Louisville's Ben Rhodes is in! He advanced again to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Championship race (The Lucas Oil 150) on November 4th at Phoenix. After the race, Ben said he was excited to have a shot to defend his 2021 Truck Series Title! Late in the race at Homestead, Florida Ben passed two teammates (Not in playoffs), and was the last driver to make the field. He beat fellow competitor, Stewart Friesen by one point! Going into the race Rhodes told Kentuckiana Motorsports he would give a 100% effort and then some. Friesen finished 3rd, three spots ahead of Rhodes (6th). However, Friesen could not get around the top two drivers to gain any more points. Frieson didn't question how Rhodes was "able" to pass his teammates in the closing laps. But his references were clear, teammates are great to have on your side. Rhodes non-playoff teammates finished 7th and 8th in the event, right behind Rhodes. Had either of them passed him, Ben would have been eliminated. Joining Rhodes in Phoenix for the Championship run are Ty Majeski, Zane Smith, and Chandler Smith. It should be noted, Majeski, is also a teammate of Rhodes at ThorSport Racing. After Homestead, it was announced, Toyota claimed the 2022 Manufacturers Championship Title.
Another local driver remains in the spotlight, Will Kimmell. He just won the 34th Annual Halloween 200 at the Salem Speedway. It was two years in a row. Kimmell Racing is located in Clarksville, Indiana, just outside of Louisville. ys, with the exception of a handful of drivers, if you don't bring the cash, you don't get a good ride. That is a shame. Over the years, we've seen some quality drivers, on all levels fade away due to lack of bringing big dollars to the team. In short, an inability to pay for seat time.
There are short tracks all over the country. Many local drivers with a strong resume. One of those is the Salem Speedway Halloween 200 back-to-back winner and Southern Indiana's Will Kimmel. He has more than 100 Feature wins. Toss in many championships. Will has competed well in ARCA, and all three major divisions in NASCAR: Cup, Xfinity, and Trucks. He has raced against current NASCAR champions and playoff drivers, battled at 200 m.p.h. against some of the best, and has earned the respect of veteran NASCAR drivers, who have praised him. Ken Schrader and Kurt Busch are just two. His pedigree is without question. Will's late grandfather is NASCAR Legend Bill Kimmel Sr., his uncle is 10-Time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel, and his father, Bill Kimmel Jr., is a former racer who owns multiple championships as a crew chief.
Will is 34 years old. Many would think too old to get a NASCAR ride. Just the opposite. He’s won at well-known tracks like Rockingham, NC, and the historic Salem Speedway. Will Kimmel is an old school racer, yet still running strong, has the passion, and he keeps winning. Yes, money talks at the highest levels of racing, but the late and great Buddy Baker once told us seat time or running laps behind the wheel is so important. Will has filled up that log book many times over. TrackHouse Racing, Brad Keselowski and RFK, 23XI (Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin), Kyle Busch Racing, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his team could easily give a hard-working racer like Will Kimmel an opportunity. They might be surprised at the end result.
In the NASCAR Cup Series at Homestead, non-playoff driver Kyle Larson took the checkered flag. It was surprisingly a fun event to watch. Up next, the paper clip at Martinsville. It is the last race before the Championship Final event at Phoenix. Martinsville brings tension, anger, and payback! Right now, Joey Logano is the only driver locked into the Championship 4 in the Cup Series. Three more will make it, 4 others will be eliminated after Martinsville. For two or three drivers, they must win to have a shot at the Cup title. Despite football, Martinsville this weekend will be, Must See TV!
The NHRA is in Nevada this weekend. It is the second to the last event of the 2022 season. A number of season long championships are still up for grabs! Lucas Oil is a longtime NHRA Sponsor. See the excitement on Fox Sports 1.
Fall is always exciting with so many season ending races and tremendous battles. If you've enjoyed Kentuckiana Motorsports over the past 20 years, you know Lucas Oil has been a huge backer of all we do. We thank Lucas Oil as a longtime sponsor. We're able to talk racing locally and in other ways, thanks to Forrest, Charlotte, and Morgan Lucas and the entire Lucas Oil Family. Other backers: PNC Bank (Sponsor of Scott Dixon's Indy Car Series Car), Sportsdrome Speedway (Celebrating more than 75 years of Racing!) locally owned Bright Pest Control and Bright Retail in Louisville, (Offering Do-It-Yourself Professional Pest Products with a retail store), and Knox Ford in Radcliff (KY). KMS supporters also include: VoiceTel Kentucky (Offering telephone service for $25.00 a line, and that includes all taxes and fees), Temco Roofing, Andriots Paint, Flooring, & Blinds, ICA Dumpsters, Kentucky Raceway Ministries, St. Matthews Cycling, Nimlok Kentucky, Dynamic Healthcare, and Lyndon Mower Repair. We also thank our media connections in all series, especially NASCAR and with NASCAR Media for helping us bring the sport to the fans!
The Indianapolis Colts have won two in a row, then lost again. This weekend they battle Washington at Lucas Oil Stadum.
And now more than ever, our farmers and ranchers need support. Learn more at www.protecttheharvest.com
Enjoy the racing!
