Pit Stop Radio News

• Christian Eckes will make his third of four NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts this season for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) driving the No. 46 CRAFTSMAN® Tundra Saturday in the Texas Roadhouse 200 at Martinsville Speedway. The talented youngster showcased his driving abilities by leading 34 laps and winning the second stage of his last start at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill., in June. Unfortunately, he got wrecked while running fourth just seven laps into the Final Stage of the event and ended the race with a disappointing 28th-place finish. The New York native started ninth, led four laps and finished eighth in a successful Truck Series debut in June at Iowa Speedway in Newton. After Martinsville, he will make his final start of 2018 in the No. 46 Mobil 1 Tundra Nov. 8 at ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

• Eckes dominated his final ARCA Racing Series start of 2018, leading 171 of 200 laps en route to victory in the Oct. 6 event at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Ind. The 17-year-old driver also was triumphant at Salem (Ind.) Speedway in April and on the dirt track at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield in August. Overall in 13 ARCA starts this season, he posted three wins, two poles, 420 laps led, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes and an average finish of 7.3. The talented teenager was impressive down the stretch, registering an average finish of 4.8 and two victories across his final five starts.

• The Middletown, N.Y., native put his name on the motorsports map when he won the prestigious Snowball Derby Super Late Model race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., in December of 2016. The then 15-year-old battled side-by-side with John Hunter Nemechek for the final two laps before narrowly edging him to the finish line.

• Cody Glick, who oversees KBM’s Super Late Model program, is serving as Eckes’ crew chief for his four-race schedule in the Truck Series this year. Glick picked up his first career Truck Series victory when he called the shots for Kyle Busch’s win from the pole at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway last year. Under Glick’s guidance, the No. 46 team has finished inside the top 10 twice in four starts this season; eighth at Iowa Speedway in June with Eckes and a third-place finish with Brandon Jones at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

• CRAFTSMAN will serve as the primary sponsor of Eckes’ Tundra this week at Martinsville. CRAFTSMAN is the American icon that homeowners, home builders, auto enthusiasts and master mechanics have trusted since 1927 – and today’s CRAFTSMAN continues that legacy. With a focus on reliable, high-performance tools, storage and equipment, CRAFTSMAN has revived its long-established pride in superior quality. Now it’s easier than ever to get the tools trusted for generations at more places than ever. For more information visit www.craftsman.com or follow CRAFTSMAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

• Produced three wins, 420 laps led, six top-five and eight top-10 finishes across 13 ARCA Racing Series starts in 2018.
• In 27 career ARCA Racing starts since 2016 has produced three wins, 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.3.
• In 2017, collected four top-five and nine top-10 finishes across 10 ARCA events and four top-five and five top-10 finishes in six CARS Super Late Model Tour starts.
• In 2016, recorded one top-10 result in four ARCA starts and two top-10 finishes across three K&N Pro Series East starts.

• KBM drivers have collected six wins, three poles, 749 laps led, 20 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes resulting in an average finish of 8.2 across 43 starts at Martinsville
• Noah Gragson picked up the organization’s most recent victory at the 0.526-mile oval last October. Denny Hamlin and Darrell Wallace Jr. each have collected two victories while Gragson and owner-driver Kyle Busch have one win
• The No. 46 team has finished inside the top 10 twice in four starts this season; eighth at Iowa Speedway in June with Eckes and a third-place finish with Brandon Jones at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May
• All together in four races in 2017, two with Kyle Busch and two with Todd Gilliland, the No. 46 team earned one win, one pole, 109 laps led, two top-five and three top-10 finishes
• KBM holds the NCWTS records for most career wins (68) and most wins in a single season (14 in 2014). In addition to collecting a series-record six Owner’s Championships, the organization has produced two championship-winning drivers; Erik Jones (2015) and Christopher Bell (2017)

KBM PR