SPORTS

Louisville's Rhodes on verge of NASCAR records

Jonathan Lintner
@JonathanLintner

Recent graduates of NASCAR's K&N Pro Series East include Sprint Cup Series drivers Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon, the Nationwide Series' Chase Elliott and Truck Series' Darrell Wallace Jr. Before them, Joey Logano cut his teeth in the same developmental ranks.

Louisville native Ben Rhodes is a victory away from a feat none of those drivers accomplished on their way to competing in NASCAR's top-three national circuits.

With a win in Friday's Granite State 100 at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Rhodes would tie Ricky Craven's 23-year-old record for consecutive Pro Series East victories at five. He'd also match current Nationwide Series driver Dylan Kwasniewski's mark for most wins in a single season set last year at six.

"You aren't going to be crossing your fingers behind your back, are you?" Rhodes asked Craven, now an ESPN commentator, on a national NASCAR teleconference this week.

"I want to see you tie this weekend," Craven told the 17-year-old Rhodes, "and I really think you've got a great shot, not only because of all the things that have happened recently and the momentum that goes with that, but New Hampshire is a good track in terms of if you have a fast car and you have a real good feel for the car that day, it's big enough that you can maneuver around other drivers. So I think it's a good place to get that fifth in a row."

Rhodes, a rising senior at Holy Cross High School, has enjoyed a tremendous first season in the full-time NASCAR ranks. His average finish through nine races is 3.2 and, in addition to the wins, he's scored eight top-five finishes and four poles. Rhodes' points lead with seven events remaining is 71, putting him on pace to join Kwasniewski, Logano and the 1991 champion Craven as title winners.

Green flag for Friday's race is 6 p.m. at the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval. The Granite State 100 will be broadcast at noon July 20 on Fox Sports 1.

Running a part-time Pro Series East slate last year, Rhodes finished fourth at New Hampshire. But in that race, he remembered having a fast car but scraping the wall early, preventing a better result.

"I've got to learn to make my own luck and keep myself out of that position," Rhodes said. "When you do that, that's when you run up front, also. You just have to have control of your race weekend, and you have to own it, and that's what we've been trying to do this year and make the most out of every race."

Rhodes' success has prompted a number of questions about the future of the former Southern Indiana karting star. Making it to the Cup Series is his goal, and Rhodes would be the first Louisville native to race there full time if he does so.

Next year, he admitted this week, Rhodes would rather race in the Nationwide Series than the Truck Series if given the choice.

"I think it would be an easier jump from the K&N cars to Nationwide and an easier jump from Nationwide to Sprint Cup," he said.

Rhodes would also require a larger primary sponsor. Alpha Energy Solutions, a Louisville-based mechanical service contractor run by his father, currently funds his No. 41 Chevrolet team in the Pro Series East.

"But that's looking pretty far ahead," he said. "…I think sponsors and funding is a little bit better for Nationwide Series. I think the following is a little bit more."

Rhodes has signed on to drive five Truck Series races this season for his Turner Scott Motorsports team.

He has concerns about his future that don't involve racing, too. When summer ends, there's a move back from North Carolina to Louisville for school.

Rhodes is supposed "to be there for orientation Aug. 8," he said, "but I'm going to be in Watkins Glen racing, so I'll miss that."

No worries. Rhodes is also a 4.0 student.

Jonathan Lintner can be reached at (502) 582-4199. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanLintner.