“There’s some pressure”: Jake Garcia opens up being the only titleless NASCAR Truck driver on his team

Right in his sophomore season, driving full-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, Jake Garcia of ThorSport Racing is facing quite some pressure. After all, 2025 is going to be his first appearance in the coveted playoffs.

But that’s not exactly why Garcia is under pressure. His three teammates, Matt Crafton, Ben Rhodes, and Ty Majeski, are former Truck Series champions, making Garcia the only driver from the ThorSport camp who has yet to bag the ultimate honor.

"You know, we’ve got a really strong team," the #13 driver said during Truck Series Playoffs media day. “I’m the only full-time driver that hasn’t won a championship, so I think there’s some pressure that comes along with that, too. Entering the playoffs to get a championship, that way you’re not maybe the odd man out anymore.”

Jake Garcia will receive the backing of his three awesome teammates as he ventures into his career-first playoff journey. And this includes Crafton, who won back-to-back championships from 2013 to 2014 and again in 2019.

“He brings a ton of experience every week,” Jake Garcia said of Crafton. “If I ever need anything, I can ask him a question, and he usually has an answer for me, because he’s been to that track so many times. So you know, I’m really thankful to have him as a teammate, and I’m looking forward to finishing out the rest of the year with him.”

Garcia is now ahead of the opening race of the playoffs, scheduled for Saturday, August 30. Named Sober or Slammer 200, the 147-lap event will be televised live on Fox Sports 1 (12 pm ET) with live radio updates on NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Surrounded by champion banners, Jake Garcia is ready to rely on his ThorSport teammates

NASCAR has always been a team sport. Jake Garcia, who is currently in his second year driving for a premier organization like ThorSport Racing, is well aware of that.

Luckily, he has excellent help. Besides Matt Crafton, Garcia will have the aid of Ben Rhodes, a two-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, and Ty Majeski, the reigning series champion.

Garcia trusts his teammates. Speaking of the same, the 20-year-old from Monroe, Georgia, said in a statement,

“I think that I can rely on my teammates, you know, Matt Crafton and Ben Rhodes and Ty as well. You know, for some advice on entering this deal, because they've been in this situation before, and I haven't, so I'll use a little bit of their help.”

“Some of my guys have been on a championship team as well. So I think that all plays into our advantage entering these playoffs,” he added.

Currently, Jake Garcia sits 10th in the driver standings with 2002 points, 3 points below the cutoff line. Besides Garcia, Majeski, who ranks sixth, is the only one from ThorSport Racing who made the postseason this year.