Wright Fights for Season-Best Result at Coronado

Venue: Naval Base Coronado

FINISH: 13th

Start: 24th

NCTS Point Standings Position: 21st

Kris Wright delivered his best finish of the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) season on Friday afternoon, rallying from adversity to score a 13th-place result at Naval Base Coronado. After starting 24th, Wright and the No. 81 team for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) overcame fuel strategy challenges, race damage, and a late-race incident to secure the team’s strongest finish of the year in the series’ inaugural visit to the island of Coronado.

Darren Fraley (crew chief) rolled the dice early, bringing Wright to pit road under the lap four caution for fuel only in an attempt to gain a strategic advantage through the opening stages. The gamble did not materialize as hoped, leaving Wright 23rd at the conclusion of stage one. Following a four-tire stop and adjustments, the Pittsburgh, Pa. native began moving forward once racing resumed. Wright advanced from 28th to 21st within four laps of the stage two restart and continued to gain ground, finishing the segment in the19th position.

With track position becoming increasingly important during the final stage, Wright restarted 23rd and methodically worked his way through the field. He climbed into the top-20 by lap 40 and reached 14th when the race was forced into a green-white-checkered finish. An incident entering Turn 2 on the opening overtime restart shuffled Wright back to 20th, but the No. 81 team remained in position for one final overtime restart.

When the green flag waved again on lap 51, Wright took advantage of the short sprint to the finish, gaining seven positions over the final laps to secure a 13th-place result. The finish marked his best of the season and capped off a resilient afternoon for the No. 81 team in San Diego.

Kris Wright Quote: 

“Today was a great effort by everyone on this No. 81 team. We needed a clean, disciplined race, and that’s exactly what we delivered. We’re getting closer every week to where we know we can be, and this result gives me a lot of confidence heading to Lime Rock Park in a couple of weeks. I want to thank all of the fans who came out today. The atmosphere was incredible, and I hope we put on a good show for the men and women who serve our country.”