RICH  LUSHES   -   ?/?/?

Rich Lushes began his track career at only two weeks old.  As the son of a small town track owner/operator, Rich grew up racing and building racecars.  As a driver and car owner, Rich was able to see and understand all aspects of the race. Through the years, he has developed the business skills needed to transform that design specialty and race intuition into a well-managed organization.  Rich has gained a lot of experience since his first job in NASCAR in 1999.  Rich Lushes has a long history of recognizing and developing young talent.  Having spent his entire life at the track, Rich has developed the technical and intuitive skills that have helped form the driving careers of many drivers.  Drivers like Michael Annett, Landon Cassill and Erik Jones started their racing careers running late-model with Rich and now enjoy the thrill of NASCAR racing.  Rich was a Truck Chief at JR Motorsports Inc., racing with Cole Custer, Kevin Harvick and Kasey Kahne.  His hard work and dedication paid off when Cole’s first NASCAR win at Louden in 2014 named him the youngest winner in NASCAR

history.  Rich’s ARCA career has spanned new drivers, such as Cody Coughlin, to 10 time ARCA Champion Frank Kimmel Sr.  It’s just as exciting to see Cody finish his first ARCA race as it is winning the 2013 ARCA championship with Frank Kimmel Sr.  Rich has also had the privilege of crew chiefing ARCA races with NASCAR drivers John Wes Townley and Cole Custer.  In 2015, Rich and Cole won at Pocono making Cole the youngest ARCA speedway winner.  Rich’s successful late-model career includes over 50 wins, 15 track records, and 30 pole wins.  Lushes got his first shot at calling the shots in the NASCAR ranks in 2016. This was for owner Shigeaki Hattori when he helped Ryan Truex in one event.  The duo teamed up to start 20th and finish 16th at Loudon NH. Since then he has worked for owner Duke Thorson of ThorSport Racing.  Lushes crawled atop the pit box the next time in 2018; for a full time run with driver Myatt Snider.  They had three top five finishes, with a best of second at Talladega.  They also had eight top tens that season.  Stats don't show him serving as a crew chief in 2019; and was only on the box twice in 2020, both times with Johnny Sauter.  They finished the races in 16th and 18th.  He was back on top of the box full time in 2021; this time with Ben Rhodes.  They posted two wins; eight top five and 16 top ten finishes; and also was crowned the Truck Series Champions.  2022 saw the duo again paired together, searching for that second championship.  They had another good year as they claimed one win; eight top five and 13 top ten finishes.  In the Championship race Rhodes had a strong truck and battled hard; but they were no match for Zane Smith who won the championship.  Rhodes finished second.  In 2023, Rich Lushes paired up with Hailie Deegan as she went to drive for ThorSport Racing.  She got off to a bad start, crashing out of the first two races.  But then they ran off a string of top 20 finishes, including a sixth, a 12th and a 13th.  For 19 races they had one top ten, six top 15 and ten top 20’s.  After that owner Duke Thorson moved Lushes over to lead Ben Rhodes the final four races of the year since Rhodes was still alive with a shot to win the Truck championship.  It proved to be a winning move as Rhodes easily made his way into the championship race at Phoenix.  There, after title contenders Corey Heim and Carson Hocevar crashed themselves out of the race; Rhodes proved to be the best remaining truck; and although finishing fifth; won the Truck Championship.  Lushes drivers have just managed to get three wins (all by Rhodes); but has two championship with Rhodes in 2021 and 2023.

 

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