ThorSport Racing

Owner(s)	Duke Thorson Rhonda Thorson Mike Curb
Base	Sandusky, Ohio
Series	NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Race drivers	13. TBA 66. TBA 88.Ty Majeski 98. TBA 99.Ben Rhodes
Manufacturer	Ford
Opened	1996
Career
Debut	Nationwide Series: 2008Kroger 200 (IRP) Truck Series: 1996Sears Auto Center 200 (Milwaukee) ARCA Racing Series: 2012Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200 (Daytona)
Latest race	Nationwide Series: 2008Food City 250 (Bristol) Truck Series: 2025NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race (Phoenix) ARCA Racing Series: 2014Lucas Oil 200 (Daytona)
Races competed	Total: 729 Nationwide Series: 2 Truck Series: 685 ARCA Racing Series: 42
Drivers' Championships	Total: 7 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 6 2013,2014,2019,2021,2023,2024 ARCA Racing Series: 1 2013
Race victories	Total: 54 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 48 ARCA Racing Series: 6
Pole positions	Total: 48 Nationwide Series: 0 Truck Series: 47 ARCA Racing Series: 1

ThorSport Racing is an American professionalstock car racing team competing in theNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.^[1] Founded in 1996 asSealMaster Racing and based inSandusky, Ohio, the team is owned by Duke Thorson and his wife, Rhonda. Currently, it fields five teams: the No. 13 forJake Garcia, the No. 66 for multiple drivers, the No. 88 forTy Majeski, the No. 98 forLuke Fenhaus, and the No. 99 forBen Rhodes. ThorSport has claimed six Truck Series championships: three with Crafton (2013, 2014, 2019), two with Rhodes (2021, 2023), and one with Majeski in 2024.^[2] Notably, it is the longest-running team in the Truck Series, with at least one truck in every season since 1996.

In 2008, ThorSport Racing made itsNationwide Series debut withShelby Howard driving the No. 13Chevrolet Monte Carlo in two races, starting atLucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park andBristol. Howard finished twentieth and 23rd in those events.

In 1998, ThorSport Racing—then known as SealMaster Racing—fielded the No. 8 truck atMesa Marin forJerry Cook. Cook started 34th but retired early, finishing 32nd.

In 1999, the team again fielded the No. 8 truck, this time atPhoenix forJoe Ruttman.

In 2004, the No. 13 truck debuted withTina Gordon as the driver, backed by sponsorships from Vassarette andMicrotel. Gordon left the team after five races due to injuries sustained atAtlanta, and the truck was then driven byLance Hooper andPaul White for several races. After a string of disappointing finishes,Jimmy Spencer took the wheel atLoudon, achieving an 18th-place finish.Jason Small andAndy Houston closed out the season.

In 2005,Tracy Hines drove the truck, securing a fifth-place finish atRichmond with sponsorship from David Zoriki Motorsports. Hines was released with two races remaining, andChad Chaffin andJohnny Sauter completed the season in his place.

In 2006,Kerry Earnhardt drove the No. 13 truck, achieving his best finish of 11th place twice—once atNashville and again atLas Vegas.

In 2007, Earnhardt was not retained for another season, and rookieWillie Allen was signed as his replacement. Allen achieved two top-ten finishes and won Rookie of the Year, but he was replaced at the end of the season byUSAR Hooters Pro Cup driverShelby Howard.

In 2008, Howard achieved two top-ten finishes driving the BobCat Company/FarmPaint.comChevy but ended the season ranked seventeenth in points and was subsequently released.

In 2009,Johnny Sauter returned to ThorSport Racing as a full-time driver with sponsorship from Fun Sand. The team entered a partnership withMike Curb, and Sauter secured the team's third win atLas Vegas, also achieving ThorSport's first-ever 1-2 finish, with teammateMatt Crafton finishing second. Sauter ended the season 6th in points. In 2010, Sauter earned his second win atKansas after a late-race incident withRon Hornaday and finished 3rd in points, behindTodd Bodine.

For 2011, the team gained sponsorship fromSafe Auto Insurance. Sauter claimed victories atMartinsville andHomestead, finishing 2nd in points toAustin Dillon. Safe Auto left at the end of the season, and The Peanut Roaster took over as the primary sponsor in 2012. Although Sauter's season was marred by bad luck, he improved late in the year, sweeping both races atTexas and finishing 9th in points.

In 2013,Todd Bodine became the driver for the season, securing an 11th-place finish atDaytona. Mattei Air Compressors was introduced as the truck's primary sponsor. However, the team struggled to secure additional sponsorship and had to part ways with Bodine after the seventh race.Brett Moffitt,Frank Kimmel, andTracy Hines each drove a race for the team before it ultimately shut down. Kimmel returned to the No. 13 truck for the season-ending race atHomestead-Miami.^[3]

In 2014,Jeb Burton was hired to drive the No. 13 truck on a race-by-race basis, contingent on sponsorship.^[4] His ride was upgraded to a full-season deal whenEstes Express Lines signed on as a sponsor. However, the sponsorship was not renewed for 2015, leading the team to release Burton. He later joinedBK Racing in theSprint Cup Series.^[5]

In 2015,Cameron Hayley took over the No. 13 ride, with Cabinets by Hayley signing on as the sponsor. Hayley returned in 2016 but had a challenging season, failing to make it to the Chase and finishing lower in the points standings than the previous year.^[6]

In 2017, Hayley did not return and was replaced byCody Coughlin. Coughlin finished fourteenth in points, leading to his release after the season.

In 2018, Coughlin was released and replaced byMyatt Snider. Snider went on to achieve three top-five finishes and eight top-tens, earning a ninth place finish in the points standings as a rookie.

Just days before the Truck Series season opener at Daytona, it was announced that Johnny Sauter would return to the team for the 2019 season.^[7] However, Sauter's season was marked by controversy and setbacks. AtIowa, NASCAR parked him for intentionally wreckingAustin Hill under caution, resulting in a one-race suspension.^[8]Myatt Snider was named as Sauter's replacement for the race atGateway.^[9][10] Later in the season, Sauter's playoff hopes were dashed atLas Vegas, where he finished 29th due to an engine failure. The issue, which also affected three other trucks, was traced to severe detonation inIlmor's NT1 engines, caused by a combination of high engine loads and extreme weather conditions. Although Ilmor took responsibility for the failures, NASCAR rejected ThorSport's request to reinstate Sauter andGrant Enfinger into the playoffs.^[11][12]

On February 21, 2020, the No. 13 team was penalized 10 points for an illegal engine oil reservoir tank discovered during pre-race inspection, ahead of theLas Vegas race.^[13] Despite the penalty, Sauter finished second, behindKyle Busch, marking his best finish of the season. However, he missed the Playoffs for the first time in his career, finishing thirteenth in the final standings. In 2021, Sauter achieved his first top-five finish in 20 races at theFr8Auctions 200.

In 2022, Sauter's schedule would be reduced from thirteen to just four races, as ThorSport added a new fourth team. Despite the limited number of races, Sauter impressed, coming close to winning atMartinsville Speedway and securing another top-five finish atGateway.

On December 15, 2022, Thorsport announced thatHailie Deegan would drive the No. 13 truck full-time in 2023. The No. 98 team would be renumbered to No. 13, with the No. 98 team transitioning to the new number.

On November 15, 2023, it was announced thatJake Garcia would move to the No. 13 truck for the2024 season, replacing Deegan, who is transitioning to a full-time role in theXfinity Series.^[14]

Part Time (2001)

In2001,Lance Hooper drove the No. 22 truck for ThorSport Racing atMilwaukee.

In 2017,Ben Rhodes moved from the No. 41 truck to the No. 27, where he ran full-time withSafelite AutoGlass as his season sponsor. He secured his first victory atLas Vegas, holding off Truck Series championChristopher Bell, and finished fifth in the point standings.

On July 16, 2018,Chase Briscoe joined ThorSport Racing and won theEldora Dirt Derby, marking his first NASCAR Truck Series victory since 2017.

For the 2019 NextEra Energy 250,Myatt Snider drove the No. 27Ford F-150 atDaytona andMartinsville. Briscoe took over the No. 27 for theEldora Dirt Derby. After leading the majority of the race and winning the first two stages, a late crash resulted in a seventh place finish.

On December 15, 2015,Ben Rhodes joined the team for 2016, driving a new fourth truck, numbered 41, with sponsorship from Alpha Energy Solutions.^[15] He recorded two top-five finishes and five top-ten finishes that season.^[16] Rhodes had a chance to win atKansas Speedway but was involved in a last-lap incident withJohnny Sauter, which allowedWilliam Byron to take the victory.^[17] In 2018, the No. 41 truck returned with Rhodes behind the wheel, and he secured a win atKentucky Speedway during the summer.

In 2021, Ty Majeski was scheduled to drive the No. 66 truck atCharlotte Motor Speedway andNashville Superspeedway. Later, retired driverPaul Menard made a return to the series, driving atCircuit of the Americas. Majeski also participated in an additional race atPocono Raceway, while Menard returned again to compete atWatkins Glen.

In 2022, it was announced that Ty Majeski would drive the No. 66 car full-time. He made the playoffs by staying consistent with seven top-five and ten top-ten finishes. During the playoffs, Majeski secured wins atBristol andHomestead, which helped him lock in a spot in the Championship 4.^[20] However, he finished 20th atPhoenix after a late spin, resulting in a fourth-place finish in the standings.^[21]

In 2023, Majeski moved to the No. 98 entry, leaving the No. 66 to become a part-time entry withConner Jones driving for nine races.Joey Logano dominated theBristol dirt race, leading 138 of 150 laps before claiming the victory.^[22] During the2024 Baptist Health 200, Jones intentionally sentMatt Mills into the Turn 3 wall, resulting in Mills being transported to the hospital. As a consequence, Jones was parked for two laps.^[23] On October 30, NASCAR suspended Jones for theMartinsville race, andJohnny Sauter was named as his replacement driver.^[24]

Part-time (2006)

In 2006, ThorSport Racing fielded the No. 87 truck for driverWillie Allen.

The No. 88 truck made its debut in the 1996 season at theMilwaukee Mile, driven byTerry Cook for what was then Sealmaster Racing. Cook finished 12th in that race and competed in two more races that season, but his best finish was 21st. In 1997, Cook drove a limited schedule for the team in thePBA Tour Chevy. Although he didn't secure any top-ten finishes, he earned his first career pole atFlemington Speedway and ended the season ranked 24th in the standings.

The team secured sufficient funding to compete full-time in 1998, with Cook achieving his first career victory atFlemington. Despite this milestone, he finished the season in twentieth place in the standings. Entering 1999, ThorSport initially lacked a primary sponsor, but Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce came on board late in the season, helping Cook improve to fifteenth in points. In 2000, PickupTruck.com became the team's primary sponsor. Cook delivered eight top-ten finishes that year but was replaced byMatt Crafton for the season's final race, where Crafton secured a ninth-place finish.

Fast Master Driveway Sealer and XE Sighting System shared sponsorship responsibilities for Crafton during his rookie season in 2002, when he drove full-time for the team. That year, Crafton earned eleven top-ten finishes and ended the season twelfth in the standings. AlthoughMenards became the team's full-time sponsor in 2002, Crafton managed only six top-ten finishes and dropped to fifteenth in the standings. However, he rebounded in 2003, improving to eleventh overall. For the 2003 season finale atHomestead–Miami Speedway,Buddy Rice drove the No. 88 truck, finishing twentieth, while Crafton moved to the No. 98.

In 2004, rookieTracy Hines joined the team as the new driver, securing three top-ten finishes and finishing eighteenth in the points standings.

In 2005, Crafton returned to the No. 88 truck, winning his first career pole atNew Hampshire Motor Speedway and finishing ninth in points, a team-best. In 2006, he slipped to fourteenth in points despite earning ten top-ten finishes. He repeated that top-ten total in 2007, moving up to eighth in points. The team's best year to that point came in 2008, when Crafton scored his first win at Charlotte and finished fifth in points. Although he didn't win in 2009, the No. 88 team finished runner-up in points toRon Hornaday Jr.

In 2010, Crafton had another strong season, earning one pole atTexas Motor Speedway, 10 top-five finishes, and twenty top-ten finishes, which resulted in a season-ending ranking of fourth. In 2011, Crafton secured the second win of his career atIowa Speedway, along with poles atMichigan International Speedway andMartinsville Speedway, where he set a new track qualifying record. However, four DNFs (Did Not Finish) due to engine failures, mechanical issues, and accidents caused by other competitors limited him to just five top-five finishes and thirteen top-tens, leaving him in eighth place in the final standings. In 2012, Crafton had a solid season, finishing sixth in points.

In 2013, Crafton had the best season of his career. He won his third career race atKansas in April, and after that victory, he took the points lead, holding onto it for the rest of the season. Crafton finished in the top-ten in the first sixteen races and in the top-nineteen overall, with his worst finish being 21st in the season finale atHomestead. He clinched his first Truck Series championship by starting that race,^[25] and despite sustaining late crash damage, he managed to stay on the lead lap, becoming the first driver in Truck Series history to complete every lap of the season.^[26]

In 2014, Crafton secured his fourth career Truck Series win atMartinsville.^[27] On June 6, he won atTexas Motor Speedway, utilizing a fuel strategy to claim two victories in a season for the first time in his career. It was also the first time he led more than 100 laps in a race. Despite crashing out atDover andGateway—his first DNFs in over two years—and dropping to 17 top-ten finishes, Crafton went on to become the first driver to win back-to-back championships in the Truck Series.

In 2015, Crafton secured his sixth career victory on February 28 in the revivedHyundai Construction Equipment 200 atAtlanta. In May, he used a smart fuel strategy to win atKansas, marking his first career repeat victory at a single track and the first repeat win by any driver at Kansas in the Truck Series. In June, Crafton defended his previous season's victory atTexas, another career milestone. He added a fourth win of the season in July atKentucky, after the race was shortened byBen Kennedy's crash into the catch fence. Crafton went on to win atMartinsville and the season finale atHomestead, finishing third in the points despite several crashes.

Crafton finished as the runner-up in 2016 and fourth in 2017 under the new "Playoffs" system. In 2018, he placed 6th in the standings, marking his first winless season since 2012. Despite also going winless in 2019, Crafton made his third Championship 4 appearance and secured his third career Truck Series Championship, finishing ahead ofRoss Chastain by two spots.

In 2020, the No. 88 team was penalized ten owner and driver points before theLas Vegas race due to the discovery of an illegal engine oil reservoir tank during pre-race inspection.^[13] That season, Crafton ended his winless streak by securing a victory atKansas, along with runner-up finishes at Dover and Richmond, which placed him fifth in the final point standings. In 2021, Crafton did not win any races but still made the Championship 4. He finished 12th at Phoenix and placed fourth in the final standings.

In 2022, Crafton barely made the playoffs, narrowly holding offDerek Kraus for the final spot. He was eliminated atKansas and finished ninth in the final standings.

In 2023, Crafton made the playoffs again without winning a race, but was eliminated at Kansas. After theTalladega fall race, Crafton confrontedNick Sanchez in the garage area following an on-track incident in which their trucks made contact, triggering a multi-truck pileup.^[28] As a result, NASCAR fined Crafton $25,000 for the altercation.^[29]

On August 18, 2025, Thorsport announced Crafton's retirement from full-time racing after the2025 season.^[30] In that same announcement,Ty Majeski was announced to be replacing Crafton in the No. 88 truck.^[30]

^* Season still in progress
¹ Ineligible for series points

Part-time (2017)

In 2017, this truck competed in theEldora Dirt Derby, driven byRico Abreu.^[60][61]