Eckes Captures Stage Win before Brake Issue Slows Atlanta Run
Christian Eckes was one of the early favorites at Atlanta Motor Speedway before a brake issue put a halt to his strong afternoon. The driver of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado RST led 20 laps in the opening segment enroute to a stage win and captured his first playoff point of the season. However, Eckes’ afternoon resulted in a 32nd-place finish after completing 50 circuits.
Eckes took the green flag in fifth position as he and his MHR teammates dominated qualifying, with all four trucks occupying the top-five spots in the starting lineup. In typical fashion, Eckes wasted no time making bold moves towards the lead. He grabbed the second position on the opening lap and took the lead on lap 11. Shortly after a restart on lap 22, Eckes radioed his NAPA Auto Care team that his brake pedal was going to the floor and that he did not have any brakes. Despite the alarming discovery, Eckes drove to the stage win on lap 30, but was forced to pit under the stage caution.
Crew chief Charles Denike and the MHR team attempted to resolve the issue, but Eckes was forced to retire early and was credited with the 32nd-place result.
“We had a really fast NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet,” Eckes said. “We drove straight to the lead early and was able to control the race for most of the first stage. The brake pedal went to the floor towards the end of the first stage and had some fluid inside the truck, so its really unfortunate for our team and everybody at NAPA that was out here today with us. We’ll go to Vegas and try to make up for it”
Start / Finish: 5 / 32
Points Standing / Total: 9th / 54 pts.
Next Race: Friday, March 1, Las Vegas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 9:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Christian Eckes: @christianeckes
Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: @BMR_NASCAR
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing View All
McAnally-Hilgemann Racing is eyeing a NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) championship in 2024 as the organization has expanded to four full-time entries. Christian Eckes is one of the favorites for the NCTS title and has six victories to his credit since driving the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet in 2023. Eckes is joined by Tyler Ankrum, Daniel Dye, and Jack Wood as the team has their focus fixed on playoff success.