Eckes’ Quest for Redemption Begins at Daytona
Venue: Daytona International Speedway
Event: Fresh From Florida 250
Date: Friday, February 16th
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Track Description: 2.5-mile tri oval
Distance: 100 laps, 250 miles (7:30 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network)
The Redemption Tour Begins Now … Christian Eckes begins his second season behind the wheel of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado RST ready to kick off his redemption tour in pursuit of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) championship. The 23-year-old enters the season opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) with a clear and simple goal of capturing the season title after coming within reach of the ultimate prize last season. Eckes finished the 2023 campaign with a victory in the championship finale at Phoenix Raceway and led the MHR team to the first one-two finish in the organization’s history.
A Career Year … While he didn’t hoist the championship hardware, Eckes had the best season of his career in 2023. His four race wins were tied for the most in the series and finished a career-best fifth in the drivers’ point standings. He also posted career-high marks for top-five finishes, poles, and laps led. Eckes and the NAPA Auto Care team’s performance throughout 2023 have positioned themselves as a preemptive favorite and hungry for even greater accomplishments in 2024.
Superspeedway Threat … Over the past three NCTS superspeedway races, Eckes has become one of the dominant threats. Eckes enters the opener at DIS with back-to-back podium finishes at the “World Center of Racing” and led the most laps (19) in the weather-shortened event last season. He captured the first stage win at DIS in 2023 and was leading at the white flag in last year’s playoff event at Talladega Superspeedway. Dating back to the 2022 race at Talladega, Eckes has led the most laps in two of the last three NCTS superspeedway events. His track record at NASCAR’s biggest tracks suggest he’ll be one of the competitors to beat on Friday night.
Tune In … Eckes and his MHR teammates hit the track at 5:00 p.m. ET Thursday evening for practice on FOX Sports 1 (FS1). Coverage on FS1 continues Friday with qualifying at 3:00 p.m. ET, followed by NASCAR Raceday at 6:30 p.m. ET and the green flag at 7:30 p.m. ET. 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 starting his second season at MHR:
“Our NAPA Auto Care team certainly has a lot of motivation going into this year. We’re really proud to have met and exceeded our expectations at the start of last season, but we want more, for sure. I’m proud of all the guys at MHR and everyone on our NAPA Auto Care team for all the effort they put in over the winter to get ready to race. I think we’re really well prepared to race for a championship. Hopefully we can put together a smooth night at Daytona, execute the right way, and be there at the end to race for the win.”