CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA – MAY 27: Ty Majeski, driver of the #66 American Racing Wheels Toyota, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 27, 2022 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Entering the 2022 Camping World Truck Series Playoffs, Ty Majeski is having a season that’s up to par with the top of the field.
He’s tied for third in season top 10s with 10 and tied for second in top-five finishes with seven. Even without a victory, Majeski is on solid ground to start his run toward a championship.
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What you may not know about Majeski is that his quality season comes in his first full-time NASCAR campaign. He joined the ARCA Menards Series in 2016, running a part-time schedule, which would be the story for Majeski’s next five years.
Majeski saw part-time rides in the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing (2018) and Niece Motorsports (2020) before an opportunity arose with ThorSport Racing.
“I told them I was interested and a few months later, they got back to me and offered me an engineering job and said they would put together a few races for me in 2021 and with the intentions of building something bigger in the future,” Majeski said.
He ran just four Truck Series races in 2021 but grabbed two top-10 results at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Nashville Superspeedway.
In February, ThorSport announced that Majeski would run a full-time 2022 schedule.
Safe to say, Majeski is making the most of his maiden full-time season.
Majeski credited the success he’s had this season to learning from past champions like Matt Crafton, Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes.
“It’s cool to be a part of that seniority,” Majeski said. “Ben [Rhodes], Matt Crafton & Johnny Sauter have all won championships so it’s nice to have those guys as assets and at our disposal to seek advice going to a new track or how to handle different situations.”
Majeski isn’t the only full-time newbie at ThorSport as Christian Eckes returned to full-time racing this season, driving the No. 98 for the team.
Neither has been able to secure wins this season but both start the postseason above the Round of 8 cutline entering the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park Friday.
“They are certainly turning it on at the right time,” Rhodes said. “They were good at the start of the year but have gotten better and better as the years progressed. To have all four trucks in the playoff is pretty dang good. I don’t think any team’s done that recently.”
With Majeski first working as an engineer for ThorSport, he’s said he’s able to keep his mind occupied during the week to keep the pressure off him before the race weekend.
“I keep myself preoccupied in the shop. It’s business as usual,” Majeski said. “I have a day job at ThorSport and work with my crew to come up with setups for race day so it keeps my mind occupied during the week. It’s made me better as a driver knowing what I’m going to the racetrack with and having input each and every week. It’s a part of what’s made us good at every type of track.”
Majeski opens the postseason seventh in the 10-driver playoff standings with a slight four-point gap over Grant Enfinger, who sits just below the cutline.
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The 2022 Truck Series Playoffs open Friday at IRP (9 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“When I came to ThorSport, this is what I envisioned and hoped for,” Majeski said. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and do what I always thought I could do. Duke and Rhonda have assembled a great team around me.”