Ben Rhodes talks about his chances for a championship at the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs Media Day on September 20, 2017, in Charlotte, North Carolina Photo – Bob Leverone/Getty Images

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Playoffs contender Ben Rhodes isn’t one to confine his aggressive impulses to the race track.

The driver of the No. 27 ThorSport Racing Toyota stays in shape by letting his fists fly in the boxing ring. To Rhodes, it’s a more efficient way of training than spending two hours on a bicycle.

“It’s just something fun to do,” Rhodes said. “It changes up the monotony of training. You get on a bike, and you cycle for two hours, and it’s strung out, it’s very long.”

Boxing, on the other hand, is a quick way to boost the heart rate to levels that approximate what a driver achieves on the track.

“I enjoy the intensity of it, the practicality of it, right?” Rhodes said. “It’s just fun. I’m a big fan of boxing and UFC. I can’t say I’m a huge football or stick-and-ball sport fan, but I’m a huge fan of boxing and UFC. Any time it’s on TV, you’ll catch me buying the pay-per-view stuff.”

And Rhodes can see similarities between boxing and racing.

“One of the cool things about that sport versus our sport is that it’s what you make of it,” said Rhodes, who fights as a bantamweight (112-118 pounds). “When you’re in the race car, you can be really, really tense, and you can burn yourself out really, really quickly. Or you can be relaxed, and you can have a better frame of mind and approach every corner with a clear head.

“With boxing, you get in the ring, and you can wear yourself out really quickly, or you can relax and kind of let the punches go. It kind of translates well, I guess. It’s just something to give me a little more clarity.”