Eckes poised for talladega breakthrough
Venue: Talladega Superspeedway
Events: Love’s RV Stop 225
Date: Friday, October 23
Location: Lincoln, AL
Track Description: 2.66-mile tri oval
Distance: 85 laps, 226.1 miles (4:00 p.m. ET – FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM)
Stalking the Front … Christian Eckes has done everything but capture a checkered flag in the Chase and looks to change the tide on Friday at Talladega Superspeedway. The driver of the No. 91 NAPA AccuFit Wipers Chevrolet Silverado RST has three straight runner-up finishes and brings a tremendous wave of momentum into the most unpredictable speedway on the planet. While he sits 112 markers out of the points lead, Talladega’s reputation for breeding chaos has the potential to flip the championship complexion and provide Eckes with an opportunity to jump back into contention.
Always Near the Front … Eckes has yet to conquer the high banks of ‘Dega, but he’s been at the front of field in every start on the 2.66-mile behemoth. In his four prior NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) starts at the world’s largest speedway, Eckes has earned a pair of top-10’s and has led laps in every start with a best finish of fifth in 2022. Since joining the MHR stable in 2023, Eckes has had a tremendous run at the superspeedways with five starts over that period, resulting in two top-five’s and four top-10’s. His five races with MHR at ‘Dega and Daytona International Speedway have resulted in him leading in each event, including leading at the white flag at Talladega in 2023. With three races remaining in the Chase, Eckes looks to translate his prior performances into his first Talladega triumph on Friday afternoon.
Season to Date … Through 22 of the 25 races, including four Chase events, Eckes sits third in the NCTS championship standings, 112 points back of the lead. He has compiled nine top-five’s and 14 top-10 finishes, 175 laps led, and has an average finish of 12, fourth best among full-time competitors.
Tune In … Coverage from Talladega begins Friday at 12:30 p.m. ET with qualifying on FOX Sports 2, followed by the green flag on FOX Sports 1 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 91 NAPA AccuFit Wipers team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmr_nascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Christian Eckes Quote:
His perspective for Talladega:
“We want to get a win before the year is out. Every week is a great opportunity for our No. 91 team, and that’s because of the preparation and execution of our group. We haven’t been missing much but just need to improve a couple minor things and we’ll be where we need to. These guys have done a great job bringing fast Chevrolets to the track, but Talladega is totally different game and brings the rest of the field into the mix. We’ve always run towards the front, and that’s our plan with our NAPA AccuFit Chevy this week. Wrecks can happen anywhere in the field at any way, so it’s best to race at the front, minimize the risk and try to control the race.”