Ty Majeski, one of the most accomplished short track racers in the country, has a chance to add a NASCAR National Series championship to his resume, as the driver is one of four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship 4 contenders, who are set to square off for the title in Friday night’s Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway.
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Majeski, in his third season as the driver of the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150, feels that the team that has been built around him over the last three years is a tight-knit group, and it’s that bond that has led to them landing in the Championship 4 for the second time in that three-year span.
“Well, my [No.] 98 team has been really good. We’ve been together [for] three years now. Obviously, there [have] been some moving pieces, but [Crew Chief] Joe [Shear Jr.], I, the Truck Chief [Tyler Shullick] have been three really solid people throughout our tenure at ThorSport. We have a great relationship,” Majeski said in a media availability during Championship 4 Media Day on Thursday. “We work really, really hard in the shop. That’s what it takes.
“It’s all about attention to detail. And understanding and taking accountability when we’re off, when I’m off, when I make a mistake when Joe makes a mistake. You know, we hold each other accountable, but we’re incredibly close, and we push each other to be better.”
Majeski feels that the never-ending pursuit of producing better and better trucks each and every week will lead to the No. 98 team being in contention for their first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship together this weekend.
If Majeski can pull off the championship, it’ll mark the sixth NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship for a ThorSport Racing driver since the team’s inception in 1996, and the second consecutive as Ben Rhodes took home his second championship a season ago in the team’s No. 99 truck.
The championship for Rhodes, his second in three seasons, gives Majeski confidence that he will have the truck under him needed to claim the championship, as does the performance of his No. 98 truck on the shorter flat tracks on the schedule this season.
Majeski believes in his team, and truck, and all that’s left for him to do is put in a mistake-free race on Friday evening in Avondale, Arizona.
“Yeah, I mean, regardless of what Ben did last year, I have confidence in our team. We’ve [run] really well on these types of racetracks throughout the year. I know that we have the equipment and we have what it takes to come here and compete for a championship,” Majeski stated. “It’s up to us to execute that. Whether it be on pit road, strategy, or myself on restarts, it’s all the little things that go into winning a championship.
“And you’re not going to be able to afford a mistake because there’s going to be one of these other three that is going to go mistakeless in the race. So, you have to be that guy, and put yourself in position at the end of the race.”
While the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race is the most important race of the season, for obvious reasons, Majeski says, as a driver, you have to think of it as just another race. You can’t get caught up in the severity of the moment.
“I think there needs to be a balance. You have to up your game for this race, there’s no doubt about it. But you also have to take the mindset [of], ‘Hey, it’s just another race,’ and we need to do what we do, and try to win the race,” Majeski said. “Because at the end of the day, if we win the race, we’re champions. There’s more preparation that goes into it. You look at the finer details because those fine details can be the difference. But at the same time, it is another race.”
Will Majeski be the driver that hoists the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship trophy after the race at Phoenix Raceway on Friday night? That remains to be seen, but Majeski got his weekend started off on the right foot on Thursday afternoon as he cranked out the third-fastest lap in practice for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race.
While fellow Championship 4 contenders Corey Heim, and Grant Enfinger slotted ahead of Majeski, the driver of the No. 98, was right in their wake with a lap time just 0.122 seconds off of the fast lap set by Heim, the fastest driver in the session.
The starting lineup will be set for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race in a qualifying session, which will take place at 4:00 PM ET. That session can be watched on FS2 and streamed on the FOX Sports App with a valid cable subscription login.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race is set for Friday, November 8. That race will be televised on FS1 with coverage kicking off at 8:00 PM ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the live radio call of the event.
