Eckes Has Chance for Redemption and Shot to Advance at Homestead
Venue: Homestead-Miami Speedway
Event: Baptist Health 200
Date: Saturday, October 26th
Location: Homestead, FL
Track Description: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 134 laps, 201 miles (12:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
Redemption Awaits in South Florida … Christian Eckes’ playoff quest continues in South Florida as he looks for a shot at redemption at Homestead-Miami Speedway (HMS) on Saturday afternoon. The driver of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado enters HMS 29 points above the provisional cut line with two races remining in the “Round of 8”. Redemption and an automatic berth into the championship finale would taste especially sweet for Eckes after his playoff run ended at HMS last season. He has led the standings after 11 of the 20 events this season and is currently one point behind the lead. Eckes has finished sixth or better in all four playoff races thus far and hopes to underscore those efforts with his first HMS victory on Saturday afternoon.
Cream of the Crop … No other driver on the NCTS tour has been more consistent than Eckes. Through 20 races, he has achieved a staggering level of consistency with a current streak of 18-consecutive top-10 finishes. Eckes has frequently positioned the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet at the front of the field this season by leading laps in 19 of the 20 events. From the June 1st race at World Wide Technology Raceway through the “Round of 10” finale at Kansas Speedway, Eckes posted eight-straight top-five results, the longest of his career. He has excelled in the seven races at 1.5-mile tracks similar to HMS this year by recording three top-five’s and five top-10 finishes. He has also been a steady performer in four prior trips to South Florida with three top-10 results, including a best finish of third in 2019.
Season to Date … The 2024 season has featured Eckes putting up career-high numbers and leading the NCTS field in numerous categories. His career-high of 13 top-five finishes and 19 top-10 results lead all NCTS drivers, as does his average finish of 5.6 and an average running position of 6.09. Eckes has been a mainstay up front by leading in 19 different races for a total of 860 laps with nine stage victories, all of which are the high marks in the series. His outright speed and consistent finishes have earned him 920 points through 20 races, outscoring the rest of the field by 93 points.
Tune In … Coverage on FOX Sports 1 from Homestead-Miami goes live on Saturday afternoon at Noon ET for the second race in Round 2 as Eckes and the playoff field compete for a win to advance to the championship finale. on Stay connected with the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Christian Eckes Quote:
On racing at Homestead and his outlook for the weekend:
“We’re in a good points position right now, but we want to take advantage of this weekend at Homestead and put our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet in the final round. We’d like to make some new memories this weekend and forget about what happened last year, so there’s some extra motivation, for sure. Our mile-and-a-half program has been okay, but not where we want it. We’ve been a top-five truck at most races this year, but want to improve this weekend and have race-winning speed. Hopefully we can do that with our NAPA Chevrolet, execute a clean afternoon and give ourselves a chance to advance.”