Ben Maier will be the 21st driver to add his name to the list of those with both Stadium Super Trucks and NASCAR national tier experience when he debuts in the Craftsman Truck Series at Lime Rock Park on Saturday. He will race the #02 Chevrolet Silverado for Young’s Motorsports.

Maier has raced in SST since 2022, when he was only 13 years old. Despite his youth, he strung together top-five finishes in his first five races, highlighted by a third in Race 2 at Nashville. He continued in the trucks for 2023 and 2024, with his last action being a sixth and fifth at the latter’s Long Beach weekend.

He was a regular in the Trans-Am Series TA2 class, finishing fifth in the 2024 standings with a win at Gateway. For 2025, his focus has been on stock cars like the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour and CARS Late Models, where he’s proven to be quick.

A protégé of fellow Maryland native Travis Pastrana, Maier has also dabbled in Nitrocross SxS.

“I am so excited for this opportunity,” Maier said. “When working with the limited resources our family has, a kid like me is not supposed to be able to make it to NASCAR. I’m so thankful for Tyler and Young’s Motorsports for taking this chance on me. I’ll give them my best effort.”

Maier’s comment about his family funding (or lack thereof) isn’t unfounded either. Finding sponsorship to race in SST was a challenge, and he missed the 2023 season opener at Long Beach because of it.

In spite of the money problems, he’ll take what opportunities he could afford, especially now that it’s taken him to the higher rungs of stock car racing. During the 2023 Nitrocross round at MidAmerica Outdoors, he told the booth he’d “like to go to NASCAR, or like the big oval racing.”

While Lime Rock isn’t an oval, road courses do align with his résumé.

“We are proud to have Ben Maier representing Young’s Motorsports at Lime Rock Park,” team owner Tyler Young stated. “His talent and determination are evident, and we believe he has a bright future ahead of him.”

Other drivers to have raced in SST and a NASCAR national series include:

• Stanton Barrett: SST Nashville in 2021 and 2022, Busch and Truck Series champion
• Greg Biffle: Four SST podiums between 2018 and 2021, NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers
• Sheldon Creed: Winningest driver in SST history, 2020 Truck Series champion and current Xfinity Series drover
• Ryan Eversley: SST at Toronto and Mid-Ohio in 2019, made Cup debut in 2021
• Anthony Gandon: SST Las Vegas in 2015, two Nationwide starts in 2012
• Robby Gordon: SST founder, three Cup Series wins
• Brian Ickler: SST Charlotte in 2016, Nationwide and Truck Series part-timer in late 2010s and early 2010s
• Ricky Johnson: Six SST starts in 2013 and 2021, 12 Truck starts from 1995 to 1997
• P.J. Jones: Four SST wins, raced in all three series and longtime NASCAR road course ringer
• Bo LeMastus: Most of 2021 SST schedule, former owner–driver of DGR-Crosley
• Justin Lofton: Three SST wins, one Truck Series win and 2009 ARCA champion
• Casey Mears: One SST podium, won in Cup and Busch
• Jett Noland: Eight SST starts in 2020 and 2021, three Truck starts in 2021
• Max Papis: SST Toronto in 2016, longtime NASCAR road ringer
• Travis Pastrana: X Games in 2015, raced in all three national series
• Boris Said: X Games in 2015, legendary road course specialist
• Zane Smith: SST Road America in 2020, 2022 Truck Series champion and current Cup Series driver
• Paul Tracy: SST Toronto from 2013 to 2016, six Busch starts and a Truck start
• Kenny Wallace: SST Charlotte in 2016, raced in all three series
• Rusty Wallace: X Games in 2015, 1989 Cup Series champion and 2013 NASCAR Hall of Famer

Justin Allgaier, the reigning Xfinity Series champion, did an SST practice at the 2016 Mid-Ohio NASCAR weekend. Truck Series champs Brett Moffit and Ben Rhodes have also tested stadium trucks.

The following drivers have SST and stock car experience but the latter exclusively in NASCAR’s regional levels:

• Adam Andretti: Four SST entries in 2017 and 2018, a K&N East start in 2016 and two Pinty’s Series starts in 2017
• Davey Hamilton Jr.: 12 SST starts between 2017 and 2022, K&N West start in 2017
• Gavin Harlien: Two-time SST champion, three ARCA races in 2019
• Rob MacCachren: 2013 SST runner-up, Winston West start in 1994
• Cleetus McFarland: One SST podium, currently races part-time in ARCA
• Tyler McQuarrie: Seven SST starts in 2016, Southwest Series from 2003 to 2005 and ARCA start in 2016
• Paul Morris: 2017 SST and 2021 Boost Mobile Super Trucks champion, one Camping World West start in 2008
• Jeff Ward: Eight SST starts in 2013 and 2021, did not qualify for lone Cup entry in 1998 but made a start apiece in Winston West and Featherlite Southwest Tour

Maier is the fourth different driver to race the #02 in 2025 after Nathan Byrd, Jayson Alexander, and Stefan Parsons. After 14 races, it is currently 30th in owner points with a best run of 14th by Byrd at Rockingham and Texas.

The LiUNA! 150 is the inaugural Truck Series race at Lime Rock Park.

Featured image credit: Young’s Motorsports