Success inevitably involves some sacrifice, no matter what you are backed by. ThorSport Racing is a top-ranking NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series team – they now own six championships. Being the driving storm of the Truck series, the latest one for them came last year in November when Ty Majeski wheeled the No. 98 Ford truck to a thumping victory at Phoenix Raceway.

Road Ranger was among his sponsors who supported him through a successful 2024 season when he accrued 3 wins, 10 top-fives, and 14 top-tens. However, his team is choosing to forget that partnership.

Ty Majeski’s team sheds bond for a brighter deal

Road Ranger first came on board the No. 98 team in 2022. That year also marked Ty Majeski’s full-time season with ThorSport Racing, and he picked up a pair of victories at Bristol and Homestead. With 10 top-fives and 15 top-tens in 23 starts, Majeski paved the path to glory. So Road Ranger refueled its partnership for the next two years – and we know what a success that was. “Together, we will strive for success on and off the track with the ultimate goal of winning a Championship,” Majeski claimed ahead of 2024. However, the team owners – Duke and Rhonda Thorson – are shaking up the table a bit.

Road Ranger posted a heartfelt message on Facebook recently, announcing that the brand is severing ties with ThorSport Racing. “It was a bittersweet moment as we gathered at our corporate office for a sponsorship closing meeting with NASCAR driver Ty Majeski. Over the past three incredible years, we’ve had the honor and privilege of being Ty’s primary sponsor, riding along with him on his thrilling journey in the world of professional racing.” 

But that is not the end of the story. Road Ranger’s official website offered a chronology of what happened, indicating that Ty Majeski‘s team was attracted to a bigger sponsor. Their ‘NASCAR Partnership’ article read, “We were basking in the glory of our championship win in the truck series, feeling like the kings of the track. But in the blink of an eye, we were pushed off the No. 98 truck by a different sponsor with a bigger offer.” Now that the sponsor bows out of Majeski’s fold, it has already found a new home – sponsoring the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 00 Xfinity car of Sheldon Creed.

However, Road Ranger’s bold claim of being ‘pushed off’ adds a controversial edge to this shift. Ty Majeski is soaring nonetheless.

Starting the year with a bang for ThorSport Racing

True, Road Ranger was an integral part of Ty Majeski’s growth in NASCAR. But although ThorSport Racing is severing ties with the travel center chain, Majeski is continuing to grow. In late January, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series held an organization test at Rockingham Speedway. Piloting the No. 98 Ford F-150, Majeski turned in the quickest time. He zoomed around the 1.017-mile short track in Rockingham, North Carolina, clocking in at under 22 seconds. The Seymour, Wisconsin native posted a 21.983-second lap ahead of NASCAR’s return to Rockingham during the April 18-19 weekend.

Ty Majeski’s time also equates to 166.547mph. This mark is over 20mph faster than the Truck Series track record at the same track. The earlier record was set back in 2013. After achieving the label of the fastest driver, Majeski proudly patted his team on the back. “We’re hauling ass here, I mean there’s no doubt about it.” Majeski is continuing this speed streak into the NASCAR season. He qualified in the runner-up position at Daytona International Speedway and landed a podium finish by the end. In Atlanta as well, Majeski converted a 12th-place qualifying spot into an 8th-place finish.

Ty Majeski is soaring, even in the absence of a crucial sponsor. Both are taking their own paths – Majeski in pursuing a second Truck Series title, and Road Ranger in backing Sheldon Creed.