Ben Rhodes passes Zane Smith late, wins Truck Series title
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
AVONDALE, Ariz. –– Ben Rhodes wasn’t known as the most patient of drivers throughout five years driving in NASCAR’s Truck Series.
But something seemed to change in 2021, and it culminated with the 24-year-old Rhodes winning the Camping World Truck Series title on Friday night at Phoenix Raceway.
Rhodes finished third in the finale but ahead of the three other drivers eligible for the title, as Zane Smith placed fifth, John Hunter Nemechek was seventh and Matt Crafton wound up 12th. Chandler Smith won the race as well as Rookie of the Year honors.
Funny thing is, Rhodes didn’t believe he was all that patient.
"I was doing things to the race car I probably shouldn’t have been doing," Rhodes said. "It was dumb, but I had everything to lose. And we brought it home and won it."
Three takeaways from the Truck Series championship race:
Rhodes' maturity on display
Rhodes had to pass Zane Smith (no relation to Chandler Smith) with eight laps left before cruising to the title.
In the past, he likely would have walled that truck trying to reel in Zane Smith.
"I can’t even believe it," Rhodes said. "It felt like a special day. Everybody was so amped up and so calm and relaxed. I thought it was gone when [Zane Smith] drove past me. ... At the end of the race when everybody started wearing their stuff out, I didn’t have anything left.
"I was sideways every corner. But we had just enough."
Rhodes finished the season with two wins, having captured victories in the first two races of the year.
Smith 2-for-2 in second
Zane Smith finished second in the series standings for the second consecutive year, but this one hurt more than when he finished second to Sheldon Creed last year.
"My truck last year never had any of the issues that we had tonight," Smith said. "I was eight laps away from winning the championship and I was so helpless. I could not get my truck to turn no matter what I did."
Smith does not know what he’ll be doing next year, but he’ll have to hope that winning last week at Martinsville to make the Championship 4 and then another runner-up finish in the standings will be good enough to find a seat in a good ride in 2022.
Nemechek falls behind early
Nemechek hit the wall in the opening lap and cut a tire, putting him two laps down.
He was able to get back on the lead lap with about 50 laps remaining but could only rally to finish seventh.
He just needed a caution late in the race to potentially make what would have been one of the biggest comebacks in truck playoff history.
"We were one of the fastest trucks," Nemechek said. "If we had track position, I thought we could have fought [Chandler Smith] for the win. ... Restarts are hectic and that’s what cost me tonight."
Nemechek had to settle for a five-win season. He also will drive Saturday in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race, trying to deliver an Xfinity owners' championship for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!
