Ben Rhodes

Ben Rhodes Bio

Benjamin Jon Rhodes (born February 21, 1997) is an American professional stock car racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 99 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. Rhodes is a two-time Truck Series champion, having won the title in 2021 and 2023. Before stepping into the Truck Series, he built his résumé in the ARCA Menards Series East, where he captured the 2014 series championship with Turner Scott Motorsports. He has also made limited appearances in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Early Life and Background

Ben Rhodes was born on February 21, 1997, in Louisville, Kentucky. He is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and grew up in a family that supported his early interest in motorsports. His father, Joe Rhodes, is the president of Alpha Energy Solutions, a Kentucky-based mechanical service contractor that has sponsored Ben’s racing efforts over the years.

Rhodes began his racing career in 2004 at the age of seven, competing in karting events and winning several local and regional titles. He moved into Bandolero cars in 2008 and progressed to Legends cars in 2010, building the foundation that would carry him into stock car racing. Rhodes attended Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where he graduated in 2015 with a 3.98 GPA despite missing classes for his racing commitments.

Path to NASCAR

After earning several wins in entry-level divisions, Rhodes signed with then-Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose in 2012 to race Late Model cars in the UARA-STARS Series under the Marcos Ambrose Motorsports banner. Following the 2012 season, he joined Turner Scott Motorsports and began racing part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013. That same year, he was named to the NASCAR Next roster, a list of promising young drivers expected to shape the future of the sport.

In 2014, Rhodes ran a full K&N East schedule with Mark McFarland as his crew chief, and he also made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville in the Kroger 250 for TSM. He earned three top-ten finishes in four Truck Series starts that year while tying a series record by winning four consecutive races between May and June. He also claimed TSM’s second consecutive K&N Pro Series East Championship with five wins, eleven top-five finishes, and six poles.

Ben Rhodes Career

Early Career (2004-2014)

Rhodes spent the earliest years of his career in karting, Bandoleros, and Legends cars, collecting championships and wins that established him as one of the top young talents in the Southeast. After his 2012 Late Model deal with Marcos Ambrose, he transitioned to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, where he developed quickly under the Turner Scott Motorsports banner.

His 2014 K&N East title marked his first major championship, and it also earned him his first opportunities in the Camping World Truck Series. Rhodes used the season to prove he could compete at the national level, balancing four Truck starts with a dominant East Series campaign that produced a record-tying run of consecutive victories.

NASCAR Xfinity Series Breakthrough (2014-2015)

In December 2014, it was announced that Rhodes would move up to the Xfinity Series (formerly the Nationwide Series) with JR Motorsports for 10 races in 2015. He shared the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro with established Cup Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Kasey Kahne, making his debut at Iowa Speedway on May 16, where he finished seventh.

Rhodes had the fastest time in the first practice at Road America in August 2015 and was awarded the pole position after qualifying was rained out. He finished the year with two top-ten finishes in his limited Xfinity schedule before announcing in October that he had left JR Motorsports to pursue a full-time Xfinity ride.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2016-Present)

On December 15, 2015, Rhodes joined ThorSport Racing to run full-time in the Truck Series in 2016, driving the No. 41 Toyota Tundra. He opened the season with a seventh-place finish at Daytona and was in contention for the win at Kansas before a late-race crash forced him out. He finished 14th in series points in his rookie year.

Rhodes returned to ThorSport in 2017 with new crew chief Eddie Troconis and the renumbered No. 27 Tundra. On September 30, 2017, he held off eventual champion Christopher Bell to win his first Truck race at the Las Vegas 350, securing his place in the playoffs. In 2018, he moved back to the No. 41, now a Ford F-Series, and earned his second career victory at Kentucky Speedway after dominating the race. He closed the year eighth in points.

The 2021 season marked the defining chapter of his career to date. Rhodes won the opening race at Daytona International Speedway by passing leader Cory Roper as they approached the finish, then backed it up the following week with a victory at the Daytona Road Course for his first consecutive wins. He clinched his first Truck Series championship on November 5, 2021, capping a season with two wins, eight top-five finishes, and sixteen top-ten finishes. In 2023, Rhodes won at Charlotte and finished fifth at Phoenix, where, as the highest-finishing Championship 4 driver, he secured his second Truck Series title.

ThorSport Racing Era (2015-Present)

Rhodes has spent his entire national-level Truck Series career with ThorSport Racing, joining the organization in late 2015 and growing into one of its flagship drivers. Over the years he has driven the No. 41 and the No. 99, switching from Toyota to Ford in 2018, and has worked closely with crew chief Eddie Troconis, who has been central to his championship runs.

At ThorSport, Rhodes has earned seven career Truck Series wins, 125 top-ten finishes, and seven poles, along with championships in 2021 and 2023. After his second title, the team’s performance began to slip: 2024 brought a winless campaign with just six regular-season top-tens and a first-round playoff exit, finishing ninth in the standings. The downturn continued into 2025, when Rhodes missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and ended the year 12th in points.

Driving Style and Strengths

Rhodes is known for his patience and race craft, traits that have produced strong late-season results in tight championship battles. He has consistently performed well on a mix of intermediates and short tracks, with signature wins at Las Vegas, Kentucky, and Charlotte. His long-running partnership with crew chief Eddie Troconis has been a key factor in his two championships, helping him execute clean pit stops and smart fuel strategy when it matters most.

Notable Races and Milestones

His first Truck Series victory came at the 2017 Las Vegas 350, where he held off Christopher Bell for the win. His 2018 Kentucky Speedway victory, where he led much of the race and held off Stewart Friesen, was his first with Ford and signaled ThorSport’s shift to the manufacturer. Back-to-back wins to open the 2021 season at Daytona and the Daytona Road Course, and his championship-clinching run in 2023 at Phoenix, stand as the defining milestones of his career.

Ben Rhodes Career Wins

Across his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career, Ben Rhodes has built a résumé defined by consistency and two championship runs. He has seven career Truck Series wins, 125 top-ten finishes, and seven poles, with his first victory coming at Las Vegas in 2017 and his most recent at Charlotte in 2023.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights

Rhodes has seven verified Truck Series wins, beginning at the 2017 Las Vegas 350 and continuing through strong seasons that produced his 2021 and 2023 championships. His back-to-back victories to open 2021 at Daytona and the Daytona Road Course were his first consecutive wins, and his 2023 Charlotte victory was the springboard to his second title. He has reached the Championship 4 multiple times and ranks among the most successful drivers in recent ThorSport history.

Other Wins and Performances

Before joining the Truck Series full-time, Rhodes won the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with five wins, six poles, and 18 top-ten finishes, tying a series record with four consecutive victories. He also earned a pole in the Xfinity Series at Road America in 2015 and made a one-off Cup Series start at Sonoma in 2021 with Spire Motorsports, finishing 30th.

Ben Rhodes Family

Family Background and Racing Lineage

Ben Rhodes is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Joe Rhodes, is the president of Alpha Energy Solutions, a Kentucky-based mechanical service contractor that has long sponsored Ben’s racing efforts. The family’s support has been a constant through his move from karting into national NASCAR competition.

Personal Life

Rhodes graduated from Holy Cross High School in Louisville in 2015 with a 3.98 GPA, balancing his studies with a full-time racing schedule. He missed the school’s graduation ceremony on May 15 because he was in Iowa preparing for his Xfinity Series debut the next day, and the school’s president traveled to the track to present his diploma during driver introductions. Rhodes continues to live and work out of the Louisville area, where he remains connected to his family and the sponsors that helped launch his career.

2025 Season Performance

Rhodes’ 2025 season with ThorSport Racing represented one of the toughest years of his national-level career. Driving the No. 99 Ford F-150, he struggled to find the consistent form that produced his 2021 and 2023 championships, and the team worked through the year to recapture its earlier pace.

Without a win and with limited top-ten results, Rhodes was unable to keep pace with the playoff field and missed the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs for the first time since 2019. He ended the 2025 season 12th in the final Truck Series standings, a sharp contrast to his championship-level results of the previous two title-winning campaigns.

Despite the disappointing year, Rhodes and ThorSport have publicly committed to building around their veteran driver and crew chief Eddie Troconis. With two Truck Series titles already on his résumé and a long-term deal in place, the focus now shifts toward using the off-season to reset and return to playoff contention in 2026.