NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Overview
Event: Lucas Oil 150, Race 22 of 23, 150 Laps – 45/45/60; 150 Miles
Location: ISM Raceway in Avondale, Ariz. (one-mile oval)
Date/Broadcast: Nov. 9, 2018 at 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR 90
What You Need to Know
- Christian Eckes will spend his final day as a 17-year-old making his fourth and final NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start of 2018 driving the No. 46 Mobil 1 Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM) Friday night in the Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway in Avondale Ariz.
- Eckes, who turns 18 on Saturday, has been solid behind the wheel of the organization’s fourth entry during his limited schedule producing two top-10 finishes across three starts this season. He showcased his driving abilities by leading 34 laps and winning the second stage 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 and most recently qualified 12th and finished ninth in the October race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
- The talented teenager 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. Eckes 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. He 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 August. Under Glick’s guidance, the No. 46 team has finished inside the top 10 three times in five starts this season; eighth at Iowa Speedway in June with Eckes, a third-place finish with Brandon Jones at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway in May and a ninth-place result most recently with Eckes at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Christian Eckes, Driver Q&A
How have you prepared for your first start at ISM Raceway?
“We have race film and stuff like that to go over — we’ll figure it out. I’ve never been there myself, but I’m really looking forward to getting back in the Mobil 1 Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports this weekend.”
This is your final Truck Series start of the season. How has it gone and what are your expectations for this weekend?
“I think it has gone ok — we definitely have showed speed at times. We’re really looking forward to showing the most speed at the last race — we’re trying to save the best for last. I think we will have a really good truck. Me and Cody (Glick, crew chief) and everybody on our team is really looking forward to this next race. Like I said, we’ve shown a lot of speed, but we don’t really have the results we deserve. Hopefully that turns around this weekend at Phoenix.”
Christian Eckes Career Highlights
- Produced three wins, two poles, 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, two poles, 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.
- Eckes 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.
Christian Eckes’ No. 46 Mobil 1 Tundra:
KBM-24: The No. 46 Mobil 1 team will unload KBM-24 for Friday night’s Lucas Oil 150 at ISM Raceway. Eckes qualified second and led 28 laps with the same Tundra at Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, Ill., in June before being relegated to a 28th-place finish after a mid-race accident. Noah Gragson raced it most recently in October at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway where he qualified third and finished seventh. The Toyota has won three times across 13 careers starts, including Erik Jones’ dominant win at ISM Raceway in 2014 when he led 114 of 126 laps in a race that was shortened in length due to a power outage at the track.
