NASCAR Truck Series: Ty Majeski talks return to racing

The NASCAR Truck Series is set to resume action at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Rookie Ty Majeski told Beyond the Flag about his thoughts on returning to racing.

After 95 days of no live racing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NASCAR Truck Series is set to resume action at Charlotte Motor Speedway this Tuesday, May 26. The four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) oval in Concord, North Carolina is set to host the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

Ty Majeski drives the #45 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet full-time in his rookie season. In the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, Niece Motorsports are set to field four entries: the #45 Chevrolet for Majeski, the #44 Chevrolet for Natalie Decker, the #42 Chevrolet for Ross Chastain and the #40 Chevrolet for Garrett Smithley.

Majeski debuted in the Truck Series last year at Phoenix Raceway. Driving the #44 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet, Majeski started in fifth and place finished in 11th. This season, he has finished in 32nd and 13th in the first two races. The 25-year-old Seymour, Wisconsin native sits 21st in the championship standings.

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With the Truck Series set to return on Tuesday, Majeski spoke to Beyond the Flag about his thoughts going into the race, iRacing and his preparations during the hiatus.

Mark Kristl, Beyond the Flag (BTF): What are your emotions upon returning to live racing at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

Ty Majeski: Excitement! We want to get back racing. The pandemic has given us all an itch to race. Charlotte Motor Speedway is a good race track to return to racing. It’s close to our shop so we should be safe. Personally, it is a good track for me to race at with no practice or qualifying sessions before the race itself.

BTF: How will it be different for you without fans in the stands?

Majeski: It’ll be a different atmosphere altogether. No fans in attendance means there will be no fans in the garage area or the infield. So that eliminates any autograph sessions, the fan zones, and the pre-race interviews with the Chevrolet camp. The fans are the bedrock of our sport. We race for the fans. So we hope to get them back to the race track soon. Additionally, the limited amount of people at the track results in no PR personnel for teams either. It’s show up to the race track and race.

BTF: You won the ARCA Menards Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last year. Does that give you an advantage without the practice or qualifying sessions?

Majeski: It gives me peace of mind because there aren’t any practice or qualifying sessions. As I said, Charlotte Motor Speedway is a good track for me to return to live racing. It’s different circumstances, such as racing series, competitors, etc., but I’ve still raced at this track. For the random draw for the starting lineup for the race, I will likely start inside the top 10 due to our position in the owners’ point standings.  So that makes my team feel better with that extra boost of confidence.

Majeski is set to start seventh in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200.

BTF: How do you feel about racing against Kyle Busch?

Majeski: He is one of the best drivers in the world. He’ll be tough to beat, that’s for sure. He drives great equipment. Having said that, I plan on giving him a run for his money. Niece Motorsports has given me everything I need to run well. We’ll run our race and hopefully be racing him for a position. It’s a moment of great pride if I beat him.

BTF: How have you prepared for this race after the hiatus?

Majeski: I’ve stayed in shape. Whether it’s been working out or running some laps in my go-kart at the local go-kart track here in North Carolina. That keeps my reactions sharp for when I return to the race track. I’ll also get some practice racing my late model in the Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway. That race will be an opportunity for me to knock the rust off before racing at Charlotte.

Majeski won the Rattler 250 on Sunday, May 24.

I’ve also spent some time on iRacing. It’s both fun and serious for me. iRacing has also been a great sponsor for my career. It’ll sponsor my #45 Chevrolet in the Charlotte race.

BTF: Yes, speaking of iRacing, you’ve been quite successful on it recently, winning at virtual Myrtle Beach Speedway and virtual Martinsville Speedway.

BTF: How does iRacing translate into live racing?

Majeski: It depends on how you look at it. It’s an outstanding tool for learning race tracks. iRacing has unbelievable technology. It’s incredible at scanning race tracks. For me, it helps me visualize race tracks, which is good because there will be no practice or qualifying sessions before these upcoming Truck Series races. That pit road experience is invaluable. How to enter it, how to properly maintain speed, and how to best pull into my pit stall are all things I’ve learned through iRacing.

It’s also a great way to see the whole race track. iRacing helps me learn where the restart zone is, where the braking spots are in the corners, and things of that nature.

iRacing helps me do my job. Of course, there are differences between iRacing and live racing. Nobody’s been racing lately so in general, the intensity level at Charlotte is going to be higher. There are no resets so you hopefully race a little different in reality [laughs]. Plus, there is no prize in iRacing events.

BTF: You’ve only driven for Niece Motorsports in three races. How do you build your relationship with the team and improve your communication when there are no practice or qualifying sessions?

Majeski: I worked with crew chief Phil Gould at Roush Fenway Racing. When I drove the #60 Ford, he was the crew chief for Ryan Reed, driver of the #16 Ford. But we got to know one another. As for my spotter Mike Herman Jr., he has been my spotter before in many of my late model and ARCA races. As for the rest of my guys, I spent a lot of time at the race shop before the pandemic struck. So I know my team; the transition was easy.

BTF: Chicagoland Speedway and Iowa Speedway will not host any NASCAR races this year. You’ve done well at Chicagoland Speedway. You’ve won a lot of late model races at short tracks and Iowa Speedway is a short track. How do you feel then about not racing at either of those race tracks this year?

Majeski: It’s a definite bummer for sure. I’ve had success at Chicagoland Speedway, including winning the ARCA race there last year. It’s my favorite 1.5-mile track. I’ve also run a lot of laps at Iowa Speedway. It’s a fun track too. I absolutely would’ve loved to go race at those two tracks. It’s an unfortunate result of this pandemic.

Those two tracks are also the two closest tracks to my home in Seymor, Wisconsin. For many of my family and friends, they come to those two tracks to watch me race. Chicagoland Speedway is only a three-four hour drive and Iowa Speedway is about six hours away from my hometown.

We’ll go race wherever though. I know NASCAR will choose some good alternatives to the Truck Series schedule so hopefully those will be some exciting races.

BTF: You’re a rookie in the Truck Series. With no practice or qualifying sessions, do you feel this levels the playing field for you against the Truck Series veterans?

Majeski: It honestly depends on the race track. I’m confident we’ll be contending in the race at Charlotte. So for the race tracks which I’ve competed at before, it shouldn’t affect me too much.

There are race tracks in which I have no experience. Those tracks, such as Atlanta Motor Speedway, I would love to practice before the race. It’ll be a nerve-wracking feeling competing for the first time there entering turn 1 with 40 drivers in the field.

In some ways, it has a feeling similar to many of my late model races. A lot of those are one-day shows with not much practice time, a lap or so to qualify, and then the feature race.

For myself and Niece Motorsports, we have to use all our tools wisely. I have to log time on iRacing, the team simulator, etc. The team has to utilize the wind tunnel and other technology wisely. We cannot afford to make any mistakes in our pre-race setup.

To run well in these races, we have to unload the vehicle in the ballpark of where we want it. We can then fire off well and be running up front. Then, when I pit, my crew guys can save some time without needing to make any major adjustments.

The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Charlotte Motor Speedway beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 26.