by Brock Beard / LASTCAR.info Editor-in-Chief

Tyler Ankrum picked up the 2nd last-place finish of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career in Friday’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at the Texas Motor Speedway when his #18 LiUNA! Chevrolet was collected in a multi-truck accident after he completed 1 of 167 laps.

The finish, which came in Ankrum’s 120th series start, was his first of the season and first in the Truck Series since March 29, 2021 at the Bristol Dirt Track, 70 races ago. In the Truck Series’ last-place rankings, it was the 4th for the #18, the 191st from a crash, and the 443rd for Chevrolet. Across NASCAR’s top three series, it was the 54th for the #18, the 1,370th from a crash, and the 1,935th for Chevrolet.

In these first few rounds of the 2024 season, Ankrum has already shown the most improvement from last season. It had been five long years since his lone series victory in 2019, a year he nearly lost his ride at DGR-Crosley due to sponsorship issues, briefly putting him in “start-and-park” trucks for NEMCO Motorsports. He finished 8th in points that year, then 9th in 2020 for GMS Racing. But the next three seasons saw a perplexing drop in performance where he ranked no better than 12th in points – even after joining the once-championship winning team at Hattori Racing Enterprises.

But these first six races have completely rejuvenated Ankrum’s career. Ironically, it was from still another team change – this time to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing – where his full-time teammate is another rising star in Christian Eckes. The LiUNA! sponsorship (Laborers’ International Union of North America) has stuck with Ankrum through these last few difficult years, a loyalty immediately rewarded by an 11th at Daytona and 7th in Atlanta, where he led 16 and 46 laps respectively. He then enjoyed a close battle with Rajah Caruth for the win in Las Vegas, took 5th at Bristol, and after a difficult 25th in COTA rebounded on the next short track in Martinsville, taking 5th again. He entered Texas a close second in points, just seven markers behind Ty Majeski for the regular season lead.

Texas saw Ankrum make seven previous starts with a best finish of 3rd in 2019, but three of his last four starts there resulted in finishes of 16th or worse. In just three laps in practice, he turned the second-fastest lap, trailing only Rajah Caruth, but on the fourth time by broke loose in Turn 2 and slapped the wall, sending him to the garage with heavy right-side damage. Ankrum was already the second truck to wreck in the session as Tanner Gray wrecked his #15 Operation 300 Toyota in the same spot, forcing the team to prepare its own backup. With just 34 trucks entered for 36 spots, Ankrum and Gray would round out the field in the final two spots. Based on Owner Points, Ankrum was ranked ahead of Gray.

When the race soon followed, both Ankrum and Gray were among five drivers sent to the rear for pre-race penalties. After running fastest in practice, Rajah Caruth qualified 10th in his #71 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, but was penalized for a flat right-rear tire that needed changing. Also docked were 27th-place Bret Holmes in the #32 Precision Garage Door Chevrolet and 31st-place Memphis Villarreal, making his first Truck Series start at his home track in Young’s Motorsports’ #20 Laredo Trailer Supply Chevrolet. Coming to the green flag, Caruth started to the outside of Ankrum in the final row, and the #71 was last across the stripe, 3.137 seconds behind to Ankrum’s 3.129.

At the end of Lap 1, Ankrum remained in last place, 4.158 seconds behind the leader, but was now locked in a side-by-side battle with new 33rd-place runner Villarreal in the penalized #20. Further ahead, trouble broke out in Turn 2. Thad Moffitt qualified 23rd in the #46 Safety-Kleen Chevrolet, but swung wide entering the corner. He managed to stay out of the wall, but the left-front wheel was inexplicably turned hard to the left, sending the truck veering down the banking. Moffitt failed to correct as he glanced off Kris Wright’s #1 America’s Auto Auction / Esmark Toyota, then was soon caught by Ankrum, Gray, and Caruth. Moffitt struck the right-front of Ankrum, sending him spinning up the track. First Gray, then Caruth barely missed – the #71 skating sideways as he managed to maintain control. Villarreal tried to follow Caruth, but the hole closed, and the left-front of Villarreal’s truck struck the rear of Moffitt’s.

Sitting in the middle of the track under caution, Moffitt said, “Dammit, man. I started to get real free in, and it just kept going, kept going - UGH!” The crew said he did a good job saving the truck before the incident occurred, then said they would discuss it further in the garage. Further down at the apron of Turn 3, Villarreal stopped his truck and was met by crews who brought him to the infield care center. Ankrum made it to pit road, but by Lap 7 had climbed from his truck, done for the day. By then, both Moffitt’s and Villarreal’s trucks had been towed back to their respective haulers. Ankrum’s crew also called for a tow truck and soon joined the other two involved. Ankrum is now ranked 6th in points, 43 markers out of the regular season lead.

Through it all, Ankrum remained classified in last even though he was running ahead of Villarreal at the time of the wreck, the ranking likely based on his running last at the stripe to start Lap 2. Villarreal took 33rd with Moffitt in 32nd. The FS1 broadcast indicated that Moffitt’s steering wheel may have come loose in Turns 1 and 2, causing the wreck, but Moffitt only said that there was “like something in the left-front pulled me left.” Kris Wright, who suffered some right-side damage from Moffitt, received repairs during the ensuing caution and continued in the race. He ultimately finished in 30th, eliminated in a late-race accident with Stewart Friesen in the #52 Chili’s Toyota. Completing the Bottom Five was Layne Riggs, whose #38 Infinity Communications Group Ford had a solid run, finishing 7th in Stage 1 and 8th in Stage 2, before he wrecked on the backstretch.

Dye, Parsons, and Alan battle among the leaders in Texas

Taking home 6th was Daniel Dye, who at one point late in the race saved his #43 Champion Container Chevrolet from spinning in a close door-to-door battle through Turns 3 and 4. This ties Dye’s career-best 6th at Talladega last fall. Still seeking his first career top-five finish, Dye now has three top-ten finishes in 30 career starts.

Stefan Parsons finished 9th in the #75 Trophy Tractor Chevrolet for Henderson Motorsports – this in his first series start at Texas. Parsons has now scored both his career top-ten finishes in the 2024 season. His career-best remains his 6th-place run at Daytona in February.

Lawless Alan was also impressive, racing inside the Top 10 late in Reaume Brothers Racing’s #33 AUTOChargit Mobile Ford. He finished a season-best 11th, besting his 12th-place run in Atlanta. His career-best remains his lone top-ten finish – a 10th last fall at Talladega.

LASTCAR STATISTICS

*This marked the first last-place finish for the #18 in a Truck Series race since August 7, 2021, when Chandler Smith was disqualified for failing post-race heights on his #18 Safelite Auto Glass Toyota at Watkins Glen. The number had never before finished last in a Truck Series race at Texas.

*Ankrum is the first driver to finish last in a Truck Series race at Texas while completing just the opening lap since June 8, 2018, when Todd Peck had electrical issues on his #50 Image Tech Chevrolet.

THE BOTTOM FIVE

34) #18-Tyler Ankrum / 1 lap / crash

33) #20-Memphis Villarreal / 1 lap / crash

32) #46-Thad Moffitt / 1 lap / crash

31) #38-Layne Riggs / 135 laps / crash

30) #1-Kris Wright / 145 laps / crash

2024 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES OWNER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Young’s Motorsports (2)

2nd) Faction 46, Front Row Motorsports, Hill Motorsports, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Terry Carroll Motorsports (1)

2024 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES MANUFACTURER'S CHAMPIONSHIP

1st) Chevrolet (4)

2nd) Toyota (2)

3rd) Ford (1)

2024 LASTCAR TRUCK SERIES DRIVER'S CHAMPIONSHIP