Majeski Looks To Make Up for Last Year at Milwaukee Mile
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After winning the opening race of the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Ty Majeski came to the Milwaukee Mile full of hope and confidence.
The Seymour, Wisconsin native had plenty of experience at the venerable Wisconsin State Fair Park track. He’d won in the ASA Midwest Tour super late model series and was set to put all that local knowledge to good use as the Truck Series made its return to Milwaukee for the first time since 2009.
The weekend started off well for Majeski as he was fastest in Saturday’s practice in the No. 98 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150. Race day proved to be a different story. During pre-race inspection, NASCAR found something it didn’t like about the valve stem on the truck’s right rear tire. Crew Chief Joe Shear, Jr. was immediately ejected from the event while Majeski was forced to start from the rear of the field and serve a drive-through penalty on the race’s first lap.
“Yeah, we just didn’t really have anything go right,” Majeski said at the time. “I got to eleventh in the first stage, which was ahead of schedule and had a bad pitstop and had to do it all over again. Just in the hornet's nest, I could never get above that hump.”
Majeski salvaged a seventh-place finish at the end, but knew he missed an opportunity in front of the home folks.
“Obviously, would have liked to start in our starting spot and been able to fight from there, but we just honestly, obviously, started behind the eight ball and then made too many mistakes trying to make the comeback. You can maybe overcome one of those but there's just too much today for us to ever get over that hump.
“But, we weren't really that great today. We just missed the package here a little bit.”
Days later, ThorSport and Majeski were each docked 75 points and five playoff points in their respective standings by NASCAR. Shear was also fined $25,000 and suspended for the next four Craftsman Truck Series events, essentially putting paid to Majeski’s title hopes.
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As Majeski and Shear return to Milwaukee for the LIUNA 175 this weekend and the start of the 2024 playoffs, they find themselves on a hot streak having won back-to-back races at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park and Richmond Raceway.
“Yeah, I think it's just timing. These tracks are just good tracks for myself and Joe and our package and what we do at ThorSport. We've been obviously searching hard, trying to find speed. And I think there were times throughout the season where we showed it. Other times, we've been a little bit off. It's been good to put a good stretch of races together right before these playoffs, and get the morale up in the shop and get the confidence rolling.
“I feel really good about where we're at. And, yeah, we're ready to make another run, go back home to Wisconsin, to Milwaukee to open up the playoffs. I can't think of a better spot to go.”
For Majeski, racing at the Milwaukee Mile is about more than just the home cooking.
“Wisconsin is such a great area for racing in general, whether it’s dirt racing or late model racing. There are a ton of fans in Wisconsin. I think it would be a huge missed opportunity if NASCAR didn’t go there in some way, shape or form, whether it be Road America, Milwaukee or some other track. There are just a ton of fans there that love racing, that are true hardcore race fans and I’m thankful to experience them all the time.
“I’m thankful enough to race in Wisconsin on the late model side a ton and I know what those fans offer there. I think Milwaukee was a huge success last year, at least visually from the infield. The stands were packed, which we don’t see at a lot of these Truck races, so hopefully we keep finding a way to go back to Wisconsin.
“Honestly, I love going back home to Milwaukee,” Majeski continued. “I think that's so cool to have a home race. It's about an hour and a half from where I grew up. We'll have a lot of friends, family, sponsors that have sponsored me through the late model ranks, that can go in and be a part of my career in NASCAR and share that with them. So, I love going back home.
“Really want to go back to Milwaukee and have a better showing than what we did last year. We were coming off of the IRP win going into Milwaukee last year, and you know, we were the favorites, and we want to go back there with a little bit different mindset, a bit different package.”
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Making Majeski one of the favorites again this weekend, is his experience at the Milwaukee Mile.
“I’ve been to Milwaukee probably six or seven times. I have two wins there in a super late model and have my one Truck start, so I have some experience there. Obviously, it’s a race that really eluded me for a lot of years on the late model side. I think my first win there wasn’t until 2021 and I’ve been racing there since around 2014. I’ve raced there about once a year. There were a couple off years in there where the track shut down and we didn’t go there, but I have some experience there which helps.
“The rest of the series, having just gone back there last year, a lot of these guys either have no experience there or one race, max, so I feel like it’s a home type track for me. I definitely probably have the most seat time there in the series and that’s always a help anytime you go to any of these racetracks.”
Milwaukee experience or not, competitor Nick Sanchez believes Majeski is one of the top three drivers he has to worry about in the playoffs, period. Majeski doesn’t disagree.
“I think we’re one of those top three contenders, for sure, especially coming off of these two wins. I think we’re probably carrying the most momentum in the series right now. I feel like maybe our valleys have been a little bit lower than the 19 (Christian Eckes) and the 11 (Corey Heim), but I feel like our peaks have been similar, so as long as we can just peak at the right time and keep this momentum going, there’s no reason why we can’t be a competitor when we hopefully get to Phoenix.
“I feel good about where we’re at. Our team is in a really good spot. We’re working really well together right now. Obviously, coming off of two wins is a huge deal. Our 98 team always seems to peak right about playoff time, so we’re ready for another good playoff run.”
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As far as what he took from last year’s abbreviated playoff run, Majeski was straight to the point.
“We had a pretty big barrier last year. We didn’t have the chief (Shear) up on the (pit) box, so that was a big deal. We’ve got him back full force and we’re ready to go make another run at this thing.”
With NASCAR yet to announce if it will return to Milwaukee next year, Majeski admits to an additional sense of urgency going into Sunday’s race.
“A little bit. Knowing that it might be the last race there we want to win (it). We want to go there and I’ve always wanted to win a NASCAR level race at my home track in Milwaukee, so there’s natural pressure starting the playoffs and we do more to prepare for playoff races, just like any pro sport team. You start putting all of the effort that you have and all the resources that you have come playoff time. You always try to step up your game. It sort of is still business as usual. You show up to every racetrack to win, but try and cross your t’s and dot your i’s and put as much effort in as you can into all of these playoff races and not just Milwaukee.
“It would certainly be a special win if we were able to pull off three in a row and win at Milwaukee. It would probably be the most special win of my career.”
37 trucks are on the entry list. There will be a 20-minute practice session at 3:00 PM CDT Saturday with single truck qualifying immediately afterwards. Sunday’s LIUNA 175 is set for 3:00 PM CDT.