Ankrum Looks to Stack His Chips as Point Leader in Vegas
Venue: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Event: Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200
Date: Friday, March 1
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Track Description: 1.5-mile tri oval
Distance: 134 laps / 201 miles (9:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
Play The Table… In true Las Vegas fashion, Ankrum aims to channel the city’s spirit of risk-taking and ambition as he hits the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). Ankrum is coming off a strong seventh-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway (AMS) and remains at the points leader through two races. The driver of the. 18 LiUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST scored two second-place stage finishes last week and led a race-high 46 laps. The 18 stage points he earned at AMS is a major reason why Ankrum is heading into this weekend atop the standings with a a 10-point advantage over second. Ankrum looks to extend his advantage at LVMS and is not ready to fold his hand.
High Roller… Ankrum’s qualifying efforts through two races have been outstanding. He has positioned himself to lead laps with starts of fifth and second. The No. 18 LiUNA Chevrolet has led the most laps in the series this season with 62, more than double any other full-time NCTS competitor. This is with the leadership of crew chief Mark Hillman who has effectively managed each week with pit strategies to keep Ankrum towards the front. The duo is displaying that fast trucks and great execution yield a high reward.
Lead The Way… Ankrum is leading the points standings by playing his cards right early in the 2024 season. At Daytona International Speedway (DIS), Ankrum clinched a fourth-place result in the first stage and proceeded to dominate in the second stage with 15 laps led and finished first. With a similar result at AMS, Ankrum leads the series in stage points earned with 35. Heading into this weekend, Ankrum is wanting to keep this pace and continue to be at the head of the table.
Tune In … Action from LVMS begins Friday at 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 with practice and pole qualifying. NASCAR Raceday kicks off race coverage at 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 followed by the green flag at 9:00 p.m. ET. 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:
On Bouncing Back This Week:
“Atlanta (AMS) is something I’m ready to move on from. I made a move that cost us a good chance at our first win this year. The truck is very fast and I know that we can continue being a contender each week. I like Las Vegas, it’s a type of track style I am comfortable with and know if I qualify well again I can try and fight for more points. Our whole LiUNA team wants to finish as well as we’ve been running, and we’d like to finish the night off in victory lane on Friday.”