Dean Thompson to make Truck debut at Phoenix for Niece

Dean Thompson is going trucking. On Monday, he announced he has joined Niece Motorsports for his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series début in the final race of the 2021 season at Phoenix Raceway on 5 November. He will also run the ARCA Menards Series finale at Kansas Speedway on 23 October.

Thompson currently competes in the ARCA Menards Series West for High Point Racing, who maintains a partnership with Sunrise Ford Racing. In six starts (he missed two races due to a positive COVID-19 test but has otherwise run every event), he recorded two top tens and a runner-up finish at his home track Irwindale, where he also won the pole. He notched a second pole in the season finale at All American Speedway. With one race left in the season, he is eleventh in points.

He posted on Twitter, “I’m so excited to announce that I am running the Reese’s 150 ARCA Menards Kansas race this weekend and the Lucas Oil 150 Camping World Truck race! So blessed to have this opportunity and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us in the future!”

The Kansas race will be his first ARCA Menards Series standalone start as his maiden West race in the season opener at Phoenix in March was a combination event with the national Menards Series. Prior to ARCA and continuing to do so even after débuting, he competes in the SPEARS Southwest Series and won Rookie of the Year in 2020.

According to Thompson, Niece will field a fourth entry for him in the Truck Series. The team already has three full-time trucks, with one—the #45—being a multi-driver vehicle. Niece has also run the #44 for various names on a part-time basis in 2021, and it is likely that will be his truck for Phoenix. In ARCA, he will drive the #40; Niece ran the #50 in four ARCA races for Morgan Alexander, Carson Hocevar, and Jett Noland. The ARCA trio also races for Niece in the Trucks, with Hocevar being a full-time rookie and current playoff contender.