Keep The Streak… Tyler Ankrum returns to Kansas Speedway (KS) for the final race of the first round for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) playoffs. The driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST is in a prime position to advance to the second round and owns a 25-point advantage on the provisional cut line. The Californian is riding a wave of momentum with a current streak of four-straight top-10 finishes. A 10th-place effort at Bristol Motor Speedway last week marked the first time in Ankrum’s NCTS career where he has delivered four straight top-10 results. He has also scored five top-10 results in the last six races, dating back to a fifth-place finish at Nashville Superspeedway in June.
Career Best Season … Through the first 18 races this season, Ankrum has already put up enough numbers for a career-best season. In his sixth full-time NCTS campaign, the 23-year-old started the season strong by leading the point standings for four consecutive races for the first time in his career. Ankrum has shown that he has plenty left to gain as he scored career best finishes at eight different tracks. In comparison to his previous best season in 2020, it took him only 18 races to equal a career-high number of top-10 finishes (10) along with a career-best five top-five results.
Intermediate Speedway Style… Some of the brightest spots in Ankrum’s career-best year have come at intermediate racetracks. He scored a season-high runner up at the 1.5-mile tri oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a venue that closely resembles Kansas Speedway. He was part of a banner night for MHR at Nashville Superspeedway where he finished fifth and joined his teammates Christian Eckes and Daniel Dye in the top five. Ankrum also led a season-high 46 laps at the 1.5-mile Atlanta Motor Speedway in March before finishing seventh. Another similar effort to those performances would guarantee a spot in the second round for Ankrum and the LIUNA team.
Tune In … FOX Sports 2 starts coverage from Kansas at 3:30 p.m. ET with practice and qualifying, followed by the green flag at 8:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Stay connected with the No. 18 LIUNA team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
On What it Will Take to Advance in Kansas:
“Having a 25-point cushion may feel like it is enough but we know it isn’t. Last time we were in Kansas we didn’t really have the day we expected, so we want to make sure we put a full night together and score as many points as we can. This No. 18 LIUNA team has been great for these first two playoff races and have put us in a decent spot before the first cutoff race. The four straight top-10’s wouldn’t be possible without their help so we will go into Kansas prepared to do our jobs. “
McAnally Hilgemann Racing PR
