Eckes’ Return Features Thrilling Top-Three Run at Daytona

Christian Eckes’ “Revenge Tour” kicked off in exhilarating fashion as he scored a third-place finish in his reunion with MHR. The driver of the No. 91 Columbia Bank Chevrolet Silverado RST was a fixture near the front of the field in Friday night’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway and made a staggering 271 green flag passes throughout the night. Eckes collected 12 stage points, and 46 overall, which has him initially positioned second in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series standings.

Eckes and the Columbia Bank team narrowly missed the second round of qualifying on Friday afternoon and lined up 11th for the green flag. From the outset, Eckes made himself one of the most active drivers in the field, making moves and slicing in traffic to work his way forward. He cracked the top-10 in the opening five laps before making a furious charge to the front on lap 19. A massive swell of momentum on the bottom lane catapulted him from outside the top-15 to run third at the end of Stage 1 on lap 20.

The strategy by crew chief Dave Elenz to keep Eckes’ tank packed full of fuel was on display beginning with the first pit cycle. After taking left side tires and fuel, Elenz brough Eckes back to pit road to top-off with gas before the restart. Despite restarting 31st on lap 28, Eckes gave the fans in attendance full value for their ticket by cutting through the field to run seventh at the end of Stage 2 on lap 40.

Eckes pitted again for fuel, and another top-off prior to the restart under the second stage caution. He efficiently cut from 20th on the lap 46 to challenge for the lead by lap 58 when the yellow flag flew. Just outside the fuel window to make the finish, Eckes pitted for fuel only, and again for four tires under a caution at lap 80. After restarting 15th on lap 85, Eckes created a mammoth surge of momentum to challenge for the lead on lap 93. A late caution set up a green-white-checkered finish as he took the green from fifth position. Eckes’ precision moves helped him challenge for the lead of the final lap but crossed the line third in a four-wide finish at the checkered flag.

“It was fun, for sure,” Eckes remarked after the podium result. “I thought all night our truck was really solid and was able to do a lot of things. Just thanks to Columbia Bank, NAPA, Gates Hydraulics, Chevrolet, everybody involved. We weren’t very good [Friday] but the guys went to work and got it better…I’d have to go back and look at [the finish]. It’s kind of hard with no help out back. The situation that unfolded, we started fifth or sixth, it’s just hard to have a chance at it. Obviously, we want to win, but we’ll keep moving on.”

Start / Finish: 11 / 3
Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 46 pts. (-19)

Next Race: Saturday, February 21st, EchoPark Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Christian Eckes: @christianeckes
Bill McAnally Racing: @BMR_NASCAR