Thirteen-year-old Stadium Super Trucks driver Max Gordon normally races against drivers old enough to be his father (including his own dad Robby), but 1–3 July’s Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course weekend will see the arrival of someone within his range as Ben Maier makes his début in the #67 with sponsorship from Honda Marine, Holiday Rambler, and Boe Marine & RV. He intends to run the rest of the 2022 season.
Maier, who is six months younger than Gordon, tested a stadium truck in March but had to wait two months before finalising an entry as he searched for sponsorship. He has competed in a vast array of disciplines on pavement and dirt, ranging from karting and Legends cars to single-make Spec Miata. He has won eleven racing titles, including five in the World Karting Association while others have come in SKUSA and Rotax Grand National.
While SST is a far cry from karts and short tracks, he isn’t unfamiliar with off-road vehicles as he owns a Polaris RZR SXS. A fan of off-roader-turned-NASCAR great and IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson, Maier has received coaching from fellow Maryland native and rally star Travis Pastrana. Although all four rounds on the 2022 SST calendar are street circuits, the trucks’ off-road lineage and setup demand such a driving style regardless of surface.
In conjunction with the SST news, Maier joined the Spire Sports + Entertainment agency with representation from Vice President of Athlete Management Phillip Smalley. The company currently fields a NASCAR Cup Series team and clients include a litany of drivers like Cup race winners Ross Chastain and Justin Haley.
Credit: Ben Maier
“Ben has secured funding and support from some major sponsors to run the remaining 3 rounds of the 2022 Stadium Super Trucks series,” reads a statement from his team. “Now the fun begins, designing the livery, and working with sponsors to make the most of this opportunity. To any other young drivers out there with big dreams, keep banging on doors and don’t let those ‘No’s’ discourage you. This is a breakout moment for Ben that will have him racing in front of hundreds of thousands of fans.”
In using his personal #67, Maier will race with a numberplate that has enjoyed plenty of success. The number was last present on Paul Morris‘ vehicle en route to three race wins and the 2017 championship, followed by four more victories and the 2021 title in the Australian Boost Mobile Super Trucks.
Two weeks after Mid-Ohio is Honda Indy Toronto, while the final scheduled weekend is the Music City Grand Prix in August.