Ty Majeski dominates in Phoenix to win 2024 Truck Series title

AVONDALE, Ariz. – All Ty Majeski needed was a green flag start to end his dominance of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship Race on Friday night – a win that earned him his first series title.

Majeski led 132 of 150 laps at the one-mile Phoenix Raceway, and when the 27-lap green flag run finally came at the end of the race, Majeski pulled ahead with a 3.945-second win over Corey Heim, who recovered from a restart violation and finished second.

“I can’t believe it,” said Majeski, who won for the first time in Phoenix, the third time this season and the sixth time in his career. “A big thank you to (ThorSport Racing team owners) Duke and Rhonda Thorson, (crew chief) Joe Shear Jr. – he’s a bad guy.

“It’s so much fun racing with this group. I’m so proud to have the opportunity to drive these great race trucks. There have been many times in my career where this has seemed like a distant dream. Duke and Rhonda really gave me my third chance after two failed chances – man, I can’t thank them enough.”

The championship was the second for Shear, who led Johnny Sauter to the title with GMS Racing in 2016. It was ThorSport’s sixth straight championship, in addition to three with Matt Crafton and two with 2023 champion Ben Rhodes.

ThorSport has won three of the last four Truck Series titles.

Heim rejoined the race in 19th place on lap 108 after his penalty and moved up quickly, but the driver of the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota could not overcome the speed in Majeski’s No. 98 Ford.

“I’m really disappointed that I came up so short,” said Heim, who will return for a third season at Tricon next year. “It’s hard to be upset at all. Except for the restart violation (changing lanes before the start/finish line), I did almost everything right.

“But we were able to regain our position on the track pretty quickly and make the most of it. I just didn’t have anything for the 98. He was so fast all day… We’re going to move forward with our heads held high, a six-win season – career highs for me, my team, the organization, everyone – just one spot behind the championship.”

RELATED: Unofficial results | Photos from the racetrack: Phoenix

Championship 4 drivers Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger finished third and fifth after pitting for new tires on lap 113. Although they were able to move through the field, they had nothing for the race winner.

Before the final green flag run, three quick cautions – including a six-minute, nine-second red flag for a nine-truck accident on the backstretch – interrupted the action at the start of the final stage, bringing the total number of yellows to six for 43 laps. However, after Majeski escaped in clean air after a restart on lap 124, the race was over.

Majeski started from pole position and built a lead of more than two seconds, but Heim tracked him down in traffic and passed the No. 98 Ford on lap 39 to take the top position.

Three laps later, Frankie Muniz’s Ford spun after contact with William Sawalich’s Toyota, ending the first 45-lap stage under caution.

But Majeski reclaimed the lead and Eckes moved up to second after Heim slipped over the markings due to the stage break caution in his pit stall and finished third.

Heim complained on the team radio that the concrete box was one of the slipperiest he had ever experienced.

Majeski flipped the script in Stage 2, passing Heim on lap 71, six laps after a restart that followed Jack Wood’s hard crash into the wall in Turn 2.

At the end of the stage on lap 90, Majeski had extended his lead to 3.597 seconds. However, stage wins played no role for the Championship 4 contenders, who would only secure the title in the hectic final section of the race.

Nick Sanchez finished fourth, making him the only non-Championship 4 driver to finish in the top five. Taylor Gray finished sixth, followed by Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Rhodes and Layne Riggs.