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, and earlier captured the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with Turner Scott Motorsports.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Rhodes began his racing journey as a child in karts and worked his way through the stock car ladder. Beyond the Truck Series, he has made starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, the NASCAR Cup Series, and the ARCA Menards Series, building a reputation as a determined and resilient competitor in NASCAR’s national touring divisions.
Early Life and Background
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 his son’s racing efforts.
Rhodes began his racing career in 2004 at the age of seven, competing in karting. He won several karting championships before moving into Bandolero cars in 2008 and Legends cars in 2010. He transitioned to late model stock cars in 2011, collecting several wins at that level. Rhodes attended Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, graduating in 2015 with a 3.98 GPA, even while balancing a busy racing schedule that often took him away from the classroom.
Path to NASCAR
In 2012, Rhodes signed with Marcos Ambrose Motorsports to race Late Model cars in the UARA-STARS Series, working under the guidance of then-Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose. After that season, he moved to Turner Scott Motorsports and began racing part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013, where he scored five top-five finishes in seven starts. In June 2013, Rhodes was named to the NASCAR Next roster, a program that highlights promising young drivers expected to become future stars of the sport.
Rhodes ran full-time in the K&N Pro Series East in 2014 with Mark McFarland as his crew chief, winning five races, eleven top-five finishes, and six poles on his way to the series championship. That same year, he made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in the Kroger 250 for Turner Scott Motorsports, posting an eighth-place finish in his first start and adding three top-ten finishes across four Truck Series races that season.
Ben Rhodes Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Rhodes’ first major opportunity came in 2013 when Turner Scott Motorsports put him in the K&N Pro Series East for a part-time schedule. The partnership paid off, as he quickly produced top-five results. In 2014, he elevated to a full-time ride and delivered a championship season, including a stretch of four consecutive wins that tied a series record originally set by Ricky Craven in 1991.
Late in 2014, it was announced that Rhodes would move up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports for the 2015 season, sharing the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro with established Cup Series drivers. He made his Xfinity debut at Iowa Speedway on May 16, 2015, finishing seventh. Rhodes later earned a pole position at Road America when qualifying was rained out, capping a strong rookie partial season in the series.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2016–2020)
On December 15, 2015, Rhodes joined ThorSport Racing to run full-time in the Truck Series beginning in 2016, driving the No. 41 Toyota Tundra. He opened his rookie season with a seventh-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. He finished the year 14th in series points, narrowly missing the inaugural Truck Series Chase.
Rhodes returned to ThorSport in 2017 with crew chief Eddie Troconis and a renumbered No. 27 Toyota Tundra. He earned a spot in the 2017 Truck Series playoffs and on September 30, 2017, he won his first Truck Series race at the Las Vegas 350, holding off eventual series champion Christopher Bell. In 2018, after switching to a Ford F-Series, he won his second career race at Kentucky Speedway and finished eighth in the final standings. The 2019 and 2020 seasons brought frustration, including on-track incidents and playoff misses, as Rhodes continued to develop his consistency at the national level.
ThorSport Racing Era (2021–Present)
The 2021 season marked the arrival of Ben Rhodes as a championship contender. He opened the year with a win at Daytona International Speedway, passing leader Cory Roper as they approached the finish, then followed it up with a victory at the Daytona Road Course the next week for back-to-back wins. Rhodes clinched his first Truck Series championship on November 5, 2021, finishing third in the decisive race.
In 2022, Rhodes finished second in the final standings after wins at the Bristol dirt race and a series of consistent top-five finishes. He began the 2023 season with a win at Charlotte Motor Speedway, then finished second at Homestead-Miami Speedway to advance to the Championship 4. At Phoenix, Rhodes finished fifth and, as the highest-finishing Championship 4 driver, secured his second Truck Series title. The 2024 season saw a step back, with only six top-ten finishes during the regular season and a Round 1 playoff exit, finishing ninth in points. His 2025 season continued that difficult stretch, and he missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rhodes is known for his race craft on intermediate ovals and his ability to capitalize on late-race restarts. He has developed a strong working relationship with his ThorSport Racing team, including his longtime crew chief Eddie Troconis. His patience behind the wheel and willingness to fight for position have been central to his Truck Series success.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first Truck Series win at Las Vegas in 2017 announced him as a rising star, while his back-to-back victories at Daytona in 2021 launched his first championship run. The 2023 title-clinching race at Phoenix, where he simply needed to outrun his Championship 4 rivals, highlighted his composure under pressure and cemented his legacy as one of the Truck Series’ modern champions.
Ben Rhodes Career Wins
Across his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career, Ben Rhodes has collected multiple victories and two series championships with ThorSport Racing. He is widely recognized as one of the most consistent championship contenders of his era in the Truck Series.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Rhodes’ first Truck Series victory came at the Las Vegas 350 in 2017. He added a dominant win at Kentucky Speedway in 2018, then strung together back-to-back victories at Daytona International Speedway and the Daytona Road Course in early 2021. He added a win at the Bristol dirt race in 2022 and another victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2023, the season in which he clinched his second Truck Series championship.
Other Wins and Performances
Rhodes captured the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with Turner Scott Motorsports, winning five races that season. Earlier in his development, he claimed multiple karting, Bandolero, and Legends car championships before moving into stock cars, building the foundation for his national-series success.
Ben Rhodes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Rhodes is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes of Louisville, Kentucky. His father, Joe Rhodes, is the president of Alpha Energy Solutions, a Kentucky-based mechanical service contractor that has sponsored Ben’s racing efforts throughout his career. The family’s backing has been a steady presence as he climbed the NASCAR ladder.
Personal Life
Rhodes grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated from Holy Cross High School in 2015, finishing with a 3.98 GPA despite frequently missing classes for races. He continues to make his home in the Louisville area while traveling the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series circuit full-time with ThorSport Racing.
2025 Season Performance
Ben Rhodes entered the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season as a two-time defending Truck Series champion in the most recent memory, racing the No. 99 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing. Coming off a winless 2024 campaign that saw him exit the playoffs in the first round, expectations remained high for the veteran driver to return to championship form.
However, the 2025 season proved to be one of the most difficult stretches of Rhodes’ career. He struggled to recapture the consistency that powered his 2021 and 2023 title runs, and the results reflected it on track. After a long regular season of working to find speed in the No. 99, Rhodes ultimately missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, ending his remarkable streak of postseason appearances.
Despite the disappointing 2025 outcome, Rhodes’ place in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series record book remains secure as a two-time champion. With ThorSport Racing continuing to invest in his program, the focus for Rhodes now shifts toward regrouping, refining his race craft, and building momentum for a strong rebound in the seasons ahead.
