Christian Eckes wins wreck-marred Atlanta Truck race
A late-race wreck including Carson Hocevar sent out the race into a two-lap overtime with Nick Sanchez in the lead.
Eckes, 22, powered to the lead on the reboot, quickly lost it to Sanchez, and got it back prior to a care was shown for a multi-truck wreck in Turn 4 on the last lap.
The win is the very first of the season for Eckes, who needed to resist from the back of the field mid-race after a speeding charge.
Eckes, a local of Middletown, N.Y., has one previous series success and relocated the offseason from ThorSport Racing to Bill McAnally Racing.
” There’s a great deal of ideas for sure. It was a hard offseason,” Eckes stated. “I’m driving as tough as I ever have– a have a lot to show to individuals who understand who they are.
” Just truly delighted. Thanks to this group, they work so damn tough and this is what makes it all worth it. I’m pumped. This is going to be an actually great year.”
Sanchez wound up 2nd, John Hunter Nemechek 3rd, Bayley Currey 4th and Matt DiBenedetto completed the top-five.
Completing the top-10 were Ben Rhodes, Timmy Hill, Chase Purdy, Matt Crafton and Jack Wood.
The race included 11 warns– consisting of 7 in the last– that covered 58 of the 137 laps finished.
Stage 3
Following the care in between Stages 2 and 3, all the lead-lap truck pit with Nemechek to begin with pit roadway.
On the reboot on Lap 68, Nemechek was followed by Corey Heim, DiBenedetto, Stewart Friesen and Tyler Ankrum.
Akinori Ogata spun off Turn 2 on Lap 78 and tagged in the within wall on the backstretch to highlight the 5th care of the race.
The lead-lap trucks all pit with Nemechek to begin with pit roadway. Both Eckes and Bret Holmes were punished for speeding on pit roadway and needed to reboot from the back of the field.
Heim and Colby Howard clashed on pit roadway throughout the stops however were both able to continue in the race.
On the reboot on Lap 84, Nemechek blazed a trail.
Sanchez appeared to fall off the speed on the reboot and Heim knocked into the back of his No. 2 truck to instantly put the race back under care.
The race went back to green on Lap 94 with Nemechek still out front, followed by Purdy, Ankrum, DiBenedetto and Rhodes.
Dean Thompson got pinched into the wall and damaged on Lap 97 to draw out the seventh care of the race.
Nemechek stayed in the lead on the reboot on Lap 103.
With a push from Crafton, Wood moved quickly into the lead on Lap 104 just to see Nemechek recover it on Lap 105.
Just after Wood went back to the lead on Lap 113, Nemechek entered into the back of Wood and spun him out in front of the field, which drew out a care. Grant Enfinger and ty Majeski needed to take incredibly elusive action to prevent getting gathered in the event.
Nemechek blazed a trail when the race resumed on Lap 121 followed by Purdy and Currey.
Just after Sanchez got a push into the lead on Lap 123, Hocevar and Lawless Alan struck the wall in Turn 3 to put the race back under care.
The race went back to green with 6 laps staying and Sanchez out front followed by Eckes and Rhodes.
On Lap 131, Hocevar trashed once again in Turn 2 to highlight the 10 th care of the race and send it into a two-lap overtime.
Sanchez blazed a trail on the reboot followed by Eckes, Rhodes, Nemechek and Purdy.
Stage 2
Crafton held back a late charge from Majeski and Nemechek off Turn 4 to take the Stage 2 win.
Majeski wound up 2nd, Nemechek 3rd, Rhodes 4th and Heim completed the top-five.
Following the care in between Stages 1 and 2, a number of lead-lap vehicles chosen to pit however Crafton avoided and acquired the lead. Zane Smith was initially off pit roadway amongst those who pit.
On the reboot on Lap 38, Crafton was followed by Majeski and Rhodes.
NASCAR was required to show a care on Lap 40 for particles on the frontstretch, which ended up being a piece of ballast. That will likely be a huge charge for group accountable next week.
Crafton stayed in the lead on the reboot on Lap 45 followed by Majeski and Rhodes.
Kaden Honeycutt got a huge push on the reboot to take the lead for the very first time in the race.
Crafton powered back to the lead on Lap 46 as Honeycutt appeared to fall of the speed and dropped to pit roadway to make a green-flag stop.
With 5 laps staying in the phase, Crafton held a little lead over Majeski as Rhodes stayed in 3rd.
Stage 1
Eckes held of a furious charge from Zane Smith in a one-dash to the surface and declared the Stage 1 win.
Enfinger was 3rd, Crafton 4th and DiBenedetto completed the top-five.
With certifying canceled by rain, Zane Smith began on the pole however Eckes powered to the lead on Lap 1 with a push from Majeski.
With 15 laps staying in the very first phase, Eckes preserved a little lead over Zane Smith with Enfinger in 3rd.
Daniel Dye fell off the rate and a lap down with 10 to enter the phase.
On Lap 24, Tanner Gray and Layne Riggs made contact and both struck the wall to draw out the very first care of the race.
A handful of trucks chosen to pit however Eckes stayed on the track and in the lead when the race went back to green on Lap 30.
.
