August 4, 2024 • 29 mins
What's behind the success in women's sports and getting to know a local champion. All this week in a special "sports" edition of "Kentucky Focus" with Scott Fitzgerald!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is a special sports edition of Kentucky Focus. As
we head towards the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the
fall sports season is slamping up in earnest in our
state and for Kentucky, college sports is a big deal
and how the landscape has changed recently in just the
last few years. We've seen the rise at women's sports conference, realignment,
the transfer portal, and of course name, image and likeness.
(00:25):
I took some time to talk to a local coach
who just signed an extension with their school and got
their impression of the many changes plus summer Staple Motorsports,
it's pointing towards the end of the year with their
regular season, and Kentucky is home to a two time
reigning series champion. We'll spend a few minutes with this
driver and find out what he's been up to. It's
all about Kentucky, and it's all about sports, and it's
(00:46):
time to focus right here on Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky focus on kNN.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, it's take it a while, but leave a little
doubt that in twenty twenty four, women's basketball is a
force to be reckoned with. At the NCAA Women's Tournament
this year, the final game between South Carolina and Iowa
averaged nearly eighteen point seven million viewers, peaking at twenty
four million on a combined ESPN ABC telecast. According to ESPN,
that marked just the first time a women's final out
(01:28):
drew the men. Joining us is for your letter winner
at Eastern Kentucky who left as a leading rebounder and
second leading score She's a sacred heart alum and they
know a thing or two about who's there and was
the head coach at Florida Atlantic before she earned a
conference title in NCAA Tournament birth. She's now entering her
thirteenth season at the Helm of the Bellamant Knights were,
of course talking about Chancellor Dugan.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Greetings, coach, thanks for taking time to talk to us.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Scott, thank you so much for having me just longtime fan,
you know, listen to you a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, thank you for having that means so much coach,
thank you. I appreciate you saying that. Yeah, I just
you know, my wife and daughter of Bellamin grads. We
love Bellaman, we love doing things at Bellaman and being
a part of that program.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And so it's an honor for me to talk to
you for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And Coach, I gotta ask you, you've seen plenty of
highs and lows in your career. After taking Florida Atlantic
to the tournament, you arrive at D two Bellaman and
your first season you'll lead them to a winning season
after two straight losing seasons. Now just three years later,
you go twenty four and four, You get a top
twenty ranking heading into the tournament. Then comes the adjustment
to D one down the road. What has this ride
(02:34):
been like for you, coach?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, that that ride, you know, winning the championship here,
you know Division two you know was you know DBC
championship was really was really awesome, you know, and but
you know, to make the leap to go Division one
and then do it it is hard enough. You know,
(02:56):
it's like going and I tell all the tell everybody
all the time. It's like, you know, playing eighth grade
basketball and now you're going to play college basketball.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
You know, it's that big of a league and.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
So but then do it during the pandemic, that was
that was something else. So you know, I tell the girls,
you know that we're here. You know, the women on
my team that were here, you know, they set that foundation.
They had to go through so much and so you know,
it was so hard and just to navigate, you know,
(03:32):
through that much less try to get you know, wins
and wins. So you know it was, uh, they played,
they gave me everything they had and they played as
hard as they could. And and you know, I've got
you know, some lifelong relationship with those kids, you know,
on on that on those teams, and you know, they
(03:53):
just set up the foundation for where we are right now.
And uh, you know, I'm looking forward to what we
can do moving forward in this league and being able
to you know, go to the tournament, you know, and
that's that's a goal down the road, and you know,
we want to be able to to be able to
do that. So love forward to it.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And we're talking with coach Chancellor Dugan women's basketball coach
and Bellaman University just signed an extension too, going to
be around for a bit longer, which I think we're
all happy to see.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Coach really excited about it too.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I was going to ask you, how did how did
that make you feel when the university said, hey, let's
let's extend you out, coach, let's keep.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It here front.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I mean, you know, coming off, you know, a ten
win season, you know, and it's the most we've ever had. Uh,
you know, in in Division one, coming off of a
season where you know, you think that you're going to
have uh, you know, a leading scorer, leading rebounder, you know,
a son freshman of the year back, but you know,
(04:50):
know she's red shirting. So you know, we had to
really pivot uh and and put in offense and defense
that I'm normally not uh you know, I normally not do.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Uh. So you know we had to and the girl,
the kids bought in. Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
They they did everything we wanted them to do. Uh,
and we ended up winning more games uh than we
ever have. So uh, you know that was that was
really something that was very special, you know to us.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
You know, in the trajectory of where we are going
is going up.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I'm glad you're talking about that, Coach, because I wanted
to talk to you about your recruiting.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You've been hitting the recruiting trail pretty.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Hard and bringing home some local talent, uh, like former
Sacred Heart All State selection Aaron Toller. She began her
post Doctrie era at UK. Now she's coming back home.
How big of a factor is she gonna be this year?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
She's gonna be huge for us. I mean, you know, Aaron,
she's such a great kid too. I mean, she's she's
doing everything that we want her to do. She's she's
playing so hard right now and doing you know, doing great.
You know, we're we're not really you know, doing a
lot this summer. We're shooting a lot, we're playing some
on three and and you know, just really getting to
(06:02):
know each other, you know, because we had four returners
off last year's squad. UH, so we've got eight new
ones coming in and you know it's just we've got
you know, I'm picking up a kid, you know, tonight
at the airport, you know, from from Serbia, and then
we got a kid from Egypt coming in at the
UH at the middle of August. So you know, we're
we're still you know, getting getting to know each other.
(06:22):
And that's you know, really kind of where uh what
what we're doing right now in the summer.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And I want to talk about some of that local
talent too again, coach that that you're bringing in and
you went to Bullet East and got former charge of
Anna Rogers. She's a problem member of the Bullet East
one thousand club.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
How big is that to keep some of this local
talent at home?
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You know, I think it's big.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You know, Anna has has come in and you know,
she's exceeded all of the coaching staff, you know, because
she was hurt last year, you know, and and uh,
you know, probably didn't get the looks you know that
she deserved. But you know, we're we're very happy that
she's on the team and you know, just uh, you know,
she's probably gonna be pushing, you know, for for some minutes.
So well, you know, I think I think everybody on
(07:02):
the team right now is just really competitive. And you know,
the how how we're practicing right now is really pleasing
to me and to my staff because you know, they're
they're competing every single day and every single you know,
even though we're just shooting and doing that, they're competing
in their shooting events, you know, and just you know,
looking down. They got twenty a lot. We need to
(07:24):
get more than that, you know. So, uh, it's it's
really nice.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Talking with Chancellor Chancellor Dugan had women's basketball coach at
Bellamane University on the heels of her signing an extension,
going to be around for a bit. Is they're on
the upswing there at bellaman and coach you mentioned the
player from Serbia. I assume you were talking about Mina Melosovich.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Is that right, Yes, Yeah, okay, I was. I was
just reading about her. How big of an impact is
she going to make for you this year?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
She's gonna make a huge impact.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
She was recruited out of a two years at a
at a school up.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
In Maine, and uh, you know, she was highly recruited
out of there, but really chose said that she was
not gonna play, that she was going to go pro
back home, and just really late got you know, thinking
about it, and she's like, no, I think I want
to play. So, you know, we were very very fortunate
to come in, swoop in and get her.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So we're we're really excited about her.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
At six too. She's gonna bring a little height to
you too, right.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
He's got some heights.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
She can shoot, she can take it out the dribble, yeah,
you know she can, she can post up, so you know,
she's she's really versatile in what.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
We want to do. Coach, that will fit our style.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Very nice, Coach Chancellor Dugan talking with US head women's
basketball coach at Bellerman University. Coach, let's talk about some
things facing women's basketball right now, and let's start off
from the obvious. As we mentioned in the open, the
ratings were off the chain for the women's National Championship game,
pretty much all year for women's basketball. What is driving
the surge not only in women's sports, do you think,
but women's basketball and women's sports.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
I think it's you talking about it. I think it's
the you know, everybody picking up on it. Uh. You know,
I've always said in my you know, thirty plus years
of coaching, I said, if you will give us the
time that you give the men's basketball, you know, on
the front page of the paper, on the front headlines,
(09:16):
every every you know, radio show talking about it, every
ESPN show talking about it, if you'll give us that
time and talk about us like you do men's basketball,
you will see the numbers come to us.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
And I think you've seen it.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Yeah, I think that you know that that you have
seen what what can happen when you look at our game,
because our game is good, our game is exciting.
Speaker 6 (09:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, there's not many that can dunk, but there's there's
some that can dunk out there. But you know, I
think that you know, basketball loyalists and purists really want
to come see like what we can do, how we
move the ball, you know, how we shoot the basketball,
and you know, I think that it's exciting brand of
(10:03):
basketball that we play.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And I think in large part too, it's players like
and I hate that you lost her this year. That
of course, Gracie Merkle, because she when when she was
in there and in there as a freshman, she was
a dynamic player and funded I mean, she got after it.
She scrapped as hard as any of the any of
the fellas I've seen, and I think you see that
across the board and women's basketball as we've seen in
the w n B A. I mean, look how hard
(10:26):
they go in the w NBA. That's to me, that's basketball.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, I mean it's I mean, if you watched, if
you know, you watch the w NBA All Stars versus
the USA team. I mean, that is indicative of where
we are right now. Those young players are pushing so
hard against Tarazi, you know, and and you know all
(10:52):
those girls that have been there, done.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
That, you know.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
I mean, it's it's incredible, uh, you know, just the
amount of talent. And I think that you know, the
w NBA sees that because they're like, Okay, we need
to expand, yeah, you know, and so they're you know,
in twenty six, you know, two more teams are coming in,
you know, and that just is going to open up,
you know, such a level of competitiveness and opportunities, you know,
(11:20):
for these college players because you know, you saw even
the first round kids, first round picks in the w
NBA didn't get picked up on a team.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Right, you know, so well, And I think Geno Arima
said it best too when he was talking about this,
and he thinks one of the main states for women's
college basketball East for now is that the ladies stick
around at the same school for a while. You're not
seeing this in and out of the portal the way
the way it is with the men.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And I hope it stays that way.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I do too, because right, because then you can develop
something some sort of following with the players. And yes,
and I think coach, that's what That's why I love
Belleman Athletics so much because, as we mentioned, it is
such a homegrown, organic product, and there's talent in our
backyard that's right here. And we saw that when Gracie
Merkle was at at Bellerman. And when you keep that
(12:09):
talent at home, people get excited. Look at TBT, I
mean you.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Know, oh yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Know people have seen you know, right, and they want
to come back and see it, you know, whether it
be at University of Kentucky where Velle, whether it be
at Bellerman.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I mean, you know those guys that played, you know
on the TV t everybody came out to watch them
and they wanted to see them, you know. And that's
that's why, you know, it's so great to have like
Ashley Harris on our team, you know, right from Sacred Heart.
You know, have Hope Savory on our team from Mercy,
you know, I mean those kids right there. Everybody when
(12:43):
we got Hope back here, everybody was like, oh my god,
we got Hope coming back, you know, And uh, I
mean just her family alone is like a seating section,
you know, in Freedom all so.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
We know that right it would see it to your point,
we know the Savorys because we go to Say Martha,
so we know the Savory families from over at Saint
Martha when my daughter went to school there. And when
you keep these products at home, it gives that that
community bond and they're good players. And that's why I
think Bellermane is so good for athletics in this town.
And and what you're doing again, we're talking with coach
(13:15):
Chancellor Dugan and we're talking Belline women's basketball in the
state of women's athletics in general, which are enjoying just
some banner times right now. And coach, I do want
to ask you, and I l how has it changed
the game from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
O Like sever right, it's just you know, I mean,
you know, I've gone through and seen everything.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that
the NCAA would have given so much.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
Autonomy too, because it's like the Wai Wall West.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, the rules change and update daily to that thing,
you know, and it's just it's amazing that uh, you know,
that is out there and that is a vehicle for them.
I mean, kudos to you know, the student athletes, you know,
but you know, I would I would have liked to
(14:16):
have seen a little bit more control on that, you
know when they rolled that out, and I think the
incident of a is probably thinking that same thing that
they should have had more control over it because they're
trying to pull.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
It back a little bit.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Yeah, but once that cats out of the bag, I
don't know how you can put it back in.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
That's that was gonna be my next question for you, coach.
You see any changes coming to that or is it
just going to be something coaches are going to have
to adapt to.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
I mean I think it's just you know, we're adapting
to it.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I mean, you know, we have we have an initiative here,
you know, going at for women's basketball at Bellaman and
and uh you know, and and so you know we
are we're not going to be behind in that. You know,
we are going to be on the forefront of that.
And you know, so we just want to make sure
that you know, we're doing it the right way. Uh,
(15:02):
We're we're you know, you know, having conversations with compliance
you know and making sure that we are doing it
the correct way. And but but we know that to
attract you know, the players to be able to compete
at the Division one and go to the NCABLA in
the Atlantic Sun Conference. Uh, We're gonna have to have
(15:24):
some money, uh, to be able to offer these kids.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Right. Chancellor Dugan's talking with us spending a few minutes
with the Bellamin women's basketball coach over what's going to
be an exciting season for Belloman in the A Sun
Conference again this year? And coach, after making it into
the A Sun Tournament, what do you expect out of
the league this year?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
You know, I expect a very competitive league, you know. Obviously,
you know, Florida Gulf Coast is up there, you know,
and that's that's everybody. That's who everybody's chasing. And I think.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
We're we're closing in on them.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And uh, I think that, you know, with the recruits
we have and with returners we have, that we can
make a push to be up there, you know. So
I'm not going to put a number on it or
anything like that, but I think that we can really
be in the mix of competing for the for the
league title. You know, and that's that's something that you know,
(16:16):
I've not been able to say yeah, you know in
a very long time, so I'm very excited to be
able to say that.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well said coach coach Chancellor Dugan. Ladies and gentlemen, It's
going to be an exciting season. Cannot wait to get
out to Freedom Hall.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Coach, thank you so much for spending a few minutes
with us. We really appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
Scott, Thank you so much and go nights.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Thank you again.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Development women's basketball coach Chancellor Dugan, who will join first
year of Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks. You have l
head coach Jeff Walls, Western Kentucky's Greg Collins, Eastern Kentucky's
Greg todd morehead State head coach cayleb Peatree, and entering
her eighth season, Murray State's Rochelle Turner, who won't represent
women's college basketball right here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky
(16:57):
coming up. He's a two time man writing NASCAR Series
champion and he's from right here in the Commonwealth.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I'm Scott Fitzgeralm. We'll take some time.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Talk some motorsports on this special sports edition of Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
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can feel like you're the only person on earth. That's
how it feels when you're struggling with your mental health.
But you don't have to feel alone. Find more information
that love your mind Today dot Org. It brought to
you by the Huntsman menuelth Institute in the AD Council.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Let's shift now into motorsports.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Shall we At twenty seven years old and not even
ten years removed from his days down on the Dixie
Highway to holy Cross High School. Ben Rhoads is already
a two time NASCAR champion that in the Craftsman Truck Series,
and he's spending a few minutes with us as he
prepares for the regular season finale coming up on August
tenth at Richmond Speedway, that in the Clean Harbors two fifty. Greetings, Ben,
(17:49):
thanks for taking a few minutes to drop by.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Hey, Goott. Yeah, thanks for having men.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
It's great to talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
We'll get to this season in just a bit, brother,
but it's been a while since we last talked. How
does it feel to call yourself a two two time
Craftsman Truck Series Champion? And to be just the fifth
person series history to pull that off.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
So it's funny when you put it that way, it
feels great. But in my everyday life, my personality as such,
where I don't even really think about it or considered
that it's happened, I can tell you actually, this season
has been kind of weird. You know. We had such
a high note that we ended on in twenty twenty
three with the championship, and then this season's been extra
(18:26):
extraordinarily tough for us. So day to day life has
been stressful in the sense that we're trying to find
some speed get back to where our program should be.
So those championships right now don't mean much to me.
I'm just trying to go fast again and put myself
in contention to collect another.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I understand again.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
We're talking with Ben Rhoades on the Craftsman Truck Series. Ben,
as we mentioned, jump into twenty twenty four. You switch
crew chiefs before Darlington, you split from Rich Lucius, who
won you that championship last year, to Doug Randolph. You
have your best finish so far, finishing third at the
Lady in Black. You pick up another top five at
Charlotte followed by well two top tens a worldwide in Nashville.
(19:04):
But the last couple of races haven't been so kind.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Where do you think the disconnect is?
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Yeah, the races have been up and down, not even
just the past five races with Doug, but just the
season as a whole has been really up and down.
To me, the disconnect comes on development as the rest
of the season, or as the series has developed and
kind of found ways to find speed with a lack
of practice. If you remember, ever since COVID, we've never
(19:31):
we've really never had any practice. It's just been ten
to fifteen minute sessions at each racetrack we go to
to just make sure that you know nothing's falling off
the race truck. Essentially, you can't really do anything to
tune your truck in in those ten minutes. So for us,
it's coming down to how can we use the tools
available to try to develop and find speed but still
(19:52):
not be off when we show up with only ten
minutes of practice. So that's kind of the million dollar question.
A couple teams have kind of started to figure it out, haven't.
I would say we're on the we're one of the
teams that are still working on that. My teammate time
and Jeski, his crew chief, Joe Sheer. I'd say they
have started to figure that out obviously with their win
last weekend at IRP. So we're we're kind of in
(20:16):
a development stage right here. And I wish I had
a good answer for you, but it's gonna take a
little bit more time, unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And we're talking to our own Ben Rhades, our hometown
hero as he's the two time and raining Craftsman Truck
Series champion as that season comes down to its final
regular season race August tenth in Richmond. And Ben, your
former teammate, Christian, I guess, well, he's having a bit
of a run. You too have a little bit of
a history too, going back to Texas in twenty twenty.
Of course, it was only fitting that, you know, last
(20:44):
year you won the series and he won the series
finale race, and now he's moved on to BMR Racing.
Is that competition vibe still around between you two?
Speaker 6 (20:51):
He's gone there, he's working with aur chief whose name
is Charles, and they've really hit it off. They've they
found their stride. But Christian, it's been kind of like
a satellite teammate to me in many ways ever since
he's left Dorsport Racing. Obviously we had a rough start
with one another in twenty twenty, but since then i'd
say that we've become good friends and we always find
a way to get together and talk at the racetracks.
(21:14):
He's certainly had a really good season going right now
and is very deserving to be in the final four
at Phoenix. But the competition around Doorsport Racing is kind
of such that we're all except for the ninety eight,
running in a particular way. So when you're all kind
of not running as well as you want to, you
find a way to really work together and help one
(21:36):
another out. Usually when everybody's having great success and everybody,
let's say, is winning races, it kind of turns into
a free for all, like every man for themselves, right,
That's kind of human nature at race teams. But whenever
you're all collectively not running as well as you'd like to,
it's amazing how quickly everyone will come together to get
it resolved. And that's a good thing, right, That's a
(21:59):
good call sure to have.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And speaking of that, have you had a chance to
sit down and watch the NASCAR Netflix documentary.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
Yet no, no, I've I've got two under two right now,
So my freak time has spent changing diapers, listening to screaming.
If one's not screaming, the other one is.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
How is Ben while we're there?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Because that again, that was another question I was go asculator,
But since we're there, how is family life treating you? Now?
How how hard is that with your life on the
road and all the all the like this the media
engagement you have to do when it comes with being
a NASCAR champion.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
Yeah, it's it's weird, right, Like I'm a young dad.
I'm still trying to figure this whole thing out. I'm
sure I never will, but you know, there's you just
have to do it to get into it right, Like
you you have to become a father to really understand
what it's like. I remember when I was a kid,
my dad would say, wait till you're older, you have kids.
You don't understand yet, And I truly didn't. And now
(22:53):
I'm starting to kind of understand where he was coming from.
With everything makes you appreciate your own parents. But but
life is, Life's tough around the house. Somebody's always screaming.
We're up a lot during the night, and U I
know it to get better with time, but I wouldn't
trade it for anything. It's It's been the biggest blessing
in my life by far. You know.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
That's one of the things they and I ask you that,
and that's one of the things they addressed in that
documentary in the NASCAR Netflix is you know drivers that
have young families, because a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Of you do.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
You see them at the tracks in the pre race
and you know, trying to find that sleep before you
have a big race day.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
That could be difficult at times, can it not?
Speaker 6 (23:28):
It can For me, I've kind of I maybe I'm weirder,
maybe I'm a little strange compared to other people in racing,
but I I really put myself into a bubble before races.
I really kind of retreat and focus and kind of
pull away from anything that's not racing oriented. So typically
(23:50):
what that looks like is We're going on a race
weekend and my family just doesn't come along with me.
I'll be by myself and I can stay, you know,
total focus on the task at hand. It's funny. Even
when they came to Phoenix the past couple of years
for the championship races, I stayed in a completely different
hotel than my family. Not just my wife and kids,
(24:11):
but yeah, you know, my mother, father in law, my parents,
they all kind of stayed in one area. I stayed
in my bubble and people are like, wow, that's really weird.
I'm like, well, it's worked for me the past three years.
I'm going to keep staying focused. And you guys stay
up all night and not get sleep.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
We're talking with Ben Rhodes. Are own Ben Roads here
from Louisville, Kentucky. Two time Craftsman Truck Series champion and
Raining champion, and Ben, I'm not trying to compare F
one to the Craftsman Truck Series, but that circuit looks
to test cockpit AC and that's talking about air conditioning.
That's been in the news lately after some drivers succumb
to sort of the heat at carter Work can be
(24:48):
very hot. They're gonna do this at the Dutch Grand
Prix later this month. British driver of course, Lewis Hamilton
speaking out saying no, that's not necessary. A couple questions
for you, Ben, do you remember the hottest race you
ever involved in and where do you stand when it
comes to maybe putting cooling units in rides.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
No, I'm a big fan of the cooling units. It
depends on what you're racing, of course, but at least
in NASCAR, it's very fitting that we have that. It
was probably you know, a cooling unit isn't cheap. We've
got two different ways to do it. You've got the
cool box or I guess it's like a trying to
think of how to describe this year. It's basically a
(25:26):
fan that uses these cooling electromagnetic fins that cool the
air and then they also have a spot for a
filter to reduce the carbon monoxide and take so basically
that that cold air, that cool air goes to your helmet.
But it really doesn't work that well when it's hot out. Actually,
you really don't even notice a difference. When it's hot out.
(25:47):
It's basically fresh air that's had the carbon removed out
of it. So that's a big safety item, right, Like
that's important, right, But the other item would be the
cool shirt, which I just invested in last year and
that was the single bit game changer for me. I
don't think drivers can properly state how hot it truly
gets inside these race cars. So for me, the hottest
(26:08):
race I've ever been a part of was twenty twenty
at the Daytona road Course. And remember COVID was that year,
So they changed the schedule up quite a bit to
just try to get these races in, So they have
US racing Daytona, and I think either July or August,
middle of the day, it's you know, upper nineties with
like a really really high humidity rate, and I think
(26:29):
it was two thirds of the field was in the
medical center after the race, and there was quite a
few drivers that never even finished the race. So it
was extremely taxing. And you know, I've told my wife
after that one was done, I said, that took a
few years off my life, like literally, like I don't
know how I made it through there, but I really
hope I'm never subjected to that heat ever again. It
(26:51):
was pretty pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, you were talking about, you know, pops in your
family and being a family man. Now do you ever
make it back home to Louisville, And if so, what
do you like.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
To do when you come home?
Speaker 6 (27:00):
Oh? Yeah, no, So I I never truly moved away
you know. It's it's funny. All these other drivers live
in North Carolina around their race teams. Uh. But but
our race teams in Ohio. So it makes no sense
for me to go to North Carolina. That's a further
drive than what I've got now out of Louisville. So
I know, I still live in Louisville. I I wow,
(27:20):
I'm here quite often. If I'm not at the race
shop or racetrack, then I'm in Louisville. And uh I uh,
I like it here. Right. It's my friends, my family,
it's it's our support system. If I moved to North Carolina,
I don't have any of that, and that's pretty important
when you have children.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yes, you're absolutely right. Well, Ben, we love having your
party in Louisville. We talk about you all year, we
watch you.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I like you being the truck races because I like
my Friday nights when I come and come home watch
good truck races.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
Man, it's great at night. They did Wednesdays and Thursday
nights with the truck series. That's special.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Do you do you prefer like a midweek as opposed
to a Friday.
Speaker 6 (27:57):
I don't. I don't mind it. H it's cool, right,
it changes it up a bit. If it's a night
race on a Wednesday, people come home, They've they've got
really something to look forward to midweek. And that's kind
of been like a point of feedback that fans have
given me over the years.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Okay, well I like it on a Friday because that's
Quase my happy hours. So Ben, listen, man, you are
the best. It's always great to catch up with you.
I know you've been busy, and certainly we're gonna be
watching you from here in Louisville.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
You're one of our own. We like to claim you
every time we talk about you on sports.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
You are a two time defending and Raining Series champion
and you're gonna wrap the regular season up August tenth
in Richmond.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
It is the Clean Harbors two point fifty. You can
see that on FS one.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
All the best, Ben, and like I said, we'll be
watching in good luck team A man.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
Yeah, thank you so much. I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
And that's a wrap on the special sports edition Of'm
Kentucky Focus Again. A big thank you to Fellam and
women's basketball coach Chancellor Dugan, who after signing her multi
year extension we'll enter her thirteenth year home of the Knights. Also,
thank you to the pride of holy Cross High School
and Kentucky native who still calls it home due time
and reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ben Rhoads, and
(29:05):
good luck as he and the trucks wrap up the
regular season August tenth in Richmond and the Clean Harbors
two fifty. That's a race, by the way, you can
see on National TV FS one starting at seven thirty
for all of us here at Kentucky Focus and the
Kentucky News Network. I'm Scott Fitzgerald saying, make it a
safe and happy week. We'll talk to you next time
on Kentucky Focus.
I'm Scott Fitzgerald. Coming up.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
It is a special sports edition of Kentucky Focus. As
we head towards the conclusion of the Olympic Games, the
fall sports season is slamping up in earnest in our
state and for Kentucky, college sports is a big deal
and how the landscape has changed recently in just the
last few years. We've seen the rise at women's sports conference, realignment,
the transfer portal, and of course name, image and likeness.
(00:25):
I took some time to talk to a local coach
who just signed an extension with their school and got
their impression of the many changes plus summer Staple Motorsports,
it's pointing towards the end of the year with their
regular season, and Kentucky is home to a two time
reigning series champion. We'll spend a few minutes with this
driver and find out what he's been up to. It's
all about Kentucky, and it's all about sports, and it's
(00:46):
time to focus right here on Kentucky Focus.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
Welcome to Kentucky Focus on the Kentucky News Network, the
show that looks at issues affecting the Commonwealth and its citizens.
We cover state politics, in history, human interest stories, sports
and even entertainment. It's Kentucky focus on kNN.
Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, it's take it a while, but leave a little
doubt that in twenty twenty four, women's basketball is a
force to be reckoned with. At the NCAA Women's Tournament
this year, the final game between South Carolina and Iowa
averaged nearly eighteen point seven million viewers, peaking at twenty
four million on a combined ESPN ABC telecast. According to ESPN,
that marked just the first time a women's final out
(01:28):
drew the men. Joining us is for your letter winner
at Eastern Kentucky who left as a leading rebounder and
second leading score She's a sacred heart alum and they
know a thing or two about who's there and was
the head coach at Florida Atlantic before she earned a
conference title in NCAA Tournament birth. She's now entering her
thirteenth season at the Helm of the Bellamant Knights were,
of course talking about Chancellor Dugan.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
Greetings, coach, thanks for taking time to talk to us.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Scott, thank you so much for having me just longtime fan,
you know, listen to you a lot.
Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well, thank you for having that means so much coach,
thank you. I appreciate you saying that. Yeah, I just
you know, my wife and daughter of Bellamin grads. We
love Bellaman, we love doing things at Bellaman and being
a part of that program.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And so it's an honor for me to talk to
you for sure.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
And Coach, I gotta ask you, you've seen plenty of
highs and lows in your career. After taking Florida Atlantic
to the tournament, you arrive at D two Bellaman and
your first season you'll lead them to a winning season
after two straight losing seasons. Now just three years later,
you go twenty four and four, You get a top
twenty ranking heading into the tournament. Then comes the adjustment
to D one down the road. What has this ride
(02:34):
been like for you, coach?
Speaker 4 (02:35):
Yeah, that that ride, you know, winning the championship here,
you know Division two you know was you know DBC
championship was really was really awesome, you know, and but
you know, to make the leap to go Division one
and then do it it is hard enough. You know,
(02:56):
it's like going and I tell all the tell everybody
all the time. It's like, you know, playing eighth grade
basketball and now you're going to play college basketball.
Speaker 5 (03:05):
You know, it's that big of a league and.
Speaker 4 (03:09):
So but then do it during the pandemic, that was
that was something else. So you know, I tell the girls,
you know that we're here. You know, the women on
my team that were here, you know, they set that foundation.
They had to go through so much and so you know,
it was so hard and just to navigate, you know,
(03:32):
through that much less try to get you know, wins
and wins. So you know it was, uh, they played,
they gave me everything they had and they played as
hard as they could. And and you know, I've got
you know, some lifelong relationship with those kids, you know,
on on that on those teams, and you know, they
(03:53):
just set up the foundation for where we are right now.
And uh, you know, I'm looking forward to what we
can do moving forward in this league and being able
to you know, go to the tournament, you know, and
that's that's a goal down the road, and you know,
we want to be able to to be able to
do that. So love forward to it.
Speaker 2 (04:11):
And we're talking with coach Chancellor Dugan women's basketball coach
and Bellaman University just signed an extension too, going to
be around for a bit longer, which I think we're
all happy to see.
Speaker 5 (04:22):
Coach really excited about it too.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
I was going to ask you, how did how did
that make you feel when the university said, hey, let's
let's extend you out, coach, let's keep.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
It here front.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I mean, you know, coming off, you know, a ten
win season, you know, and it's the most we've ever had. Uh,
you know, in in Division one, coming off of a
season where you know, you think that you're going to
have uh, you know, a leading scorer, leading rebounder, you know,
a son freshman of the year back, but you know,
(04:50):
know she's red shirting. So you know, we had to
really pivot uh and and put in offense and defense
that I'm normally not uh you know, I normally not do.
Speaker 5 (05:03):
Uh. So you know we had to and the girl,
the kids bought in. Uh.
Speaker 4 (05:07):
They they did everything we wanted them to do. Uh,
and we ended up winning more games uh than we
ever have. So uh, you know that was that was
really something that was very special, you know to us.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
You know, in the trajectory of where we are going
is going up.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
I'm glad you're talking about that, Coach, because I wanted
to talk to you about your recruiting.
Speaker 1 (05:27):
You've been hitting the recruiting trail pretty.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
Hard and bringing home some local talent, uh, like former
Sacred Heart All State selection Aaron Toller. She began her
post Doctrie era at UK. Now she's coming back home.
How big of a factor is she gonna be this year?
Speaker 4 (05:42):
She's gonna be huge for us. I mean, you know, Aaron,
she's such a great kid too. I mean, she's she's
doing everything that we want her to do. She's she's
playing so hard right now and doing you know, doing great.
You know, we're we're not really you know, doing a
lot this summer. We're shooting a lot, we're playing some
on three and and you know, just really getting to
(06:02):
know each other, you know, because we had four returners
off last year's squad. UH, so we've got eight new
ones coming in and you know it's just we've got
you know, I'm picking up a kid, you know, tonight
at the airport, you know, from from Serbia, and then
we got a kid from Egypt coming in at the
UH at the middle of August. So you know, we're
we're still you know, getting getting to know each other.
(06:22):
And that's you know, really kind of where uh what
what we're doing right now in the summer.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
And I want to talk about some of that local
talent too again, coach that that you're bringing in and
you went to Bullet East and got former charge of
Anna Rogers. She's a problem member of the Bullet East
one thousand club.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
How big is that to keep some of this local
talent at home?
Speaker 5 (06:39):
You know, I think it's big.
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You know, Anna has has come in and you know,
she's exceeded all of the coaching staff, you know, because
she was hurt last year, you know, and and uh,
you know, probably didn't get the looks you know that
she deserved. But you know, we're we're very happy that
she's on the team and you know, just uh, you know,
she's probably gonna be pushing, you know, for for some minutes.
So well, you know, I think I think everybody on
(07:02):
the team right now is just really competitive. And you know,
the how how we're practicing right now is really pleasing
to me and to my staff because you know, they're
they're competing every single day and every single you know,
even though we're just shooting and doing that, they're competing
in their shooting events, you know, and just you know,
looking down. They got twenty a lot. We need to
(07:24):
get more than that, you know. So, uh, it's it's
really nice.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
Talking with Chancellor Chancellor Dugan had women's basketball coach at
Bellamane University on the heels of her signing an extension,
going to be around for a bit. Is they're on
the upswing there at bellaman and coach you mentioned the
player from Serbia. I assume you were talking about Mina Melosovich.
Speaker 1 (07:42):
Is that right, Yes, Yeah, okay, I was. I was
just reading about her. How big of an impact is
she going to make for you this year?
Speaker 5 (07:48):
She's gonna make a huge impact.
Speaker 6 (07:49):
You know.
Speaker 5 (07:50):
She was recruited out of a two years at a
at a school up.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
In Maine, and uh, you know, she was highly recruited
out of there, but really chose said that she was
not gonna play, that she was going to go pro
back home, and just really late got you know, thinking
about it, and she's like, no, I think I want
to play. So, you know, we were very very fortunate
to come in, swoop in and get her.
Speaker 5 (08:17):
So we're we're really excited about her.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
At six too. She's gonna bring a little height to
you too, right.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
He's got some heights.
Speaker 4 (08:22):
She can shoot, she can take it out the dribble, yeah,
you know she can, she can post up, so you know,
she's she's really versatile in what.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
We want to do. Coach, that will fit our style.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Very nice, Coach Chancellor Dugan talking with US head women's
basketball coach at Bellerman University. Coach, let's talk about some
things facing women's basketball right now, and let's start off
from the obvious. As we mentioned in the open, the
ratings were off the chain for the women's National Championship game,
pretty much all year for women's basketball. What is driving
the surge not only in women's sports, do you think,
but women's basketball and women's sports.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
I think it's you talking about it. I think it's
the you know, everybody picking up on it. Uh. You know,
I've always said in my you know, thirty plus years
of coaching, I said, if you will give us the
time that you give the men's basketball, you know, on
the front page of the paper, on the front headlines,
(09:16):
every every you know, radio show talking about it, every
ESPN show talking about it, if you'll give us that
time and talk about us like you do men's basketball,
you will see the numbers come to us.
Speaker 5 (09:29):
And I think you've seen it.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Yeah, I think that you know that that you have
seen what what can happen when you look at our game,
because our game is good, our game is exciting.
Speaker 6 (09:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (09:43):
Yeah, there's not many that can dunk, but there's there's
some that can dunk out there. But you know, I
think that you know, basketball loyalists and purists really want
to come see like what we can do, how we
move the ball, you know, how we shoot the basketball,
and you know, I think that it's exciting brand of
(10:03):
basketball that we play.
Speaker 2 (10:04):
And I think in large part too, it's players like
and I hate that you lost her this year. That
of course, Gracie Merkle, because she when when she was
in there and in there as a freshman, she was
a dynamic player and funded I mean, she got after it.
She scrapped as hard as any of the any of
the fellas I've seen, and I think you see that
across the board and women's basketball as we've seen in
the w n B A. I mean, look how hard
(10:26):
they go in the w NBA. That's to me, that's basketball.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Yeah, I mean it's I mean, if you watched, if
you know, you watch the w NBA All Stars versus
the USA team. I mean, that is indicative of where
we are right now. Those young players are pushing so
hard against Tarazi, you know, and and you know all
(10:52):
those girls that have been there, done.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
That, you know.
Speaker 4 (10:54):
I mean, it's it's incredible, uh, you know, just the
amount of talent. And I think that you know, the
w NBA sees that because they're like, Okay, we need
to expand, yeah, you know, and so they're you know,
in twenty six, you know, two more teams are coming in,
you know, and that just is going to open up,
you know, such a level of competitiveness and opportunities, you know,
(11:20):
for these college players because you know, you saw even
the first round kids, first round picks in the w
NBA didn't get picked up on a team.
Speaker 2 (11:30):
Right, you know, so well, And I think Geno Arima
said it best too when he was talking about this,
and he thinks one of the main states for women's
college basketball East for now is that the ladies stick
around at the same school for a while. You're not
seeing this in and out of the portal the way
the way it is with the men.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
And I hope it stays that way.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
I do too, because right, because then you can develop
something some sort of following with the players. And yes,
and I think coach, that's what That's why I love
Belleman Athletics so much because, as we mentioned, it is
such a homegrown, organic product, and there's talent in our
backyard that's right here. And we saw that when Gracie
Merkle was at at Bellerman. And when you keep that
(12:09):
talent at home, people get excited. Look at TBT, I
mean you.
Speaker 1 (12:12):
Know, oh yeah, you.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Know people have seen you know, right, and they want
to come back and see it, you know, whether it
be at University of Kentucky where Velle, whether it be
at Bellerman.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I mean, you know those guys that played, you know
on the TV t everybody came out to watch them
and they wanted to see them, you know. And that's
that's why, you know, it's so great to have like
Ashley Harris on our team, you know, right from Sacred Heart.
You know, have Hope Savory on our team from Mercy,
you know, I mean those kids right there. Everybody when
(12:43):
we got Hope back here, everybody was like, oh my god,
we got Hope coming back, you know, And uh, I
mean just her family alone is like a seating section,
you know, in Freedom all so.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
We know that right it would see it to your point,
we know the Savorys because we go to Say Martha,
so we know the Savory families from over at Saint
Martha when my daughter went to school there. And when
you keep these products at home, it gives that that
community bond and they're good players. And that's why I
think Bellermane is so good for athletics in this town.
And and what you're doing again, we're talking with coach
(13:15):
Chancellor Dugan and we're talking Belline women's basketball in the
state of women's athletics in general, which are enjoying just
some banner times right now. And coach, I do want
to ask you, and I l how has it changed
the game from a coaching standpoint.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
O Like sever right, it's just you know, I mean,
you know, I've gone through and seen everything.
Speaker 6 (13:36):
You know.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
I never in my wildest dreams would have thought that
the NCAA would have given so much.
Speaker 5 (13:49):
Autonomy too, because it's like the Wai Wall West.
Speaker 4 (13:55):
I mean, the rules change and update daily to that thing,
you know, and it's just it's amazing that uh, you know,
that is out there and that is a vehicle for them.
I mean, kudos to you know, the student athletes, you know,
but you know, I would I would have liked to
(14:16):
have seen a little bit more control on that, you
know when they rolled that out, and I think the
incident of a is probably thinking that same thing that
they should have had more control over it because they're
trying to pull.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
It back a little bit.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Yeah, but once that cats out of the bag, I
don't know how you can put it back in.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
That's that was gonna be my next question for you, coach.
You see any changes coming to that or is it
just going to be something coaches are going to have
to adapt to.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
I mean I think it's just you know, we're adapting
to it.
Speaker 4 (14:42):
I mean, you know, we have we have an initiative here,
you know, going at for women's basketball at Bellaman and
and uh you know, and and so you know we
are we're not going to be behind in that. You know,
we are going to be on the forefront of that.
And you know, so we just want to make sure
that you know, we're doing it the right way. Uh,
(15:02):
We're we're you know, you know, having conversations with compliance
you know and making sure that we are doing it
the correct way. And but but we know that to
attract you know, the players to be able to compete
at the Division one and go to the NCABLA in
the Atlantic Sun Conference. Uh, We're gonna have to have
(15:24):
some money, uh, to be able to offer these kids.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Right. Chancellor Dugan's talking with us spending a few minutes
with the Bellamin women's basketball coach over what's going to
be an exciting season for Belloman in the A Sun
Conference again this year? And coach, after making it into
the A Sun Tournament, what do you expect out of
the league this year?
Speaker 4 (15:42):
You know, I expect a very competitive league, you know. Obviously,
you know, Florida Gulf Coast is up there, you know,
and that's that's everybody. That's who everybody's chasing. And I think.
Speaker 5 (15:51):
We're we're closing in on them.
Speaker 4 (15:54):
And uh, I think that, you know, with the recruits
we have and with returners we have, that we can
make a push to be up there, you know. So
I'm not going to put a number on it or
anything like that, but I think that we can really
be in the mix of competing for the for the
league title. You know, and that's that's something that you know,
(16:16):
I've not been able to say yeah, you know in
a very long time, so I'm very excited to be
able to say that.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Well said coach coach Chancellor Dugan. Ladies and gentlemen, It's
going to be an exciting season. Cannot wait to get
out to Freedom Hall.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
Coach, thank you so much for spending a few minutes
with us. We really appreciate you.
Speaker 5 (16:32):
Scott, Thank you so much and go nights.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Thank you again.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Development women's basketball coach Chancellor Dugan, who will join first
year of Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks. You have l
head coach Jeff Walls, Western Kentucky's Greg Collins, Eastern Kentucky's
Greg todd morehead State head coach cayleb Peatree, and entering
her eighth season, Murray State's Rochelle Turner, who won't represent
women's college basketball right here in the Commonwealth of Kentucky
(16:57):
coming up. He's a two time man writing NASCAR Series
champion and he's from right here in the Commonwealth.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
I'm Scott Fitzgeralm. We'll take some time.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Talk some motorsports on this special sports edition of Kentucky.
Speaker 7 (17:09):
Focus out here in the middle of these acres, it
can feel like you're the only person on earth. That's
how it feels when you're struggling with your mental health.
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Speaker 1 (17:27):
Let's shift now into motorsports.
Speaker 2 (17:28):
Shall we At twenty seven years old and not even
ten years removed from his days down on the Dixie
Highway to holy Cross High School. Ben Rhoads is already
a two time NASCAR champion that in the Craftsman Truck Series,
and he's spending a few minutes with us as he
prepares for the regular season finale coming up on August
tenth at Richmond Speedway, that in the Clean Harbors two fifty. Greetings, Ben,
(17:49):
thanks for taking a few minutes to drop by.
Speaker 6 (17:51):
Hey, Goott. Yeah, thanks for having men.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
It's great to talk to you again.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
We'll get to this season in just a bit, brother,
but it's been a while since we last talked. How
does it feel to call yourself a two two time
Craftsman Truck Series Champion? And to be just the fifth
person series history to pull that off.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
So it's funny when you put it that way, it
feels great. But in my everyday life, my personality as such,
where I don't even really think about it or considered
that it's happened, I can tell you actually, this season
has been kind of weird. You know. We had such
a high note that we ended on in twenty twenty
three with the championship, and then this season's been extra
(18:26):
extraordinarily tough for us. So day to day life has
been stressful in the sense that we're trying to find
some speed get back to where our program should be.
So those championships right now don't mean much to me.
I'm just trying to go fast again and put myself
in contention to collect another.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
I understand again.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
We're talking with Ben Rhoades on the Craftsman Truck Series. Ben,
as we mentioned, jump into twenty twenty four. You switch
crew chiefs before Darlington, you split from Rich Lucius, who
won you that championship last year, to Doug Randolph. You
have your best finish so far, finishing third at the
Lady in Black. You pick up another top five at
Charlotte followed by well two top tens a worldwide in Nashville.
(19:04):
But the last couple of races haven't been so kind.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Where do you think the disconnect is?
Speaker 6 (19:08):
Yeah, the races have been up and down, not even
just the past five races with Doug, but just the
season as a whole has been really up and down.
To me, the disconnect comes on development as the rest
of the season, or as the series has developed and
kind of found ways to find speed with a lack
of practice. If you remember, ever since COVID, we've never
(19:31):
we've really never had any practice. It's just been ten
to fifteen minute sessions at each racetrack we go to
to just make sure that you know nothing's falling off
the race truck. Essentially, you can't really do anything to
tune your truck in in those ten minutes. So for us,
it's coming down to how can we use the tools
available to try to develop and find speed but still
(19:52):
not be off when we show up with only ten
minutes of practice. So that's kind of the million dollar question.
A couple teams have kind of started to figure it out, haven't.
I would say we're on the we're one of the
teams that are still working on that. My teammate time
and Jeski, his crew chief, Joe Sheer. I'd say they
have started to figure that out obviously with their win
last weekend at IRP. So we're we're kind of in
(20:16):
a development stage right here. And I wish I had
a good answer for you, but it's gonna take a
little bit more time, unfortunately.
Speaker 2 (20:22):
And we're talking to our own Ben Rhades, our hometown
hero as he's the two time and raining Craftsman Truck
Series champion as that season comes down to its final
regular season race August tenth in Richmond. And Ben, your
former teammate, Christian, I guess, well, he's having a bit
of a run. You too have a little bit of
a history too, going back to Texas in twenty twenty.
Of course, it was only fitting that, you know, last
(20:44):
year you won the series and he won the series
finale race, and now he's moved on to BMR Racing.
Is that competition vibe still around between you two?
Speaker 6 (20:51):
He's gone there, he's working with aur chief whose name
is Charles, and they've really hit it off. They've they
found their stride. But Christian, it's been kind of like
a satellite teammate to me in many ways ever since
he's left Dorsport Racing. Obviously we had a rough start
with one another in twenty twenty, but since then i'd
say that we've become good friends and we always find
a way to get together and talk at the racetracks.
(21:14):
He's certainly had a really good season going right now
and is very deserving to be in the final four
at Phoenix. But the competition around Doorsport Racing is kind
of such that we're all except for the ninety eight,
running in a particular way. So when you're all kind
of not running as well as you want to, you
find a way to really work together and help one
(21:36):
another out. Usually when everybody's having great success and everybody,
let's say, is winning races, it kind of turns into
a free for all, like every man for themselves, right,
That's kind of human nature at race teams. But whenever
you're all collectively not running as well as you'd like to,
it's amazing how quickly everyone will come together to get
it resolved. And that's a good thing, right, That's a
(21:59):
good call sure to have.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
And speaking of that, have you had a chance to
sit down and watch the NASCAR Netflix documentary.
Speaker 6 (22:06):
Yet no, no, I've I've got two under two right now,
So my freak time has spent changing diapers, listening to screaming.
If one's not screaming, the other one is.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
How is Ben while we're there?
Speaker 2 (22:19):
Because that again, that was another question I was go asculator,
But since we're there, how is family life treating you? Now?
How how hard is that with your life on the
road and all the all the like this the media
engagement you have to do when it comes with being
a NASCAR champion.
Speaker 6 (22:33):
Yeah, it's it's weird, right, Like I'm a young dad.
I'm still trying to figure this whole thing out. I'm
sure I never will, but you know, there's you just
have to do it to get into it right, Like
you you have to become a father to really understand
what it's like. I remember when I was a kid,
my dad would say, wait till you're older, you have kids.
You don't understand yet, And I truly didn't. And now
(22:53):
I'm starting to kind of understand where he was coming from.
With everything makes you appreciate your own parents. But but
life is, Life's tough around the house. Somebody's always screaming.
We're up a lot during the night, and U I
know it to get better with time, but I wouldn't
trade it for anything. It's It's been the biggest blessing
in my life by far. You know.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
That's one of the things they and I ask you that,
and that's one of the things they addressed in that
documentary in the NASCAR Netflix is you know drivers that
have young families, because a lot.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Of you do.
Speaker 2 (23:20):
You see them at the tracks in the pre race
and you know, trying to find that sleep before you
have a big race day.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
That could be difficult at times, can it not?
Speaker 6 (23:28):
It can For me, I've kind of I maybe I'm weirder,
maybe I'm a little strange compared to other people in racing,
but I I really put myself into a bubble before races.
I really kind of retreat and focus and kind of
pull away from anything that's not racing oriented. So typically
(23:50):
what that looks like is We're going on a race
weekend and my family just doesn't come along with me.
I'll be by myself and I can stay, you know,
total focus on the task at hand. It's funny. Even
when they came to Phoenix the past couple of years
for the championship races, I stayed in a completely different
hotel than my family. Not just my wife and kids,
(24:11):
but yeah, you know, my mother, father in law, my parents,
they all kind of stayed in one area. I stayed
in my bubble and people are like, wow, that's really weird.
I'm like, well, it's worked for me the past three years.
I'm going to keep staying focused. And you guys stay
up all night and not get sleep.
Speaker 5 (24:26):
We'll see.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
We're talking with Ben Rhodes. Are own Ben Roads here
from Louisville, Kentucky. Two time Craftsman Truck Series champion and
Raining champion, and Ben, I'm not trying to compare F
one to the Craftsman Truck Series, but that circuit looks
to test cockpit AC and that's talking about air conditioning.
That's been in the news lately after some drivers succumb
to sort of the heat at carter Work can be
(24:48):
very hot. They're gonna do this at the Dutch Grand
Prix later this month. British driver of course, Lewis Hamilton
speaking out saying no, that's not necessary. A couple questions
for you, Ben, do you remember the hottest race you
ever involved in and where do you stand when it
comes to maybe putting cooling units in rides.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
No, I'm a big fan of the cooling units. It
depends on what you're racing, of course, but at least
in NASCAR, it's very fitting that we have that. It
was probably you know, a cooling unit isn't cheap. We've
got two different ways to do it. You've got the
cool box or I guess it's like a trying to
think of how to describe this year. It's basically a
(25:26):
fan that uses these cooling electromagnetic fins that cool the
air and then they also have a spot for a
filter to reduce the carbon monoxide and take so basically
that that cold air, that cool air goes to your helmet.
But it really doesn't work that well when it's hot out. Actually,
you really don't even notice a difference. When it's hot out.
(25:47):
It's basically fresh air that's had the carbon removed out
of it. So that's a big safety item, right, Like
that's important, right, But the other item would be the
cool shirt, which I just invested in last year and
that was the single bit game changer for me. I
don't think drivers can properly state how hot it truly
gets inside these race cars. So for me, the hottest
(26:08):
race I've ever been a part of was twenty twenty
at the Daytona road Course. And remember COVID was that year,
So they changed the schedule up quite a bit to
just try to get these races in, So they have
US racing Daytona, and I think either July or August,
middle of the day, it's you know, upper nineties with
like a really really high humidity rate, and I think
(26:29):
it was two thirds of the field was in the
medical center after the race, and there was quite a
few drivers that never even finished the race. So it
was extremely taxing. And you know, I've told my wife
after that one was done, I said, that took a
few years off my life, like literally, like I don't
know how I made it through there, but I really
hope I'm never subjected to that heat ever again. It
(26:51):
was pretty pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:52):
Yeah, you were talking about, you know, pops in your
family and being a family man. Now do you ever
make it back home to Louisville, And if so, what
do you like.
Speaker 1 (26:59):
To do when you come home?
Speaker 6 (27:00):
Oh? Yeah, no, So I I never truly moved away
you know. It's it's funny. All these other drivers live
in North Carolina around their race teams. Uh. But but
our race teams in Ohio. So it makes no sense
for me to go to North Carolina. That's a further
drive than what I've got now out of Louisville. So
I know, I still live in Louisville. I I wow,
(27:20):
I'm here quite often. If I'm not at the race
shop or racetrack, then I'm in Louisville. And uh I uh,
I like it here. Right. It's my friends, my family,
it's it's our support system. If I moved to North Carolina,
I don't have any of that, and that's pretty important
when you have children.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yes, you're absolutely right. Well, Ben, we love having your
party in Louisville. We talk about you all year, we
watch you.
Speaker 4 (27:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I like you being the truck races because I like
my Friday nights when I come and come home watch
good truck races.
Speaker 6 (27:49):
Man, it's great at night. They did Wednesdays and Thursday
nights with the truck series. That's special.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Do you do you prefer like a midweek as opposed
to a Friday.
Speaker 6 (27:57):
I don't. I don't mind it. H it's cool, right,
it changes it up a bit. If it's a night
race on a Wednesday, people come home, They've they've got
really something to look forward to midweek. And that's kind
of been like a point of feedback that fans have
given me over the years.
Speaker 2 (28:10):
Okay, well I like it on a Friday because that's
Quase my happy hours. So Ben, listen, man, you are
the best. It's always great to catch up with you.
I know you've been busy, and certainly we're gonna be
watching you from here in Louisville.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
You're one of our own. We like to claim you
every time we talk about you on sports.
Speaker 2 (28:26):
You are a two time defending and Raining Series champion
and you're gonna wrap the regular season up August tenth
in Richmond.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
It is the Clean Harbors two point fifty. You can
see that on FS one.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
All the best, Ben, and like I said, we'll be
watching in good luck team A man.
Speaker 6 (28:41):
Yeah, thank you so much. I appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (28:42):
And that's a wrap on the special sports edition Of'm
Kentucky Focus Again. A big thank you to Fellam and
women's basketball coach Chancellor Dugan, who after signing her multi
year extension we'll enter her thirteenth year home of the Knights. Also,
thank you to the pride of holy Cross High School
and Kentucky native who still calls it home due time
and reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion Ben Rhoads, and
(29:05):
good luck as he and the trucks wrap up the
regular season August tenth in Richmond and the Clean Harbors
two fifty. That's a race, by the way, you can
see on National TV FS one starting at seven thirty
for all of us here at Kentucky Focus and the
Kentucky News Network. I'm Scott Fitzgerald saying, make it a
safe and happy week. We'll talk to you next time
on Kentucky Focus.
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