The best part about Ben Rhodes’ 2021 Truck Series championship win was his unabashedly humorous post-race press conference. When the ThorSport Racing driver won his second title this season, anticipation grew for Rhodes to produce similarly quirky gems last weekend. The 2023 champion did not disappoint in the 16 minutes he commanded the stage after his victory lap. 

One highlight of his interview was when Rhodes went in a tangential direction to suddenly claim, “Dinosaurs aren’t real”. In an exclusive chat with EssentiallySports, Ben Rhodes confessed Hailie Deegan’s fiancé Chase Cabre’s involvement in it.

Hailie Deegan’s fiancé Chase Cabre rolled on the floor laughing after bizarre Ben Rhodes statement

After winning the coveted championship trophy for the second time in a span of three years, Ben Rhodes was understandably ecstatic in his post-race press conference. The #99 Ford driver left the audience of eminent journalists in splits when he was asked to address the forum after well-earned celebratory drinks. From mentioning his earlier steak dinner to incorrectly referencing The Beautiful Mind, Rhodes ensured his delightful responses could not possibly be forgotten in the years to come. 

In fact, many in the racing community would desire more titles in his accomplished resume just to share his boundless energy and merriment in the end. When the ES team enquired the racer about that joyous experience, Ben Rhodes responded, “It was fantastic. And I was saying all kinds of things. I wish I remember half of it. The one that everybody seems to quote me on, is dinosaurs aren’t real.” Interestingly, Rhodes admitted he said it in the press conference about being urged by none other than Chase Cabre.

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It would be natural to wonder how Hailie Deegan’s fiancé managed to play a role in Rhodes’ championship speech. The ThorSport Racing driver and Deegan’s former teammate revealed in an exclusive scoop that the duo were actually good friends off the racing tracks. And Cabre had dared Rhodes to make that uproarious comment if he were to win. Rhodes said, “So I had a bet, or it was more like a dare, really, because I didn’t get anything out of it with Hailie Deegan’s fiance. His name is Chase Briscoe, or, sorry, Chase Cabre.”

Watch this story: Hailie Deegan’s Narrow Escape

The #99 driver further recalled, “He was a racer in his own time, and he still races today on dirt stuff. Well, we became friends. And he texted me before the race and said, ‘If you win this thing, you have to say dinosaurs aren’t real’. And I was like, ‘Okay, deal’. I just agreed to do it. Somehow I remembered, and I just threw it in there real fast. And then he sends me a video. He’s just laughing, just rolling on the ground laughing. So I’m glad he got a good kick out of it.” As far as the overall event, the two-time title winner declared he had no regrets about it.

Rhodes was proud of his second championship and wanted the world to know it

Despite winning the Truck championship two years ago, Ben Rhodes was written off as a serious title contender this season. The #99 driver produced one win and three Top 5 finishes in the regular season and was less favored by racing experts than other drivers with more wins such as Carson Hocevar or Corey Heim. 

However, Rhodes displayed an incredible combination of skill and mental strength when restarts mounted with multiple cautions. Ultimately, Rhodes overcame all odds to win a chaotic championship race in Phoenix. After the arduous journey that led to that moment of unbridled joy, Ben Rhodes did not wish to waste a single moment before commencing the celebrations.

Rhodes admitted, “I probably should have been more formal in my interviews and maybe a little better put together. But I let my guard down and I was having fun, and I was being myself, and I know there are some people that didn’t like that, but I wasn’t hiding the second championship. I’ve been working at this for 20 years now, and I finally got my second one. So if I don’t celebrate and have fun, then what am I doing?”

The Truck champion fought hard for the checkered flag till the very last second and earned the right to celebrate his day in the sun with aplomb. As exclusively shared with EssentiallySports, Ben Rhodes deserved to loosen his battle gear after emerging victorious in the war of the season.

Exclusive: “Trucks Aren’t Just for Everybody”- Ben Rhodes Delivers a Fiery Verdict on Former Teammate Hailie Deegan’s Xfinity Break