Looking to Play Nice at “The Lady in Black”
The Darlington Stripe… Kris Wright and the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation team for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) head to Darlington Raceway for round four of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season. The “Lady in Black” is one of the toughest tracks on the schedule with a worn, abrasive surface and narrow racing groove that demands patience and precision every lap. The historic 1.366-mile oval is famous for leaving drivers with the Darlington Stripe after even the slightest contact with the outside wall. For Wright, the focus will be on keeping the truck clean, managing tire wear over long runs, and building rhythm around the challenging egg-shaped oval.
Highlights for Darlington… Wright returns to Darlington Raceway with added confidence after a 13th-place qualifying effort in last year’s NASCAR Xfinity Series event, showing his ability to find speed at the “Track Too Tough To Tame”. Bill McAnally’s teams have proven they can deliver at Darlington, highlighted by Christian Eckes’ victory at the track in 2023. With competitive equipment underneath him and prior speed at the track, Wright enters the weekend in a strong position to put together a complete race and contend for a solid result.
Season to Date… Through the opening stretch of the 2026 NCTS season, Wright sits 16th in the championship standings, putting the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST in a solid position as the year begins to take shape. Wright holds an average finish of 20.7, nearly two spots better than than his average starting position. Wright looks to improve on his season-best finish of 18th from EchoPark Speedway this weekend and secure his best finish at “The Lady in Black”.
Tune In… Coverage from Darlington, S.C. begins on Friday afternoon with practice on FOX Sports 2 at 3:30 p.m. ET, immediately followed by qualifying at 4:35 p.m. ET. Live coverage of the Buckle Up South Carolina 200 on Friday will begin on Fox Sports 1 at 7:30 PM ET. Stay connected with the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation team by following @BMR_NASCAR on X, @bmr_nascar on Instagram and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Kris Wright Quote:
“I feel like this is where our season starts, now getting back to some historic and more traditional ovals over the next few weeks. I’m super excited to head out to Darlington. The
track has so much character and this is one place where driver skill can really show out on track. Our F.N.B. Corporation team is bringing a great piece and I can’t wait to get out there and compete.”