Ankrum Banks Fifth-Straight Top-Five at Texas
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway
FINISH: 4th
Start: 1st
Stage 1: 22nd
Stage 2: 8th
Laps Led: 24
NCTS Point Standings Position: 4th
Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST battled a wide range of adversity and challenges throughout the 167-lap event at Texas Motor Speedway to solidify another top-five finish this season in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS). Due to wet weather conditions in the Lone Star State, NCTS practice and qualifying was a wash which relegated Ankrum to a top spot starting position by default. The young driver took the reins and drove off after a solid launch pushed the driver out front to lead the opening laps. By lap seven, the driver of the No. 18 reported that his race truck was starting to build tight as the race progressed. Shortly after, the team started to recognize a radio issue in the closing laps of Stage One until a caution came out with nine laps to go and crew chief Mark Hillman called the San Bernardino, Calif. native down pit road for four tires, fuel and a closer look at what was going on with the No. 18 radio line. Due to the slow pit stop in attempt to fix the radio issues, Ankrum rolled out to the back of the pack and ultimately ended Stage One in 22nd.
Under the stage break, the driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet came down pit road again to put more time into the radio issues and patch the problem for the remaining laps of the night. It was a quiet Stage Two as the aggression on the track started to build and the cautions started to fall. Ankrum drove his way back inside the top 10 and was able to grab two valuable stage points with an eighth-place Stage Two finish. The young driver came down pit road for four tires, fuel and a slight adjustment to help free up the driver of the No. 18 as he restarted the final stage 13th. By lap 121, Ankrum had popped back into the top 10 and by lap 128 it was time for green-flag pit stops where Mark (Hillman, crew chief) called for four tires and fuel. Through the pit cycle, the No. 18 went a lap down in eighth with 30 laps to go until a yellow flag flew and Ankrum was given the “lucky dog” that allowed him to get around back on the lead lap.
Due to miscommunication on the radio, the young driver lined up further back in the field than he should have been but that did not stop the drive from the focused 24-year-old. A gaggle of cautions leading into NASCAR’s version of double-overtime allowed Ankrum to pick off spots one by one and land another top-five finish in fourth at Texas. This effort marks the young driver’s fifth top-five finish within the last five races and currently sits him fourth in the NCTS point standings.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
“Tonight was a tough one. We simply just had to many mistakes that put us in a lot of bad positions throughout the night but proud of this team for coming back and keeping us in the game to salvage another top five run. We need to clean up a lot of things but we will pick our heads up and focus forward on Kansas next week. Big thanks to LIUNA, Chevrolet, MHR and everyone who helps make it possible for me to get out on this race track and be competitive like this.”