhodes rounded out the top-five.

Rhodes is now only the fifth driver with multiple Craftsman Truck Series Championships. The ThorSport driver joins the elite list of Ron Hornaday Jr, Matt Crafton, Jack Sprague, and Todd Bodine.

Heim was very blunt on his opinion of Hocevar after the race. The TRICON Garage driver claimed that Hocevar “has raced like that for years,” and is glad he’s moving onto the Cup Series for 2024.

At the care center, Hocevar took the full weight of the blame for this incident. Given his past reputation, driver 42 was especially hard on himself, almost to the point of tears. Hocevar did apologize profusely for costing Heim the championship.

NASCAR Championship Weekend rolls on from Phoenix Raceway, with the Xfinity Series finale starting Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Written by Peter Stratta

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Photo Credit to Chris Graythen/Getty Images