Ben Rhodes Bio
Benjamin Jon Rhodes, born on 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 captured the title in 2021 and again in 2023, and he is widely recognized as one of the most consistent young talents in the national NASCAR ladder.
Early Life and Background
Ben Rhodes was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, where he developed an early fascination with motorsports. He is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and his family supported his racing ambitions from a young age. His father, Joe Rhodes, serves as 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, starting in kart racing, where he won several champion titles. He advanced to Bandoleros in 2008 and Legends cars in 2010 before stepping up to late model stock cars in 2011. His rapid progression through the grassroots ranks laid the foundation for a smooth transition into NASCAR’s development series.
Outside of racing, Rhodes graduated from Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2015, finishing with an impressive 3.98 GPA despite missing classes for racing commitments. He missed the school’s graduation ceremony on May 15 because he was preparing for his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Iowa Speedway the next day, prompting the school’s president to travel to the track to present his diploma during driver introductions.
Path to NASCAR
After earning several late model wins, Rhodes signed with Marcos Ambrose Motorsports in 2012 to race Late Model cars in the UARA-STARS Series. Following the 2012 season, he joined 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. That June, Rhodes was named to the NASCAR Next roster, a program designed to spotlight the next generation of stock car stars.
In 2014, Rhodes moved full-time into the K&N Pro Series East with Mark McFarland as his crew chief, winning the series championship with five wins, eleven top-five finishes, and six poles. He tied a long-standing series record by winning four consecutive races between May and June at Iowa, Bowman Gray, Five Flags, and Langley Speedway. The title propelled him toward a Truck Series ride and a long-term career with ThorSport Racing.
Ben Rhodes Career
Early Career (2004-2014)
Rhodes’ earliest competitive years were spent in karts, Bandoleros, and Legends cars, where he collected multiple championships. His transition to asphalt late models in 2011 produced immediate results, and a 2012 UARA-STARS campaign under Marcos Ambrose Motorsports sharpened his skills on bigger tracks. These developmental seasons prepared him for the heavier equipment and longer races of NASCAR’s regional and national series.
By 2013, Rhodes was already a regular winner in the K&N Pro Series East, and his 2014 title run confirmed his arrival as a top-tier development driver. The same year, he made his Truck Series debut in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville, finishing eighth, and added three more Truck starts alongside his first ARCA Racing Series appearance at Kentucky Speedway.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2016-2020)
On December 15, 2015, Rhodes signed with 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 run at Daytona and was in contention for the win at Kansas before a late crash. Rhodes finished 14th in series points and missed the inaugural Truck Series Chase, but the learning year set the stage for a quick rise.
In 2017, paired with new crew chief Eddie Troconis and renumbered No. 27, Rhodes earned his first Truck Series victory at the Las Vegas 350 on September 30, holding off championship-winning rival Christopher Bell. He returned to the No. 41 in 2018, now a Ford F-Series, and won at Kentucky Speedway after dominating the race and fending off Stewart Friesen. The next two seasons tested his patience, including on-track incidents with Brennan Poole at Michigan in 2019 and with Christian Eckes in 2020, but he continued to build playoff experience.
NASCAR Xfinity Series (2015)
In December 2014, Rhodes was announced as a part-time driver with JR Motorsports for the 2015 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, sharing the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro with Cup Series regulars Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Kasey Kahne. He made his Xfinity debut at Iowa Speedway on May 16, 2015, finishing seventh in a strong opening effort. Rhodes later earned the pole at Road America and posted a top-ten finish before announcing in October 2015 that he had parted ways with JRM to pursue a full-time Truck Series ride for 2016.
NASCAR Cup Series (2021)
Rhodes made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at Sonoma Raceway on June 6, 2021, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports while Justin Haley raced in the Xfinity event at Mid-Ohio. He started 31st and finished 30th in a one-off appearance, made possible by a Truck Series off weekend. The brief stint remains his only start at NASCAR’s top level.
ThorSport Racing Era (2021-Present)
The 2021 season marked Rhodes’ breakthrough as a champion. He won the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, then backed it up the following week at the Daytona Road Course to score back-to-back victories. He wrapped up his first Truck Series championship on November 5 by finishing third in the decisive race, capping a campaign with two wins, eight top-five finishes, sixteen top-ten finishes, and no DNFs.
In 2022, Rhodes added a win at the Bristol dirt race, finished second at Phoenix, and ended the year second in the championship standings. He returned to the Championship 4 in 2023, clinching his second Truck Series title at Phoenix by finishing fifth, the highest of the four finalists. The 2024 season saw his winless streak begin, as he managed just six top-ten regular-season finishes, advanced to the Playoffs, and was eliminated in the first round to finish ninth in points. By 2025, his decline continued, and he missed the Playoffs for the first time since 2019, ultimately finishing 12th in the standings.
Notable Races and Milestones
Rhodes’ most memorable performances include his first Truck win at Las Vegas in 2017, his dominant Kentucky Speedway victory in 2018, and his back-to-back Daytona wins to open the 2021 season. His clinching of the 2023 title at Phoenix, finishing ahead of the other Championship 4 drivers, stands as one of the defining moments of his career. He also tied a long-standing K&N Pro Series East record by winning four consecutive races in mid-2014, a feat that had stood since 1991.
Ben Rhodes Career Wins
Ben Rhodes has built his reputation on consistency and two championship-level seasons in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Across his national NASCAR career, he has accumulated seven Truck Series wins, five K&N Pro Series East victories, and one regional title, with most of his success coming since joining ThorSport Racing in 2016.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Rhodes has scored seven career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series wins, with his first victory coming at the 2017 Las Vegas 350 and his most recent at the 2023 North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte. He has also earned 125 top-ten finishes and seven poles in series competition, peaking with back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2023. While 2024 and 2025 brought a step back, his Truck Series totals underscore a decade of front-running speed.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside the Truck Series, Rhodes won the 2014 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship with Turner Scott Motorsports, claiming five wins, eleven top-five finishes, and six poles. He also added a brief NASCAR Xfinity Series stint with JR Motorsports in 2015, recording two top-ten finishes, and made a one-off start in the NASCAR Cup Series at Sonoma in 2021. In 2019, he expanded into sports car racing with Multimatic Motorsports in the Michelin Pilot Challenge at Sebring International Raceway.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series | 7 | 125 | 7 |
| NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| NASCAR Cup Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ARCA Menards Series East | 5 | 18 | 6 |
| ARCA Menards Series | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ben Rhodes Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Ben Rhodes is the son of Joe and Lori Rhodes, and he grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where his family nurtured his love of racing from the time he was seven years old. His father, Joe Rhodes, is the president of Alpha Energy Solutions, a Kentucky-based mechanical service contractor that has served as a long-time sponsor of Ben’s racing efforts.
Personal Life
Rhodes graduated from Holy Cross High School in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2015 with a 3.98 GPA, balancing a rising racing career with his studies. He is active on social media and continues to live in the Louisville area while traveling the NASCAR circuit. Beyond his public racing persona, Rhodes is known for his disciplined, focused approach to competition and family-driven support system.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season proved to be one of the most challenging of Ben Rhodes’ career. Driving the No. 99 Ford F-150 for ThorSport Racing, he struggled to find the consistent speed that had carried him to two championships, ultimately missing the Playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Rhodes finished the year 12th in the final series standings, a sharp drop from his top-five championship form in 2021, 2022, and 2023. The season offered limited highlights, with the campaign defined more by steady mid-pack running than by race-winning pace. Crew chief and team dynamics remained stable, but the on-track results told the story of a team in transition heading toward the off-season.
Looking ahead, Rhodes will look to rebound in 2026 with ThorSport Racing and re-establish himself as a Truck Series frontrunner. With two titles already on his resume and the experience of a difficult 2025 campaign, the Kentucky native will aim to return to the Championship 4 conversation and contend for a third Truck Series crown.
