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Eckes Seizes Redemption with Dominant Bristol Win
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes took the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead on Friday night with a stout fourth-place performance at Texas Motor Speedway. The driver of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST captured his third top-five finish of the season and scored 50 points on the night, the second-most of all drivers in the field. Eckes led 31 laps, the only driver to have led laps in each race this season, and tallied his third top-five finish in the last four events.
For the second-consecutive weekend, Eckes qualified on the front row and was a mainstay in the top five for the entire event. He settled into second at the drop of the green flag and challenged for the lead near the midway point of the opening stage. The first lead change of the night occurred when Eckes powered his Gates Hydraulics Chevy to the lead on lap 17 and paced the field for 21 circuits. He surrendered the lead on lap 38 and collected nine points at the end of Stage 1 on lap 40 while running second.
Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit road under the stage caution for four fresh tires, fuel, and a minor air pressure adjustment to tighten his balance. Eckes restarted second on lap 47 and maintained position inside the top five for the ensuing 35-lap run. An improved handling balance and consistent lap times netted Eckes another eight points at the end of Stage 2 on lap 80 by running in third position.
Eckes was armed with another batch of fresh tires, fuel, and minor adjustments to fine-tune the handling during the second stage caution. After restarting third on lap 87, he waged war for the runner-up position and gained control of it by lap 100. He ran there until a cycle of green flag pit stops began on lap 119. Eckes made his final stop on lap 129 just before a caution waved. He was able to stay on the lead lap in fourth position and in contention for the victory. He made another fierce run for the race lead on a lap 150 and led until lap 158. During the final 10 laps, Eckes fought valiantly for one final charge at the lead but took the checkered flag in fourth position for his third top-five and sixth top-10 of the season.
“Not a bad points night,” Eckes said. “I thought we’d have a pretty good shot at the win there, but just went down into Turns 1 and 2 and got way too tight and slid up the racetrack. It is what it is. I’m proud of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics team for making the improvements that they did. Our mile-and-a-half stuff has definitely shown a little bit of an improvement. We still have a little bit of a ways to go, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Start / Finish: 2 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 1 / 287 pts. (+2)
Next Race: Saturday, May 4, Kansas Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes orchestrated complete dominance at Martinsville Speedway by sweeping both stages en route to his second victory of the season on Friday night. The driver of the No. 19 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST scored the maximum 60 points and pocketed seven playoff points to make a massive swing in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series point standings. He gained two positions to fourth in the standings and is only 11 markers out of the lead.
Eckes displayed considerable pace by positing the third-quickest lap in practice and qualified on the outside of the front row on Friday afternoon. He made a statement at the drop of the green flag by using the outside lane to take the lead on the initial start. During the first 50-lap stage, Eckes methodically paced the field and asserted his dominance. Following a restart on lap 37, Eckes pulled away to comfortably take the Stage 1 win along with 10 points and one playoff bonus point.
Crew chief Charles Denike kept Eckes on track to maintain the No. 19 team’s track position and set up a one-stop strategy. Eckes picked up where he left off in Stage 1 on the lap 61 restart. He jumped out to another quick lead and cleanly executed two additional restarts during the second stage to tally 10 points and a second playoff bonus point for leading at lap 100. Under the ensuing stage caution, Denike brought Eckes to pit road for his only four-tire pit stop of the evening and made a minor air pressure adjustment.
As several trucks stayed on track with alternative pit strategies, Eckes lined up 19th on lap 110. During the second half of the race, Eckes conducted a masterclass in slicing through traffic. It only took him 11 laps to crack the top-10 and was back inside the top five by lap 142. On lap 165, Eckes arrived on the doorstep of the lead and took the runner-up position. Shortly thereafter, he reclaimed the lead with a power move on the outside for the second time on the night. Two cautions over the final 23 laps forced Eckes to execute crucial restarts to defend the race lead, which he did with complete authority. He led the final three-lap dash to the checkered flag and captured his first Martinsville win and grandfather clock by a margin of 0.64 seconds.
“Something really special,” Eckes said of the victory. “It hasn’t been an easy regular season so far, to say the least. We came here and we weren’t that great last year, maybe a sixth-place truck. We worked really hard on it and here we are in victory lane. So, just super proud of everyone on this team. Huge thanks to Adaptive One Calipers, NAPA Auto Care, Gates Hydraulics, all of our partners, and Chevrolet. It’s a good day to be in victory lane. Can’t wait for that clock!”
Start / Finish: 2 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 237 pts. (-11)
Next Race: Friday, April 12, Texas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes put on a furious rally on an overtime restart to capture an eighth-place finish on Saturday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The driver of the No. 19
link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Silverado RST had an eventful, up-and-down afternoon but showcased his resilience by rebounding from two penalties to record his second top-10 result at COTA. After qualifying 10th on Friday afternoon, Eckes was forced to start at the tail of the field after the NAPA Auto Care team changed transmissions before the race. The New Yorker was undeterred by starting shotgun and rocketed to 14th on the opening lap. An early caution on lap three helped Eckes continue his rapid run to the front on a lap six restart when he cracked the top 10. He maintained his top-five position at the end of Stage 1 on lap 12 to collect six points in fifth position.
Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit road for four tires, fuel, and a small adjustment under the first stage caution. Eckes restarted 11th on lap 15 as several trucks stayed on track. He immediately climbed into fifth on lap 18 and took advantage of an impending caution to pit on lap 21 before the yellow flag flew. However, Eckes was nabbed with a penalty for exceeding track limits and was sent to the tail of the field. He restarted 23rd on lap 24 and hustled his way to close Stage 2 in 12th on lap 26.
During the second stage caution, Eckes stayed on track to inherit track position and restarted eighth on lap 29. While running sixth on lap 30, Eckes incurred another track limit violation and ran 26th after serving the penalty under green. With the aid of a caution on lap 38, he restarted 10th on lap 40, but spun at the top of Turn 1 on lap 41. Denike and the NAPA Auto Care team gave Eckes four tires for the two-lap overtime as he restarted 22nd on lap 45 with two laps to go. As the OT green flag dropped, Eckes went on an all-out rampage, slicing through the field in the final two laps to take the checkered flag in eighth position.
“We came from the back at least four times today and felt like we were a top-three truck,” Eckes said. “Our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet was pretty well balanced but just had too many mistakes on my part. Our team did a great job responding from it to get back to eighth at the end.”
Start / Finish: 10 / 8
Points Standing / Total: 6th / 177 pts. (-30)
Next Race: Friday, April 15, Martinsville Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team qualified fifth for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway In a race where tire management was key, the 28-year-old driver persevered to earn the No. 9 team’s first top-10 result of the season and his third straight top-10 at Bristol The 2020 Cup Series champion led twice for a total of five laps on the day – including the 80,000th lap for Hendrick Motorsports in the sport’s premier series – en route to an eighth-place finish Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Bristol sixth in the Cup Series points standings Chase Elliott earned a fifth-place starting position in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Once the green flag dropped, Elliott held his own inside the top 10 and advanced to third before the first caution of the race came out on lap 22. Under the yellow, Elliott reported that the right front was “taking a beating” but that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1’s balance was spot on for the current track conditions. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called his driver to pit road for right-side tires and fuel. Elliott restarted fourth on lap 30 and was running in the same position when the caution flag waved again just two laps later. Staying out, he restarted fourth on lap 38 and charged to the lead on lap 61. Elliott stayed out front for four laps, earning Hendrick Motorsports its 80,000th lap led in the Cup Series in the process. When the race slowed for a caution on lap 71, Elliott was scored in the fourth position. He reported to his team that the NAPA Chevrolet was having some voltage issues, but he was ultimately able to remedy it without the team needing to make repairs. Elliott brought the NAPA Chevy to pit road for four tires and fuel. A fast stop by the No. 9 crew gained Elliott a spot on pit road and he lined up third for the restart on lap 79. The Hendrick Motorsports driver held strong inside the top 10 for several laps, but as the run went on Elliott began to get too much wear on his tires and he slid back to 15th to end the first stage.
Gustafson called Elliott to pit road during the stage break for four tires and fuel. Following the stop, the team examined the tires and discovered that both right-side tires were corded – something that a majority of the field was also dealing with. Elliott started the second stage from 13th on lap 140. For several laps, cars ran double file and Elliott was stuck on the outside. At the time of the lap-177 caution, Elliott was scored 23rd. He relayed to his team that he felt that a lot of his competitors were running too hard at the start and that he was trying to protect his tires. After stopping for fresh tires and fuel, Elliott restarted 20th and improved to 17th before the yellow flag was displayed on lap 228. He radioed that he was happy with his NAPA Chevy’s balance. When Elliott came to pit road for four tires and fuel, there was trouble on the pit stop that dropped Elliott deep in the field. Once the race was back to green, he maneuvered his way to 22nd before the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage two at lap 250.
After receiving four fresh tires, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native took the green flag for the final stage from 18th. However, the NAPA Chevy was too tight during the run and Elliott dropped to 30th as he hurt the right-rear tire trying to make his car turn. When a caution came out on lap 311, the team took the opportunity to make a chassis adjustment to the No. 9 during the four-tire stop. Elliott restarted 27th and was up to 25th when the final yellow flag of the race waved at lap 369. The six-time National Motorsports Press Association Most Popular Driver Award winner brought the No. 9 Chevy to the attention of the pit crew for a fresh set of tires. He was scored 23rd after the pit stop and advanced inside the top 20 after the race went back to green. Elliott methodically pressed forward and broke into the top 10 on lap 432. During the long green-flag run, the team opted to stay out on the track longer than most. Elliott made his way to fifth before coming to pit road for his final pit stop of the day on lap 447. Once pit stops cycled through, he was scored in the 11th position. With fresher tires than some of his competitors, he continued to gain spots in the final laps to take the checkered flag eighth. It was his third straight top-10 finish on the high-banked concrete oval.
Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Bristol sixth in the Cup Series points standings, just 33 markers behind the leader.
“Normally, you could just bury the car into the corner so far and you don’t ever really get beat by guys with tires that bad,” Elliott said, describing what made the race so challenging. “You could just fall off a cliff there with the way that was. It was like racing at a really old, worn-out short track. It was a lot of fun. I think there was probably a little better balance somewhere up there, but I had a good time.”
Start / Finish: 5 / 8
Points Standing / Total: 6th / 152 pts. (-33)
Next Race: Sunday, March 24, Circuit of the Americas
How to Watch or Listen: FOX, PRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes tallied a resilient sixth-place finish on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) for his best finish through three races. The driver of the No. 19
link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Silverado RST remains ninth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) standings after his second top-10 result of the young season. Eckes has now posted top-10 finishes in six of his eight races at LVMS.
Eckes started the day in strong fashion by posting the second-quickest laps in practice and qualifying. He got the early holeshot off the initial green flag and led the first seven circuits. However, Eckes began wrestling with an extremely tight condition throughout the opening stage. The balance issues relegated him to run in 14th position at the end of Stage 1 on lap 30.
Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit lane during the stage yellow to change four tires and address the handling woes. A track bar and wedge adjustment proved to be the right direction for Eckes in Stage 2, but the tight condition persisted. Eckes restarted 16th on lap 36 but immediately leaped into the top 10 by lap 38. Despite his efforts, Eckes once again ran 14th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 60.
Denike and the NAPA Auto Care team made an even bigger swing to improve the balance with chassis adjustments during the second stage caution. Significant wedge and a front suspension changes proved to be the proper tonic to wake up Eckes’ Chevrolet. He restarted 21st on lap 67 and marched back into the top-10 in less than 20 laps. A smoothly executed green-flag pit stop cycle vaulted Eckes from ninth to sixth with roughly 30 laps remaining. The improved balance allowed him to string together consistent laps over the final run to take the checkered flag in sixth for his second top-10 result of the season.
“We definitely made improvements throughout the night to our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet,” Eckes said. “My guys kept making swings at it and we got the balance better, but we have some work to do to get the balance where we need it. It’s good to finish better than we ran all night, but we have some work to do.”
Start / Finish: 2 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 85 pts. (-22)
Next Race: Saturday, March 16, Bristol Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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