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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

Ty Majeski’s Quest to Prove His Worth in Racing

Ty Majeski looks to cap off dream year with a championship at Phoenix (Photo: Luis Torres | The Podium Finish).

AVONDALE, Ariz. – Ty Majeski has built a reputation for being one of the most prolific short-track racers in recent memory.

When it comes to mainstream racing, it has taken a while for Majeski’s NASCAR career to get rolling.

More so, this has been the case for Majeski when other drivers have enjoyed opportunities due in large part to financial backing.

That is no longer the case as Majeski feels that momentum could not have come at a perfect time than the past month of his career.

After years of trying to break through in NASCAR, ThorSport Racing gave him a shot to run full-time this season.

He found a proper team he can consider home and it shows with his first full year in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series thanks to consistency.

Entering the Round of 8 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Majeski had yet to win.

However, he checked his mission off after capturing a victory to advance into the Championship 4.

It did not stop there as the No. 66 Toyota Tundra continued firing on all cylinders and won again at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The hot streak solidified Majeski as a favorite to bring ThorSport its second straight title.

“If we bring a championship home, it’ll be an icing on the cake,” Majeski said. “The 66 team has proved a lot this season. I know Joe (Shear, Jr., Majeski’s crew chief) is coming off two subpar seasons to his standards and I’m coming off a part-time season.

“We’ve truly proven what we wanted to this season that we can succeed at this level together. I think whether we get the championship or not, I’ll always look at this season as a successful one and relieves the pressure. I want to win it more than the next guy, but that’s kind of my mindset.”

Four years ago, Majeski was a part of the infamous driver trio for Roush Fenway Racing’s No. 60 Ford in the Xfinity Series. The other two drivers that shared the ride were Chase Briscoe and Austin Cindric.

Saying it was a disaster would be an understatement, it was the iconic car and team’s swan song in Xfinity.

Majeski and Briscoe combined for only five top-10 finishes while Cindric failed to score a top-10 for Roush (all 13 top-10s in 2018 came at Penske).

While Briscoe and Cindric ultimately became juggernauts in Xfinity and later Cup Series winners, Majeski kept himself busy. But opportunities to shine in NASCAR were hard to come by.

From 2019 to 2021, the 27-year-old only mustered five top-10 finishes in Trucks. It was a far cry from both Cindric and Briscoe’s 2017 campaigns in Trucks where both won a race apiece.

“There’s a lot of times where my career looked incredibly improbable. Having the success on the short tracks and transition to NASCAR wasn’t smooth,” said Majeski. “From the opportunities at Roush and Niece, I’ve learned at least what I needed to do different to maybe make those situations better. Not try to make something out of something that wasn’t there and put yourself in a bad spot.”

Despite not being in NASCAR full-time, it did not mean Majeski was not racing.

In fact, his stock grew by racking up wins in some of the biggest short-track events in the country. He is a two-time Slinger Nationals winner and he captured the 2020 Snowball Derby, beating the dominant Derek Thorn in the process.

Then, 2022 arrived, and safe to say, the hype around Majeski that short track racers have seen is being realized.

That first win feeling for Majeski at Bristol (Photo: Kevin Ritchie | The Podium Finish).

There have been times when Majeski felt making it to this point was improbable, particularly when his self-admitted failures prior to ThorSport unraveled.

“My short-track success has always kept me relevant,” Majeski explained. “It’s been able to keep creating some opportunities for me. Although they’re extremely hard to create but I feel like I finally found a home at ThorSport.

“It’s a huge relief for myself due to my success this year because it’s been a long road and you begin to doubt yourself when you don’t succeed at this level. I’m happy to make the most of this opportunity and prove I can win races. Not only at Bristol, but at mile and a half and I feel like Phoenix is a great track to close the season at.”

Now his worth will be put to the test in Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at Phoenix Raceway (10 p.m. ET on FS1 and MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR). No question, the biggest night of his tumultuous yet colorful young career, but the pressure is like any short track race – no nerves.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in some big moments, leading races that were far more pressure-filled,” said Majeski. “Just taking that experience and mindset of being in those positions for so long and so often in the last decade has shaped me to prepare for this moment. I don’t think there can be a moment on Friday that I haven’t experienced.”

Racers from Wisconsin have made a tremendous landmark in NASCAR. Whether it is the short track king Dick Trickle, long-time veteran Dave Marcis or even Cup champions like Matt Kenseth and Alan Kulwicki, Majeski hopes to carry the torch this Friday with a championship.

In fact, it was 30 years ago when Kulwicki won the Winston Cup championship. The Kulwicki Development Driver Program graduate looks to do the same at Phoenix, the site of Kulwicki’s maiden Cup win in 1988.

“There’s a lot of great racers that come out of Wisconsin. I feel like that’s where the honey hole is for short track and super late model races,” Majeski said. “Maybe some of the bigger races are in the south, but we have a lot of racing and great car counts there.

“Lot of great people, drivers, and teams. Sometimes Wisconsin from that standpoint flies under the radar now. Nothing would mean more than bring home a championship to Wisconsin and hopefully pave the path for paved Wisconsin racers to do the same.”

Outside of Trucks, prolific driver Josh Berry is going for the Xfinity Series title. Showcasing that short-track racing success can translate to a successful stock car career when the opportunity and budget arises.

Majeski said that winning a championship could help get rid of the stigma that late model racing is the minor leagues. As an advocate for short-track racing, exposure comes a long way in building household names.

“[Josh and I] love doing it and I’ll always go back given the opportunity to support local short tracks. Try to keep cash flow rolling in any way I can which is difficult to do,” said Majeski. “Anytime I can go back and support the series and get more people in the stands, I certainly want to do that. It all helps but it’s a long road ahead but if done right, it can be a national event. That’s certainly the goal.”

Throughout my young motorsports media career, my number-one goal is to be a personnel that can be flexible with my writing and photography in the world of NASCAR and INDYCAR. Content delivery is vital because this is my main passion and what keeps me going. On the side, I also do sports production ranging from Seattle Kraken hockey to the 2023 NCAA Women's March Madness. All for the love of the game. With four National Motorsports Press Association photography awards, I'm not slowing down anytime soon. Outside of media, I'm super vocal about my musical tastes that goes from Metallica to HAIM. At times, there might be some Paul Thomas Anderson and Southern California references in my social media.

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