From Dale Sr to Jeff Gordon, Ben Rhodes Joins Elite List of Champions to Raise NASCAR’s Banner in MLB

NASCAR veterans have dazzled motorsports fans for several decades. Yet the maximum thrill and goosebumps come when the racing series interacts with other sports domains. In unique sports crossovers, top-performing racers have often headed over to their baseball neighbors’ playing fields and cheered for them. Ben Rhodes is a recent addition to that list of stars.

Rhodes competes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and has carved out a name for himself there. Being the winner of two Truck Championships is no minor thing. The 7-time race winner recently shed his racing worries on a baseball field.

Ben Rhodes rewound in a ball game ahead of an important race

The intersection of America’s favorite pastime and NASCAR is not a new thing. Veteran racer Dale Earnhardt was a Kannapolis, N.C. native. The town is also home to the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. Their previous name was ‘The Intimidators’, a resounding tribute to the seven-time Cup champion who bought a share of the franchise in November 2000.

Although Smith Family Baseball purchased the team from Dale Earnhardt Inc., the nickname reigned till late. Then the baseball team put up a fan poll for a new name. This decision was not received well by The Intimidator’s children, Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kelley Earnhardt.

Dale Jr tweeted: “I remember how proud dad was of this. What a shame it has to end.”

But NASCAR continues to mingle with its baseball counterpart, Major League Baseball. Recently Truck champion Rhodes showed up at a University of Tennessee baseball game in Knoxville. He did the honors of throwing the first pitch. He also snatched the chance to promote the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Other renowned racing personalities have also thrown pitches at MLB games. In May 2005, Jeff Gordon threw out the opening pitch of the Chicago Cubs’ 4-2 win over the Houston Astros. He also added a personal touch that charmed the audience. Gordon tried to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, stirring up quite a reaction among baseball fans.

Kurt Busch happens to be an avid baseball fan too, who threw first pitches at several games (Chicago, Boston, Arizona, Milwaukee, and Seattle). In 2011, a baseball bug bit him. He made it a ritual to attend games at all 30 MLB stadiums. “I don’t know what the initial trigger was to start it,” Busch told ESPN. “It was like, ‘Hey, I can go to all these parks and accomplish something that is a personal goal in life.’ ”

As Ben Rhodes enters a dazzling list of racers with baseball hobbies, he is looking forward to a bright year after reuniting with an old sponsor.

Rhodes eager to get on a winning streak again with the previous sponsor

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In last week’s Las Vegas Truck race, Ben Rhodes swerved to a 13th-place finish as Rajah Caruth secured his first victory. The event marked Rhodes’ renewed partnership with Kubota Tractor Corporation. Kubota and Rhodes have battled storms together in earlier years.

Todd Stucke, President of Kubota Tractor Corporation, stated: “When we started this partnership with ThorSport and Ben, he was already a champion, and we couldn’t have been more excited to see him cross the finish line to win his second and bring home the trophy to Kubota Country.”

Ben Rhodes is thrilled to represent the brand again. “We’ve had some great highlights over the years competing for wins and championships. I think 2024 is going to be an even better year.”

As Rhodes is mingling with his baseball friends, he may be well on his way to securing a spot in the Truck Hall of Fame.

Read More: Exclusive: Ben Rhodes Calls for NASCAR’s “Intervention” After Denny Hamlin & Kyle Busch Outburst to Truck Series Disgrace