Wright Endures Trying Night in Fort Worth

Venue: Texas Motor Speedway

FINISH: 31st

Start: 26th

NCTS Point Standings Position: 21st

Kris Wright recorded a 31st-place finish and sits 21st in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) points standings following Friday night’s race at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). A well-timed strategy call early on provided a boost in track position early for the McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) driver before tire issues altered the outcome.

Wright started 26th and spent the opening stage working to find balance in a truck that was described as comfortable but on the loose end and lacking overall speed. Early adjustments helped stabilize the handling, and the lap 24 caution brought Wright to pit road for four tires and fuel while several competitors stayed out. The strategy paid off in the closing laps of the stage, as Wright climbed from 27th to 20th before finishing Stage 1 in 23rd. He reported improvement but continued to search for a more secure feel.

The team elected to stay out during the stage break, giving Wright track position for the start of Stage 2. He lined up fifth for the restart on older tires, which quickly became a factor. Wright was shuffled into the middle of a three-wide battle in the opening two turns and dropped back to 13th within two laps. As the run continued, tire wear took hold and he fell outside the top-20 despite maintaining better overall track position than earlier in the race.

Trouble struck on lap 74 when a puncture in the right-front tire sent Wright into the outside wall, bringing out a caution and ending the team’s momentum. The damage and loss of track position put the No. 81 America’s Auto Auction entry behind the curve for the remainder of the race.

From there, the focus shifted to managing issues and reaching the finish. Wright dealt with multiple tire failures, including additional flats and corded rubber, along with time lost for repairs and a drivethrough penalty during the final stage. He fell multiple laps down as the race progressed and ultimately crossed the line in 31st.

Kris Wright Quote: 

“I really like the call that Fraley (Darren, crew chief) made there in Stage 1. It was good to get up to the front of the field and mix it up with those guys even with the older tires. I feel like our truck wasn’t too bad tonight, we were one adjustment away from hitting the sweet spot with our balance, but the tire going down never gave us a chance moving forward. A huge thanks to all the guys back at the shop for working hard to get all of our trucks ready for this next stretch of races. We’ve got five consecutive weekends to make solid strides in the right direction.”