Eckes Enters Richmond on the Threshold of Regular Season Title
Venue: Richmond Raceway
Event: Clean Harbors 250
Date: Saturday, August 10th
Location: Richmond, VA
Track Description: 0.75-mile tri oval
Distance: 250 laps, 187.5 miles (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
Within Reach of Regular Season Title … Christian Eckes enters the regular season finale at Richmond Raceway on the threshold of his first regular season title. The driver of the No. 19 Instacoat Premium Products Chevrolet Silverado RST leads the championship standings by 50 points entering the regular season finale. While Eckes is determined to capture his fourth victory of the season, his quest for the regular season title only requires him to accumulate 11 points, regardless of how any other competitor performs on Saturday night. Mathematically, he could clinch by the end of Stage 2, or finish 26th without earning any stage points. Eckes is sure to be in contention for the victory at Richmond as he won two of the four short track races this season and led laps in all four events.
Short Track Ace … Eckes has continued his elite short track runs through the summer and looks to extend that streak at Richmond. He has momentum from three-consecutive podium finishes, including a runner-up at the 0.686-mile Indianapolis Raceway Park (IRP) two weeks ago. In the four previous short track races this season, Eckes has earned two victories at Bristol Motor Speedway and Martinsville Speedway and has finished sixth or better in each race. His recent second-place performance at IRP extended his string of consecutive podium finishes to four and is tied for the longest streak of his career. Additionally, Eckes has posted three wins and seven podium finishes in the last eight races at tracks one mile and shorter, dating back to IRP of 2023.
Season to Date … Eckes has led the NCTS drivers’ championship standings for the last seven races and eight of the last nine events. His 50-point advantage is the largest lead any driver has had in the point standings this year. A total of nine top-five’s and a series-leading 14 top-10 finishes are the primary reason why Eckes has consistently held the championship lead. He also leads the series in laps led with a career-high 698 laps led and an average finish of 6.2.
Tune In … All on-track activity at Richmond will be covered live on FOX Sports 1, beginning with practice and qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET followed by the green flag at 7:30 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 19 Instacoat Premium Products team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Christian Eckes Quote:
On closing the regular season at Richmond:
“I feel pretty good about where we’re at as a team and the speed we have in our Chevrolets. We’ve needed a bit more here and there, but overall we’ve been able to put ourselves up front pretty consistently. I think we can continue that at Richmond with our Instacoat Premium Products Chevrolet, and it would be nice to lock up the regular season title. That was one of our goals to start the season, and it’s nice that opportunity is in front of us. It’s just another step in the process of where we want to be and definitely looking forward to keeping this momentum going into the playoffs.”