Ankrum’s Resilience Pays Dividends at IRP
| TSport 200 – Race Results Venue: Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park FINISH: 9th Start: 13th Stage One: 14th Stage Two: 10th NCTS Point Standings Position: 11th |
| Tyler Ankrum overcame a challenging start to the TSport 200 weekend at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) to earn a ninth-place finish Friday night. After qualifying 13th, Ankrum settled into the top 15 during the opening 60-lap stage. He slipped to 14th by lap 10 before returning to 13th and maintained pace with the lead pack through the second half of the run. Following minor contact in Turn 3 on lap 49, Ankrum crossed the stage finish line in 14th as the final truck on the lead lap. Mark Hillman (crew chief) made adjustments during the Stage 1 pit stop that improved the handling for the second segment. Ankrum restarted 12th on lap 71 and raced three wide through Turns 3 and 4 on the restart before settling into the top 10. He continued to gain ground throughout the green flag run and finished Stage 2 in 10th, collecting another stage point before returning to pit road for four tires, fuel and a minor adjustment. Ankrum restarted ninth for the final 80 laps but fell to 11th during the opening laps of the run. A caution on lap 137 involving teammate Daniel Hemric was followed by a red flag on lap 140. Ankrum remained on track during the caution period and restarted 12th on lap 145. He moved back to 11th by lap 148 and steadily worked his way forward over the closing laps, using the high line through Turns 3 and 4 to secure a ninth-place finish at the checkered flag. Tyler Ankrum Quote: “We struggled from the time we unloaded this morning, but I’m proud of our LIUNA team for sticking with it and finding speed throughout the day. We felt like we had more in qualifying, but we put together a solid race and gave ourselves a chance to steal a top-10 in the closing laps. Huge thanks to all the LIUNA members, David Frye and his family, and everyone from Miller Pipeline who came out to support us. I’m glad we could put together a solid effort tonight.” |
