NASCAR fans could witness something never done before
By Asher Fair
With a win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ben Rhodes would become the first driver in NASCAR history to start a season three for three.
ThorSport Racing’s Ben Rhodes opened up the 2021 NASCAR Truck Series season with a victory at Daytona International Speedway in the oval race, and he backed up that win with a victory at the same venue, but in the road course race.
Now the 24-year-old Louisville, Kentucky native, who entered the 2021 season with just three wins in 119 career starts, is aiming to go three for three to open up the year.
Just how rare is that?
It is so rare that it has never happened, and we’re not just talking about the Truck Series.
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Not in any one of NASCAR’s three national series has a driver ever opened up a season with three wins in three races. Never. In fact, only 10 drivers had done what Rhodes has already done to open up the season, going two for two. Only two of those 10 drivers did so in the Truck Series.
Mark Martin pulled it off in the 2006 season and Johnny Sauter, the most recent driver to do it in any one of the three national series, pulled if off in the 2013 season. In the Xfinity Series, Dale Earnhardt pulled it off in the 1986 season, Chad Little pulled it off in the 1995 season and Tony Stewart pulled it off in the 2008 season.
In the Cup Series, Marvin Panch pulled it off in the 1957 season, becoming the first driver ever to do so. Bob Welborn pulled it off in the 1959 season, David Pearson pulled it off in the 1976 season, Jeff Gordon pulled it off in the 1997 season and Matt Kenseth pulled it off in the 2009 season.
But once again, none of those 10 drivers went on to win race number three on the calendar, and Rhodes has a legitimate shot at being the first.
He got his first career victory at the track which is scheduled to host the third race on the Truck Series calendar, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, back in 2017, and ThorSport Racing are always competitive no matter the track. Going two for two following their switch back to Toyota from Ford also bodes quite well for them.
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Will Rhodes make it three for three to start the 2021 Truck Series season to become the first driver to do so in NASCAR history? The Bucked Up 200 is set to be broadcast live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET this evening.