Friday night set another championship banner for the NASCAR Next alumni.
As Ty Majeski dominated the evening leading 132 of 150 laps at Phoenix Raceway, he took the checkered flag for the race and for the season. Beating the other Championship 4 drivers, he claimed the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title for the first time in his career.
But Majeski knew the championship was still up for grabs all night.
“No, not really,” Majeski responded when asked about feeling in control of the race when Corey Heim battled for the lead. “Really I felt like we had a really good shot at winning this thing last night after practice. You know, over the course of my career, I’ve built up a notebook on what trucks need to feel like to win, and last night felt like a winner to me.”
It was the fourth consecutive year that a NASCAR Next alumni won the Truck Series championship. Teammate Ben Rhodes won in 2021 and 2023 with Zane Smith filling the gap in 2022. In 2023, both the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Cole Custer and the NASCAR Cup Series with Ryan Blaney won it all as the most recent alumni in their respective divisions.
For Majeski, it all started right after winning the Snowball Derby in 2020. A couple weeks and a phone call later, he would move to what is arguably the dynasty of the Truck Series with ThorSport Racing. After winning four of the last six seasons, the team continues to strive for performance across the entire garage.
“When I got that opportunity in 2022 to go full-time, we hit the ground running,” continued Majeski talking about his relationship with crew chief Joe Shear Jr. “We were competitive right off the bat. Obviously made it to the Championship 4. Didn’t win the championship, but yeah, just looking back at it, you can go back in your life, and you say, wow, there’s different decisions that changed your life and took a different direction, and that’s one of them that we made.
“It was one of the better decisions I’ve ever made to go with ThorSport. And Duke, Rhonda Thorson, they’ve built such a great culture up there, and just proud to carry the flag with them.”
Majeski still makes sure to remember his roots and that could be why many are fans of his. He continues to race late models locally and help many at the local tracks while also focusing on the national scale with the truck team.
“The biggest thing that I have learned and my dad has taught me from a young age is surround yourself with good people and good things will happen. You surround yourself with good people and stay grounded and never think you’re the best.”
That humility has now led him to being the newly crowned champion of the Truck Series.
