ThorSport Racing has decided to swap the crew chiefs on two of its Craftsman Truck Series teams ahead of Friday evening's race at Pocono Raceway (5 p.m. ET on FS1).
According to NASCAR's roster portal, Rich Lushes will take most of his crew to the No. 66 team to work with Luke Baldwin this weekend. If this change remains in place for the rest of the season, he will work with a variety of drivers, including Supercars veteran Cam Waters.
Crew chief Doug George and most of his crew will move to the No. 99 team to work with two-time Truck Series champion Ben Rhodes. This crew will aim to help Rhodes move from below the playoff cutline to a spot where he can contend for his third title.
This timing is key considering that only five races remain in the regular season. Six of the 10 playoff spots have been claimed by race winners.
This is not the first time that ThorSport Racing has decided to make a midseason crew chief swap. The team did so in 2023 while moving Lushes from Hailie Deegan's team to Rhodes's. This move paved the way for the No. 99 team's second championship in three seasons.
Last season, Lushes started the year with Rhodes. However, he moved to Jake Garcia's team after eight races while Doug Randolph moved to the No. 99 team. The two-time Truck champion made the playoffs but went winless as a first-round elimination.
#NASCAR - Ben Rhodes won two championships with Rich Lushes, but @ThorSportRacing put Doug Randolph on the No. 99 team starting at Darlington. The change has provided an education that Rhodes has embraced. pic.twitter.com/7cJP1oliqk
— John Newby (@JohnNewby_) August 11, 2024
George is no stranger to Truck Series competition. He has been the crew chief for 341 races over 22 years, and he has worked with a sizable list of drivers. His stint in NASCAR's third-tier series includes two wins with Kyle Busch during the 2009 season.
This season, George has worked with three drivers -- Johnny Sauter, Baldwin, and Luke Fenhaus. The best outing from this group took place at Michigan International Speedway two weeks ago. Fenhaus won the pole for the first time in his career and then he finished third overall.
The Truck Series teams will now head to Pocono Raceway to continue the regular season. After that is the inaugural race at Lime Rock Park, a road course in Connecticut.
The rest of the regular season includes trips to Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Watkins Glen International, and Richmond Raceway. This trip to Richmond will finalize the 10-driver playoff field.