Ankrum Takes on Loudon for First Round Finale
Venue: New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Event: Team EJP 175
Date: Saturday, September 20th
Location: Loudon, NH
Track Description: 1.058-mile oval track
Distance: 175 laps, 185.15 miles (12:00 p.m. ET, FS1, SiriusXM)
The Magic Mile … Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST heads Northeast to Loudon, New Hampshire for the Team EJP 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) makes their return to the 1.058-mile oval for the first time since 2017 this Saturday afternoon. This run will mark Ankrum’s first appearance at the Magic Mile but the young driver is no stranger to intermediate tracks as he has over 70 starts on tracks measuring between 1 and 1.5 miles in length with a gaggle on top fives and top 10’s followed by a win earlier this year at Rockingham Speedway.
Playoff Recap … The San Bernardino, Calif. native is ready to make a statement headed into the third race of the 2025 NCTS Playoffs and the final race in the Round of 10. Starting in Darlington, the 24-year-old had a solid run that allowed them to gain a ton of stage points to start the playoffs on a strong note, sitting fifth in the point standings. Last week in Bristol, the driver of the No. 18 was piloting an absolute rocket ship of a race truck after lining up third to start the 250-lap event. An early Stage Two incident sent Ankrum spinning into Turn 1 as he was running second and relegated him to the back of the field, leaving him straight to battle and an unfortunate 20th-place finish. Ankrum and the No. 18 team sit 29 markers above the cutline headed into the final race of the Round of 10.
Spoiler Highlights … Tyler Ankrum and the No. 18 team are excited to welcome aboard the Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers’ District Council. The Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers’ District Council and its 30 affiliated Local Unions are proud to serve and represent over 20,000 hard working men and women across the Northeast. Members of the Council’s affiliated construction unions build the homes, offices, roads, bridges, tunnels, highways and energy infrastructure that their region depends on. At the same time, members of affiliated public sector unions keep municipal governments, housing authorities, hospitals, schools, and cafeterias running year-round.
Through ongoing communication and negotiations with nearly 1,000 signatory entities, the District Council strives to establish and maintain family-supporting wages along with quality health and retirement benefits. The District Council actively partners with employers, industry leaders, and government officials to advance workplace safety and training standards while fostering harmony and united action among all affiliated Local Unions.
Tune In …Television coverage on the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event will begin Friday afternoon with practice and qualifying starting at 4:05 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2, followed by green flag on Saturday for the Team EJP 175 at 12:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. 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:
“New tracks are always fun but it can also be a very daring time, especially in the playoffs. I am looking forward to New Hampshire for sure. We have been working really hard in the sim to prepare for this race and I think we will have a pretty good truck. Even though we have a little bit of a points cushion heading into Loudon, nothing is guarrented. The goal is truly to go out there and snag a win to lock us into the Round of 8. Last week was a tough one to swallow but I know this team can bounce back from anything and we can go out there in New Hampshire and lay out everything we got.”