ThorSport Racing is an American professional stock car racing team competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.[1] Founded in 1996 as SealMaster Racing and based in Sandusky, Ohio, the team is owned by Duke Thorson and his wife, Rhonda. Currently, it fields five teams: the No. 13 for TBA, the No. 88 for Matt Crafton, the No. 98 for TBA, and the No. 99 for Ben Rhodes. ThorSport has claimed six Truck Series championships: three with Crafton (2013, 2014, 2019), two with Rhodes (2021, 2023), and one with Majeski.[2] Notably, it is the longest-running team in the Truck Series, with at least one truck in every season since 1996.
In 1998, ThorSport Racing—then known as SealMaster Racing—fielded the No. 8 truck at Mesa Marin for Jerry Cook. Cook started 34th but retired early, finishing 32nd.
In 1999, the team again fielded the No. 8 truck, this time at Phoenix for Joe Ruttman.
In 2004, the No. 13 truck debuted with Tina Gordon as the driver, backed by sponsorships from Vassarette and Microtel. Gordon left the team after five races due to injuries sustained at Atlanta, and the truck was then driven by Lance Hooper and Paul White for several races. After a string of disappointing finishes, Jimmy Spencer took the wheel at Loudon, achieving an 18th-place finish. Jason Small and Andy Houston closed out the season.
In 2005, Tracy Hines drove the truck, securing a fifth-place finish at Richmond with sponsorship from David Zoriki Motorsports. Hines was released with two races remaining, and Chad Chaffin and Johnny Sauter completed the season in his place.
In 2006, Kerry Earnhardt drove the No. 13 truck, achieving his best finish of 11th place twice—once at Nashville and again at Las Vegas.
In 2007, Earnhardt was not retained for another season, and rookie Willie Allen was signed as his replacement. Allen achieved two top-ten finishes and won Rookie of the Year, but he was replaced at the end of the season by USAR Hooters Pro Cup driver Shelby Howard.
In 2008, Howard achieved two top-ten finishes driving the BobCat Company/FarmPaint.com Chevy but ended the season ranked seventeenth in points and was subsequently released.
Johnny Sauter (2009–2012)
In 2009, Johnny Sauter returned to ThorSport Racing as a full-time driver with sponsorship from Fun Sand. The team entered a partnership with Mike Curb, and Sauter secured the team's third win at Las Vegas, also achieving ThorSport's first-ever 1-2 finish, with teammate Matt Crafton finishing second. Sauter ended the season 6th in points. In 2010, Sauter earned his second win at Kansas after a late-race incident with Ron Hornaday and finished 3rd in points, behind Todd Bodine.
For 2011, the team gained sponsorship from Safe Auto Insurance. Sauter claimed victories at Martinsville and Homestead, finishing 2nd in points to Austin Dillon. Safe Auto left at the end of the season, and The Peanut Roaster took over as the primary sponsor in 2012. Although Sauter's season was marred by bad luck, he improved late in the year, sweeping both races at Texas and finishing 9th in points.
Part Time (2013)
In 2013, Todd Bodine became the driver for the season, securing an 11th-place finish at Daytona. Mattei Air Compressors was introduced as the truck's primary sponsor. However, the team struggled to secure additional sponsorship and had to part ways with Bodine after the seventh race. Brett Moffitt, Frank Kimmel, and Tracy Hines each drove a race for the team before it ultimately shut down. Kimmel returned to the No. 13 truck for the season-ending race at Homestead-Miami.[3]
Jeb Burton (2014)
In 2014, Jeb Burton was hired to drive the No. 13 truck on a race-by-race basis, contingent on sponsorship.[4] His ride was upgraded to a full-season deal when Estes Express Lines signed on as a sponsor. However, the sponsorship was not renewed for 2015, leading the team to release Burton. He later joined BK Racing in the Sprint Cup Series.[5]
Multiple drivers (2015–2018)
In 2015, Cameron Hayley took over the No. 13 ride, with Cabinets by Hayley signing on as the sponsor. Hayley returned in 2016 but had a challenging season, failing to make it to the Chase and finishing lower in the points standings than the previous year.[6]
In 2017, Hayley did not return and was replaced by Cody Coughlin. Coughlin finished 14th in points, leading to his release after the season.
In 2018, Coughlin was released and replaced by Myatt Snider. Snider went on to achieve three top-5 finishes and eight top-10s, earning a 9th-place finish in the points standings as a rookie.
Johnny Sauter (2019–2022)
Just days before the Truck Series season opener at Daytona, it was announced that Johnny Sauter would return to the team for the 2019 season.[7] However, Sauter's season was marked by controversy and setbacks. At Iowa, NASCAR parked him for intentionally wrecking Austin Hill under caution, resulting in a one-race suspension.[8]Myatt Snider was named as Sauter’s replacement for the race at Gateway.[9][10] Later in the season, Sauter's playoff hopes were dashed at Las Vegas, where he finished 29th due to an engine failure. The issue, which also affected three other trucks, was traced to severe detonation in Ilmor's NT1 engines, caused by a combination of high engine loads and extreme weather conditions. Although Ilmor took responsibility for the failures, NASCAR rejected ThorSport's request to reinstate Sauter and Grant Enfinger into the playoffs.[11][12]
On February 21, 2020, the No. 13 team was penalized 10 points for an illegal engine oil reservoir tank discovered during pre-race inspection, ahead of the Las Vegas race.[13] Despite the penalty, Sauter finished 2nd, behind Kyle Busch, marking his best finish of the season. However, he missed the Playoffs for the first time in his career, finishing 13th in the final standings. In 2021, Sauter achieved his first top-5 finish in 20 races at the Fr8Auctions 200.
In 2022, Sauter's schedule would be reduced from 13 to just four races, as ThorSport added a new fourth team. Despite the limited number of races, Sauter impressed, coming close to winning at Martinsville Speedway and securing another top-five finish at Gateway.
Hailie Deegan (2023)
On December 15, 2022, Thorsport announced that Hailie Deegan would drive the No. 13 truck full-time in 2023. The No. 98 team would be renumbered to No. 13, with the No. 98 team transitioning to the new number.
Jake Garcia (2024–present)
On November 15, 2023, it was announced that Jake Garcia would move to the No. 13 truck for the 2024 season, replacing Deegan, who is transitioning to a full-time role in the Xfinity Series.[14]
In 2017, Ben Rhodes moved from the No. 41 truck to the No. 27, where he ran full-time with Safelite AutoGlass as his season sponsor. He secured his first victory at Las Vegas, holding off Truck Series champion Christopher Bell, and finished 5th in the point standings.
Part-time (2018–2019)
On July 16, 2018, Chase Briscoe joined ThorSport Racing and won the Eldora Dirt Derby, marking his first NASCAR Truck Series victory since 2017.
For the 2019 NextEra Energy 250, Myatt Snider drove the No. 27 Ford F-150 at Daytona and Martinsville. Chase Briscoe took over the No. 27 for the Eldora Dirt Derby. After leading the majority of the race and winning the first two stages, a late crash resulted in a seventh-place finish.
On December 15, 2015, Ben Rhodes joined the team for 2016, driving a new fourth truck, numbered 41, with sponsorship from Alpha Energy Solutions.[15] He recorded two top-five finishes and five top-ten finishes that season.[16] Rhodes had a chance to win at Kansas Speedway but was involved in a last-lap incident with Johnny Sauter, which allowed William Byron to take the victory.[17] In 2018, the No. 41 truck returned with Rhodes behind the wheel, and he secured a win at Kentucky Speedway during the summer.
In 2022, it was announced that Ty Majeski would drive the No. 66 car full-time. He made the playoffs by staying consistent with seven top-five and ten top-10 finishes. During the playoffs, Majeski secured wins at Bristol and Homestead, which helped him lock in a spot in the Championship 4.[20] However, he finished 20th at Phoenix after a late spin, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the standings.[21]
Part-time (2023–present)
In 2023, Majeski moved to the No. 98 entry, leaving the No. 66 to become a part-time entry with Conner Jones driving for nine races. Joey Logano dominated the Bristol dirt race, leading 138 of 150 laps before claiming the victory.[22] During the 2024 Baptist Health 200, Jones intentionally sent Matt Mills into the Turn 3 wall, resulting in Mills being transported to the hospital. As a consequence, Jones was parked for two laps.[23]On October 30, NASCAR suspended Jones for the Martinsville race, and Johnny Sauter was named as his replacement driver.[24]
The No. 88 truck made its debut in the 1996 season at the Milwaukee Mile, driven by Terry Cook for what was then Sealmaster Racing. Cook finished 12th in that race and competed in two more races that season, but his best finish was 21st. In 1997, Cook drove a limited schedule for the team in the PBA Tour Chevy. Although he didn't secure any top-ten finishes, he earned his first career pole at Flemington Speedway and ended the season ranked 24th in the standings.
The team secured sufficient funding to compete full-time in 1998, with Cook achieving his first career victory at Flemington. Despite this milestone, he finished the season in 20th place in the standings. Entering 1999, ThorSport initially lacked a primary sponsor, but Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce came on board late in the season, helping Cook improve to 15th in points. In 2000, PickupTruck.com became the team's primary sponsor. Cook delivered eight top-ten finishes that year but was replaced by Matt Crafton for the season's final race, where Crafton secured a ninth-place finish.
Matt Crafton (2001–2003)
Fast Master Driveway Sealer and XE Sighting System shared sponsorship responsibilities for Crafton during his rookie season in 2002, when he drove full-time for the team. That year, Crafton earned 11 top-ten finishes and ended the season 12th in the standings. Although Menards became the team's full-time sponsor in 2002, Crafton managed only six top-ten finishes and dropped to 15th in the standings. However, he rebounded in 2003, improving to 11th overall. For the 2003 season finale at Homestead–Miami Speedway, Buddy Rice drove the No. 88 truck, finishing 20th, while Crafton moved to the No. 98.
Tracy Hines (2004)
In 2004, rookie Tracy Hines joined the team as the new driver, securing three top-ten finishes and finishing eighteenth in the points standings.
Matt Crafton (2005–present)
In 2005, Crafton returned to the No. 88 truck, winning his first career pole at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finishing ninth in points, a team-best. In 2006, he slipped to fourteenth in points despite earning ten top-ten finishes. He repeated that top-ten total in 2007, moving up to eighth in points. The team's best year to that point came in 2008, when Crafton scored his first win at Charlotte and finished fifth in points. Although he didn't win in 2009, the No. 88 team finished runner-up in points to Ron Hornaday Jr.
In 2010, Crafton had another strong season, earning one pole at Texas Motor Speedway, 10 top-five finishes, and 20 top-10 finishes, which resulted in a season-ending ranking of fourth. In 2011, Crafton secured the second win of his career at Iowa Speedway, along with poles at Michigan International Speedway and Martinsville Speedway, where he set a new track qualifying record. However, four DNFs (Did Not Finish) due to engine failures, mechanical issues, and accidents caused by other competitors limited him to just five top-five finishes and 13 top-10s, leaving him in eighth place in the final standings. In 2012, Crafton had a solid season, finishing sixth in points.
In 2013, Crafton had the best season of his career. He won his third career race at Kansas in April, and after that victory, he took the points lead, holding onto it for the rest of the season. Crafton finished in the top ten in the first sixteen races and in the top 19 overall, with his worst finish being 21st in the season finale at Homestead. He clinched his first Truck Series championship by starting that race,[25] and despite sustaining late crash damage, he managed to stay on the lead lap, becoming the first driver in Truck Series history to complete every lap of the season.[26]
In 2014, Crafton secured his fourth career Truck Series win at Martinsville.[27] On June 6, he won at Texas Motor Speedway, utilizing a fuel strategy to claim two victories in a season for the first time in his career. It was also the first time he led more than 100 laps in a race. Despite crashing out at Dover and Gateway—his first DNFs in over two years—and dropping to 17 top-ten finishes, Crafton went on to become the first driver to win back-to-back championships in the Truck Series.
In 2015, Crafton secured his sixth career victory on February 28 in the revived Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 at Atlanta. In May, he used a smart fuel strategy to win at Kansas, marking his first career repeat victory at a single track and the first repeat win by any driver at Kansas in the Truck Series. In June, Crafton defended his previous season's victory at Texas, another career milestone. He added a fourth win of the season in July at Kentucky, after the race was shortened by Ben Kennedy's crash into the catch fence. Crafton went on to win at Martinsville and the season finale at Homestead, finishing third in the points despite several crashes.
Crafton finished as the runner-up in 2016 and fourth in 2017 under the new "Playoffs" system. In 2018, he placed 6th in the standings, marking his first winless season since 2012. Despite also going winless in 2019, Crafton made his third Championship 4 appearance and secured his third career Truck Series Championship, finishing ahead of Ross Chastain by two spots.
In 2020, the No. 88 team was penalized 10 owner and driver points before the Las Vegas race due to the discovery of an illegal engine oil reservoir tank during pre-race inspection.[13] That season, Crafton ended his winless streak by securing a victory at Kansas, along with runner-up finishes at Dover and Richmond, which placed him fifth in the final point standings. In 2021, Crafton did not win any races but still made the Championship 4. He finished 12th at Phoenix and placed fourth in the final standings.
In 2022, Crafton barely made the playoffs, narrowly holding off Derek Kraus for the final spot. He was eliminated at Kansas and finished ninth in the final standings.
In 2023, Crafton made the playoffs again without winning a race, but was eliminated at Kansas. After the Talladega fall race, Crafton confronted Nick Sanchez in the garage area following an on-track incident in which their trucks made contact, triggering a multi-truck pileup.[28] As a result, NASCAR fined Crafton $25,000 for the altercation.[29]
ThorSport Racing first fielded the No. 98 truck at the 2002 Chevy Silverado 150 with Cory Kruseman driving and Agromin as the sponsor. Kruseman finished 31st due to engine failure. The truck returned a year later at the season-ending Ford 200, driven by Matt Crafton and sponsored by Enzyme Magic. It served as a sister truck to Crafton’s usual No. 88 and finished 15th.
The No. 98 truck remained dormant for six years before reappearing at the 2009 Heluva Good! 200 at New Hampshire, with Michael McDowell behind the wheel, finishing 14th with sponsorship from Perkins Police. Later that season, the truck raced at Texas Motor Speedway with David Gilliland driving but finished 35th after rear-end problems early in the race.
In 2010, the No. 98 car competed at Daytona with Landon Cassill and EasytoInstall.com as the sponsor but was involved in an early crash. The team returned in 2011 with Penske development driver Dakoda Armstrong, supported by sponsorship from Ferrellgas and Argisure for seven races. Armstrong moved to ThorSport Racing in 2012 to contend for Rookie of the Year. However, the team's sponsorship from EverFi only lasted for the first 14 races, leading to Armstrong's release before the Iowa fall race and the subsequent closure of the team.
Johnny Sauter (2013–2015)
The No. 98 team returned in 2013 with Johnny Sauter swapping to the number. The season started strong, with back-to-back wins at Daytona and Martinsville. However, the team faced a setback when crew chief Joe Shear Jr. was suspended by NASCAR due to a fuel cell violation. Although Shear returned for the race at Iowa, he resigned from ThorSport after the Eldora event, citing disagreements about the team’s Ohio-based operation instead of North Carolina.
Despite these challenges, Sauter secured his third win of the season at Talladega, completing a sweep of the restrictor plate events in the Truck Series. He finished fourth in the final points standings.
Sauter remained with the No. 98 team in 2014, achieving one victory at Michigan. He was a championship contender for much of the season but ultimately finished fourth in points, matching his 2013 result. Sauter continued with the team in 2015 but announced late in the season that he would leave for GMS Racing in 2016.
Rico Abreu (2016)
In 2016, Rico Abreu replaced Sauter. During the season, Abreu recorded two top-five finishes, five top-ten finishes, and ended the year 13th in the standings.[59]
Grant Enfinger (2017–2020)
After the 2016 season, Abreu lost his ride due to a lack of sponsorship[60] and was replaced by Grant Enfinger for 2017.[61] Enfinger struggled in his first season, missing the playoffs and finishing 11th in points. However, 2018 marked a turnaround for Enfinger, as he had a strong regular season, qualified for the playoffs, and won the Las Vegas fall race to advance to the Round of 6. Although he missed the Championship 4, he finished the season 5th in points.
In 2020, the No. 98 team was penalized 10 owner and driver points on February 21 after an illegal engine oil reservoir tank was discovered during the pre-race inspection for the Las Vegas race.[13] Later that year, on September 10, Enfinger won at Richmond Raceway, with teammates Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton finishing second and third. This marked the first 1-2-3 finish in NASCAR Truck Series history.[62]
Grant Enfinger and Christian Eckes (2021)
In 2021, it was announced that Enfinger and Christian Eckes would share driving duties for the #98 truck. Enfinger competed in the races not scheduled with CR7 Motorsports, while Eckes drove the remaining events. Eckes notably secured a victory at the Las Vegas night race.
Christian Eckes (2022)
In 2022, Eckes drove the truck full-time, consistently running at the front in numerous races and making the playoffs despite not securing a win. However, he narrowly missed advancing to the Championship 4, falling 7 points short of teammate Ben Rhodes at the Round of 8 cutoff in Homestead–Miami. Following the 2022 season, Eckes left the team to join McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. The No. 98 team was subsequently renumbered to No. 13 for the 2023 season.
Ty Majeski (2023–present)
During the 2023 off-season, ThorSport Racing quietly changed the number of Ty Majeski's team from No. 66 to No. 98 to align with the team's numbering pattern (13, 88, 98, 99). Majeski began the season with a solid sixth-place finish at Daytona and maintained consistency throughout the year, earning seven top-five and 11 top-10 finishes, which secured his spot in the playoffs. Majeski opened the playoffs with a victory in the first round at Indianapolis.[63] However, on August 29, NASCAR suspended his crew chief, Joe Shear Jr., for four races and fined him $25,000 after an illegal right rear wheel and tire were found during pre-race inspection at Milwaukee. The No. 98 team was also penalized 75 owner and driver points, along with five playoff points.[64] Despite these setbacks, Majeski advanced to the Round of 8 before being eliminated at Homestead.[65]
In 2024, Majeski began the season with a 15th-place finish at Daytona. During the regular season, he secured victories at Indianapolis and Richmond.[66][67] Although he didn't win any playoff races, his consistency earned him a spot in the Championship 4. Majeski clinched his first Truck Series championship by winning at Phoenix, finishing as the highest-placed Championship 4 driver.[68]
In 2019, the team fielded the No. 99 truck for Ben Rhodes, who went on to win the Truck Series' return to Darlington in 2020.
In 2021, Rhodes won the first two races of the season at Daytona and the Daytona Road Course, ultimately securing the Truck Series championship.
In 2022, Rhodes finished second at Daytona and then encountered a DNF, placing 31st at Las Vegas. He rebounded with three consecutive top-five finishes before securing a win at the Bristol dirt race.[69] Rhodes also finished second at Phoenix and ended the season in second place in the standings.[70]
In 2023, Rhodes began the season with an 11th-place finish at Daytona. He earned his first win of the season at Charlotte[71] and finished second at Homestead, securing a spot in the Championship 4.[72] At Phoenix, Rhodes finished fifth, but as the highest-finishing driver among the Championship 4, he clinched his second Truck Series championship.[73]
In 2024, Rhodes was winless but managed to earn enough points to qualify for the playoffs. However, he was eliminated in the Round of 12 at Kansas.[74]
In 2014, Jeb Burton made his debut with ThorSport Racing after being released from Turner Scott Motorsports due to sponsorship issues. He drove the No. 13 Toyota Camry in the ARCA Racing Series season opener at Daytona, starting 21st and finishing 29th after being involved in an early crash.
Kimmel's 2013 No. 44 ARCA championship car at Road America
In 2012, nine-time ARCA Racing Series champion Frank Kimmel joined the team, driving the No. 44 Toyota Camry.[81] In 2013, Kimmel became the all-time wins leader in ARCA history with 80 victories, culminating in his tenth championship. However, the team shut down after Kimmel departed for Win-Tron Racing following his championship-winning season.[82]
ThorSport fielded the No. 88 Toyota Camry for Matt Crafton in 2012 at Lucas Oil Raceway, where he started on the pole but finished 31st after being involved in a crash. Prior to this, Crafton had competed in several races for Kimmel Racing in the No. 88 car.
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