Ben Rhodes' race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville
· Yahoo Sports
Ben Rhodes delivered one of his strongest performances of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season Friday, finishing second in the Black's Tire 200 at Martinsville Speedway. The ThorSport Racing driver started fourth and remained competitive throughout the 200-lap event before narrowly missing his first victory of the season.
Rhodes established himself among the leading contenders early, running behind Layne Riggs and Tristan McKee during the opening stage. He finished fourth in Stage 1 and repeated that result in Stage 2, collecting valuable championship points.
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Although Rhodes experienced braking concerns during the second stage, his No. 99 Ford remained competitive. He continued battling near the front as multiple accidents and restarts disrupted the final stage.
Rhodes capitalized on the decisive restart with 12 laps remaining when Riggs struggled to maintain momentum. He passed the No. 34 Ford for second place and attempted to close the gap to Chandler Smith but ultimately finished 0.574 seconds behind the winner.
The runner-up finish earned Rhodes 49 points and moved him up one position to seventh in the championship standings with 2,217 points. However, his 186-point deficit to Kaden Honeycutt mathematically eliminated him from championship contention entering the Homestead-Miami finale.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Ben Rhodes' race recap in the 2026 Chase race at Martinsville