Christian Eckes Tag

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Two promising talents will be given the shot of a lifetime by competing full-time in the 2020 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series for Kyle Busch Motorsports. KBM announced Thursday that Canadian driver Raphael Lessard will replace Todd Gilliland in the No. 4 Toyota Tundra while ARCA Menards Series champion Christian Eckes will pilot the No. 18 Tundra as current driver Harrison Burton will move up to the Xfinity Series. Eckes has shown blistering speed in Trucks, scoring three top-10 finishes. However, Eckes has definitely shined duringRead More

By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service LAS VEGAS – Austin Hill earned his third NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series win of the 2019 season Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway – perhaps his most important victory as it advances him to the second round of the Playoffs with big momentum and raised expectations. Hill’s No. 16 Hattori Racing Enterprises Toyota finished an impressive 2.116 seconds ahead of fellow Playoff competitor Ross Chastain, whose No. 45 Chevrolet led a race-best 88-of-134 laps. Polesitter Christian Eckes finished third in the KyleRead More

By Luis Torres, Staff Writer Kyle Busch Motorsports, the team to beat in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series throughout the decade, is out of the playoffs. In a tremendously disappointing campaign, neither Harrison Burton nor Todd Gilliland were able to score an elusive victory, let alone finish in the top-10 in Saturday’s Corrigan Oil 200 at Michigan International Speedway. No matter the bells and whistles KBM tried to do to get either driver in excellent position to win and take the eighth and final spot, it simply didn’t pay off.Read More

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service Ross Chastain made it look easy on Saturday at Pocono Raceway, but the battle for Playoff spots intensified dramatically in the Gander RV 150 at the 2.5-mile triangular track. Pitting early near the end of Stage 2 in the 60-lap NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race, Chastain regained the lead on Lap 33 and held it the rest of the way, beating surging 18-year-old Tyler Ankrum to the finish line by 1.007 seconds. Stage 2 winner Harrison Burton charged from 10th to third during the closingRead More

Charlie Krall, ARCA Communications Manager Christian Eckes (No. 15 JBL Audio Toyota) took over the lead when most of the other lead lap cars pitted late in the race and held off two furious charges, first from teammate Logan Seavey and then from eventual runner up Sheldon Creed, to score his second ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards win of 2018 in Sunday’s Allen Crowe 100 at the Illinois State Fair. Eckes nipped Creed at the line by 0.305 seconds on a two-lap overtime dash to the checkered flag. Eckes and crewRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer MADISON, Ill. — Grant Enfinger turned a lap at 138.867 mph in the final round of knockout qualifying to earn the pole award for Saturday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Gateway Motorsports Park. The top spot was the second of Enfinger’s career, his first since 2016 and his first on a non-restrictor plate track. Christian Eckes, making his second Truck Series start, will roll off second in the No. 46 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota. Eckes has an ARCA Racing Series win this seasonRead More

By Aaron Bearden, Open Wheel Editor MADISON, Ill. — Christian Eckes was the only driver capable of keeping pace with Sheldon Creed throughout a challenging night at Gateway Motorsports Park. But after contact with Creed on the race’s final restart, Eckes found himself mired in traffic. He could only watch on as the ARCA Racing Series points leader drove off to a dominant win in the PapaNicholas Coffee 150. Eckes was battling Creed for the top spot in the high lane on a Lap 79 restart when light contact betweenRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer MADISON, Ill. — Sheldon Creed earned the General Tire Pole Award for Friday night’s ARCA Racing Series Papa Nicholas 150 at Gateway Motorsports Park. The top starting position was the second of his career in his 27th start. Creed’s lap on the repaved track shattered the previous ARCA qualifying record, set by Tim Steele (33.646 seconds, 133.745 mph) in 2001. Creed leads the championship standings by 55 points over his MDM Motorsports teammate Zane Smith and picks up an additional five championship points from his qualifying effort.Read More

By Seth Eggert, Staff Writer For the 10th race of the season, the series visits the unique 1.250-mile Gateway Motorsports Park for the Villa Lighting Delivers the Eaton 200. Teams using the NT1 Spec Engine versus those using OEM engines, drivers making their debuts, no Cup drivers, and stage racing are just some of the storylines heading into the seventh race of the season at Iowa. Coverage for the Villa Lighting Delivers the Eaton 200 is scheduled to start Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. Gateway has been on the Truck SeriesRead More

By Brian Eberly, Contributing Writer NEWTON, Iowa — After taking the checkered flag in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series M&M’s 200 at Iowa Speedway, Christian Eckes climbed from his No. 46 Toyota and immediately sat down beside the truck. Saying it was hot on Friday in Iowa would be an understatement and temperatures inside the truck were well into the triple digits. Eckes was provided water and Gatorade by his Kyle Busch Motorsports teammates as well as NASCAR officials. After several minutes, Eckes rose and headed back toRead More