Eckes records third-straight runner-up at phoenix

Venue: Phoenix Raceway

FINISH: 2nd

Start: 13th

Stage 1: 6th

Stage 2: 3rd

Laps Led: 2

NCTS Point Standings Position: 3rd

Christian Eckes’ near brush with victory continued in the desert on Friday night at Phoenix Raceway. The driver of the No. 91 Columbia Bank Chevrolet Silverado RST recorded his third-consecutive runner-up finish. The former Phoenix winner came one spot shy but gained one position in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series standings and now sits third on the Chase grid. The result gives Eckes nine top-five finishes on the season and his fourth podium result over the last six races.

Eckes’ road to contention began from outside the top-10 on Friday evening, taking the green flag from 13th. In standard fashion, he cracked the top-10 in just two laps and had climbed to seventh by lap eight. The opening 45 lap segment ran clean under green flag conditions as Eckes’ Chevrolet trended too tight on Phoenix’s flat corners. He managed to advance to sixth by the end of Stage 1 on lap 45 and earned five points.

The No. 91 team delivered a stellar four-tire pit stop under the stage caution and gained Eckes two positions. He restarted fourth on lap 55 and immediately inserted himself as a contender. He claimed the third position on lap 60 and reported the Columbia Bank machine was free on entry but liked the balance. That characteristic equated to speed during the second stage and yielded eight points when the green checkered flag waved on lap 90.

The final stop of the evening came under the second stage caution as the No. 91 crew held serve versus the competitors that took four tires. Eckes restarted third on lap 98 and made an immediate bid for the lead in Turn 1. His effort came up short yet grabbed control of the second spot. He paced the No. 11 truck over the final 53 laps, closing to within six truck lengths. Eckes took the checkered flag 1.55 seconds behind the lead to score his third-straight podium result at the desert mile.

Christian Eckes Quote:

“Even though I’ve won here, I felt like our Columbia Bank Chevrolet was probably the best truck I’ve had here at Phoenix but just not quite enough. They were just a little better than us all day. I felt like we were a third or fourth-place racecar but track position was so important that if I could get our ahead of them I’d be okay. Kind of corded a right front at the end, I believe, and got too tight. Proud of the effort regardless.”