BROOKLYN, Mich. — Clean air and crisp speed proved to be the difference for part-time driver Luke Fenhaus, who wheeled the No. 66 ThorSport Racing Ford to a third-place finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at Michigan International Speedway Saturday afternoon.
The result, which came after a collection of late-race cautions and three NASCAR Overtimes, is Fenhaus’ best finish in the Truck Series to date and his first top 10 in the circuit since July 2024 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP).
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“Obviously a good end result,” Fenhaus said after the race. “Good to have speed late in the race, but obviously up-and-down day. I’m happy with it, though. We put ourselves in situations that aren’t ideal, you know, and we battle with air, and man, our trucks really struggled back in dirty air, but when we got cleared out front, you know, top five, it was alright, and we could manage it and have good pace. So yeah, good day for learning. We take the positives out of it and keep moving forward.”
The 21-year-old Wisconsin native raised eyebrows leading into Saturday’s bout, logging the second-fastest practice time and the top mark during qualifying to claim his first Truck Series pole in his 12th career start in the circuit.
Such speed continued into Stages 1 and 2, when the Wisconsin native tallied a seventh- and 10th-place finish, respectively. However, the gradual reduction of clean air — and subsequent mid-pack battles — resulted in Fenhaus faltering as the race wore on.
A late-race jolt, however, came to fruition following a Lap 127 pile-up for the front of the pack, re-racking the field and eventually giving way for Fenhaus to reclaim clean air once again.
“There’s a lot of pushing going on,” Fenhaus said. “There’s no give-and-take and, you know, soon as you cross the start/finish line, you’re three-, four-wide. So it’s just part of it, you know. And I think guys on the front row had bad tires, and just happens, right? I spun the tires for first green flag, you know, just rookie move. So, yeah, that’ll happen. That’s part of the racing.”
A continuation of clean air continued for Fenhaus entering the final overtime, with the top three drivers lining the outside lane and the No. 66 taking the bottom groove behind eventual race-winner Stewart Friesen. With this positioning, Fenhaus unlocked the same speed his No. 66 Ford found in practice and qualifying, and the end result was an impressive top-five finish.
“I think just clean air, that was everything,” Fenhaus said. “I mean, when we were back in the dirty air, we could run 24th at best, 20th at best. So, to just have clean air and just have a good, solid truck. Feel like our trucks can be good up front, but we need to qualify up front, have good pit stops. Me be good on pit road. And, you know, just have a mistake-free day.”
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A convincing third-place finish is coupled with priceless on-track experience for the young Fenhaus, whose next Truck Series race is tentatively scheduled for July 25 at IRP, the same site where he achieved his prior career-high finish in the circuit.
To Friesen, the lesson learned from Michigan was a simple one.
“Learning the air. That just never ends,” Fenhaus said. “Every situation you’re in, it seems different, and every truck you have is different. So to battle that air week in and week out is huge for me, and to learn how to pass with these guys. And, you know, just learn how to race with these guys, a lot different than short track racing, but we’re gonna get it, and we’ll have good runs eventually here.”
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