Ankrum Looks to Improve on Past Podium Finish at EchoPark Speedway
Superspeedway Reflection … Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST heads to EchoPark Speedway this weekend coming off a hard-fought ninth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway. The young driver powered through the second round of qualifying to put his LIUNA Chevrolet in the top 10 to start the 200-lap event Friday night and after a gaggle of handling issues, he was able to keep it in the top 10 to finish ninth. Ankrum and the No. 18 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team would like to take that same momentum to Atlanta and solidify another solid finish.
“Hotlanta” Spotlights … The San Bernardino, Calif. native has started to get the hang of the newly configured asphalt track, EchoPark Speedway. The 1.54-mile quad-oval went under construction between 2021 and 2022 and came out on top with tighter corners, narrower lanes and races more like a “drafting-style” track such as Daytona and Talladega. The 24-year-old has qualified on the front row twice in his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) career at the Hampton, GA quad-oval and raced his way to his best finish at “Hotlanta” last season, crossing the line third. Ankrum looks to excel on that finish and snag a few more spots to get that top-spot ride to Victory Lane this Saturday afternoon.
Spoiler Highlights … Tyler Ankrum and the No. 18 NCTS team are excited to welcome aboard LIUNA local contractor CORE Construction to adorn the left-side spoiler of the iconic LIUNA Chevrolet for the 135-lap event at EchoPark Speedway. Utilizing comprehensive construction knowledge and industry expertise, CORE provides exceptional building services in 13 markets, including the K-12, Higher Education, Civic, Public Safety, and Healthcare sectors. Our Mission is to earn the trust of our employees, building partners, and clients. Achieving this mission begins by building teams with members who have unwavering, comprehensive trust in one another. Integrity, Fairness, Continuous Improvement, and Results are not just our CORE Values; they are the foundational elements of trust itself.
Tune In …Television coverage on the Fr8 Racing 208 will begin Friday afternoon with qualifying starting at 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1, and will resume on Saturday afternoon with the wave of the green flag at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Stay connected with the No. 18 LIUNA team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
“I am really eager to get back to Atlanta this weekend. We had an awesome run there last Spring finishing third and my crew chief Mark (Hillman) and the guys have really got this truck dialed in to be able to improve on that finish. Daytona did not go the way we planned or had hoped for but we were still able to salvage a top-10 finish out of the night and I would like to keep that streak going and strive for a top five or a victory this weekend. Looking forward to seeing all of the LIUNA guests from Local 515 and hoping to put on a good show for them.”