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 again in 2023, and he is widely regarded as one of the consistent championship contenders in the series.
Before climbing to the Truck Series, Rhodes built his reputation in the developmental ranks, including a championship in what is now the ARCA Menards Series East in 2014. He has also made limited starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series, giving him experience across NASCAR’s three national touring divisions.
Early Life and Background
Ben Rhodes was born on February 21, 1997, in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in the same state. He is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and his family has been a steady presence throughout his racing career. 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 attended Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated in 2015 with a 3.98 grade point average, an impressive achievement given the time he spent away from class to compete on the racetrack. He famously missed the school’s graduation ceremony on May 15 because he was in Iowa preparing for his Xfinity Series debut the following day. The school’s president traveled to the race to present Rhodes with his diploma during driver introductions.
Path to NASCAR
Rhodes began his motorsports journey in 2004 at the age of seven, competing in kart racing, where he won several championship titles. He moved on to Bandoleros in 2008 and Legends cars in 2010 before stepping up to late model stock cars in 2011. After earning several wins at that level, he signed with then-Sprint Cup Series driver Marcos Ambrose in 2012 to race Late Models in the UARA-STARS Series under the Marcos Ambrose Motorsports banner.
Following the 2012 season, Rhodes signed with Turner Scott Motorsports to begin racing part-time in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2013. He posted five top-five finishes in seven starts, and in June of that year he was named to the NASCAR Next roster, a list of up-and-coming drivers expected to become the next group of stars in the sport. The momentum carried into 2014, when he ran full-time in the K&N East Series, won five races, and claimed the series championship.
Ben Rhodes Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Rhodes’ first national NASCAR exposure came in 2014, when he made his Camping World Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway in the Kroger 250 for Turner Scott Motorsports, finishing eighth. He ran three additional Truck Series races that season, earning three top-ten finishes in total. He also made his ARCA Racing Series debut at Kentucky Speedway that year.
At the end of 2014, it was announced that Rhodes would move up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series with JR Motorsports for 10 races in 2015, sharing the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro with Cup Series drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Kasey Kahne. He made his Xfinity debut at Iowa Speedway on May 16, 2015, and finished a strong seventh. Later in the year, he earned a pole position at Road America and announced his departure from JR Motorsports in October 2015.
Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2016–2020)
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 ran competitively all year, although he missed the inaugural Truck Series Chase and ended the year 14th in points. In 2017, with new crew chief Eddie Troconis and a renumbered No. 27 Tundra, Rhodes broke through for his first Truck Series victory at the Las Vegas 350 on September 30, 2017, holding off eventual champion Christopher Bell to take the checkered flag.
For 2018, Rhodes returned to the No. 41, now a Ford F-Series, with Troconis continuing as his crew chief. He won his second career race at Kentucky Speedway, dominating the event and holding off a hard-charging Stewart Friesen, and ended the year eighth in points. The 2019 season was more turbulent, as a late-race incident at Texas with the lapped truck of Brennan Poole cost Rhodes a potential win and a playoff berth, and a similar incident at Eldora Speedway with Tyler Dippel led to a post-race confrontation. He returned in 2020 with ThorSport, although that season also featured on-track drama and a notable post-race shoving match with Christian Eckes at Texas.
ThorSport Racing Era (2021–Present)
The 2021 season marked the arrival of Ben Rhodes as a championship-caliber driver. He opened the year with a thrilling win at Daytona International Speedway after passing leader Cory Roper as they approached the finish, then followed it up with a victory at the Daytona Road Course the next week, scoring back-to-back wins for the first time in his career. Rhodes clinched his first Truck Series championship on November 5, 2021, by finishing third in the final race of the season, capping a campaign that included two wins, eight top-five finishes, sixteen top-ten finishes, and an average finish of 9.3 with no DNFs.
In 2022, Rhodes finished second at Daytona and rebounded from a 31st-place DNF at Las Vegas with three consecutive top-five finishes before winning the Bristol dirt race. He closed the year second at Phoenix and second in the championship standings. Rhodes started 2023 with an eleventh-place finish at Daytona but quickly found victory lane at Charlotte, then locked himself into the Championship 4 with a second-place run at Homestead. He finished fifth at Phoenix, and as the highest-finishing Championship 4 driver in the race, he clinched his second Truck Series title.
Rhodes’ 2024 season saw a clear step back compared to his championship form. He posted only six top-ten finishes during the regular season and qualified for the Playoffs, but he was eliminated after the first round and finished ninth in the standings. It marked his first winless season since 2019.
Driving Style and Strengths
Rhodes has built his reputation on consistency, late-race race craft, and the ability to capitalize in high-pressure moments. His partnership with longtime crew chief Eddie Troconis produced steady results and a championship-level communication style. He has shown strength on intermediate tracks and has repeatedly delivered in the season-ending playoff races, where clean execution matters most.
Notable Races and Milestones
His first Truck Series win at Las Vegas in 2017 was a defining breakthrough, while his dominant Kentucky Speedway victory in 2018 cemented his place as a weekly threat. The back-to-back wins at Daytona in 2021 launched his first championship run, and his second title in 2023 was clinched with a measured fifth-place finish at Phoenix, highlighting his ability to perform when the championship is on the line.
Ben Rhodes Career Wins
Ben Rhodes has collected multiple wins across NASCAR’s top three national touring series, with the bulk of his victories coming in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He is a two-time Truck Series champion and a former K&N Pro Series East champion, and he has added one Xfinity Series-level victory at the Bristol dirt race.
Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Rhodes’ Truck Series win total includes his first career victory at Las Vegas in 2017, a dominant run at Kentucky in 2018, back-to-back wins at Daytona in 2021, and a victory at the Bristol dirt race in 2022, among others. His most recent verified Truck Series win came during his 2023 championship season. He is also a two-time champion, taking the title in 2021 and 2023, the latter clinched with a top-five finish at Phoenix.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the Truck Series, Rhodes captured the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with Turner Scott Motorsports, winning five races and tying a series record by winning four consecutive events between May and June. He has also made occasional starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series, gaining experience that has helped round out his national-series profile.
Ben Rhodes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ben Rhodes is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and his family has played a central role in his racing career. His father, Joe Rhodes, is the president of Alpha Energy Solutions, a Kentucky-based mechanical service contractor that has sponsored Ben’s efforts throughout his rise through the developmental and national NASCAR ranks. The family’s Kentucky roots have remained a constant as Ben has built his career on the national stage.
Personal Life
Rhodes grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and graduated from Holy Cross High School in 2015, finishing with a 3.98 GPA despite missing significant class time for racing. He is active on social media, where fans can follow his career through his official accounts. He continues to make his home in the United States and remains closely connected to his family and his Kentucky roots.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season has been a challenging one for Ben Rhodes. After a 2024 campaign in which he made the Playoffs but was eliminated in the first round, Rhodes has struggled to recapture the form that delivered championships in 2021 and 2023. He has run the No. 99 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing with a focus on rebuilding momentum through consistent top finishes.
Despite the on-track difficulties, Rhodes and ThorSport have continued to work on setup adjustments and race execution in search of a return to top-ten runs week in and week out. The team has leaned on its veteran structure, and Rhodes’ experience in playoff-style races remains a valuable asset. As the season has progressed, however, the results have not come together, and he ultimately missed the Playoffs for the first time since 2016.
Looking ahead, Rhodes’ focus will be on finishing the year strong and setting the foundation for a bounce-back campaign. With two Truck Series championships already on his resume and a proven ability to win races in clutch situations, he remains one of the most accomplished drivers in the garage, and the lessons of 2025 are likely to fuel a determined push when the next season begins.