For the second time this season, Christian Eckes wins the pole award in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, this time in Richmond. Eckes most recently took the pole in Bristol, led the most laps and won the race.
Christian Eckes is hoping to win the regular season championship tonight. He needs to finish at least 26th regardless of what the others do tonight. In other words, Eckes is capable of winning the championship and going to the playoffs, taking all the bonus points.
Corey Heim hopes that Eckes cannot stay in front. In fact, he hopes that Eckes has an early problem and ends the evening as a DNF. From the looks of things, Eckes starts at the front and he may not give up this leadership.
This season, Eckes does not have the most wins. That goes to Heim. However, he has collected a lot of points and will most likely win the regular season championship after today’s race.
In 2023, it was Heim who won the regular season. However, after that chaotic and horrific final, he was unable to win the season championship in Phoenix.
Christian Eckes starts ahead of Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, Layne Riggs, William Sawalich, Corey Heim, Taylor Gray, Kdaen Honeycutt, Nick Sanchez and Tyler Ankrum – that’s your top 10 for tonight.
Christian Eckes takes pole position, two teenagers compete head-to-head
While the big headline from qualifying is Christian Eckes’ pole award win, there is another storyline to watch tonight. William Sawalich and Connor Zilisch are both driving the Truck Series race tonight. Sawalich for Tricon, Zilisch for Spire.
Sawalich will already have a huge lead. He will start in 5th place. Zilisch, meanwhile, qualified in 27th place. For Zilisch, it will be a night of learning and slowly climbing through the field. He has the talent to ride into the top 10 if all goes well.
These two have met several times in the ARCA Menards Series. They are two talented youngsters looking to prove themselves, and they look to each other as a benchmark. Zilisch has been able to beat Sawalich on more than one occasion.
Tonight, Christian Eckes will be looking to clinch his regular season title. Sawalich and Zilisch will be writing a new chapter in their young rivalry. Tonight in Richmond will be a blast for NASCAR fans. Tune in to FS1 and experience the action.
