It’s been 2,108 days since Tyler Ankrum last won a race in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Now, on the 18th day of April, in the year 2025, as NASCAR embarks on its historic return to the iconic Rockingham Speedway, the San Bernardino, California-native has returned to Victory Lane, winning Friday’s Black’s Tire 200.
The 24-year-old driver was only pacing the field for the final 29 laps of Friday’s 200-lap contest at the track affectionately known as “The Rock”, but Ankrum was able to make those laps count, saving copious amounts of fuel throughout the final green-flag run to hold on to the victory.
While Ankrum and McAnally-Hilgemann Racing have brought tons of speed to the racetrack this year, Friday’s race at Rockingham wasn’t one of those times, finishing both of the first two stages outside the top-20, and at one point being off the lead lap.
After getting back on the lead-lap for the race’s final stage, Ankrum and crew chief Mike Hillman were able to play the strategy perfectly, coming in one caution before everybody else to make their final pit stop, and making the gas stretch to the end.
RACE RESULTS: Black’s Tire 200 at Rockingham Speedway
“It’s strange, I didn’t know where Victory Lane was at,” said Ankrum after the race. “I can’t thank these guys enough, with the way this day started and going a lap down and Mark [Hillman] making the pit call to get the track position back, just saving fuel man. Coming to six to go, I knew that was the number, I knew we were five short I was hoping we saved enough, and we did.”
Throughout the final 30 laps of Friday’s event, Ankrum was being chased by Bristol winner Chandler Smith, who pitted seven laps later than the LiUNA! Chevrolet. However, the Front Row Motorsports driver made a miscalculation and ran out of fuel in the final laps of the race, giving the No. 18 a huge margin.
In the end, Ankrum held a 6.657-second margin over polesitter Jake Garcia at the checkered flag.
Garcia, who had a career evening at Rockingham, came up one spot short of his first career victory, finishing runner-up after leading 43 laps, second only to Corey Heim. The finish marks the best of his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career and is his best result with ThorSport Racing.
Daniel Hemric also found himself struggling throughout the afternoon, as did all four McAnally-Hilgemann Racing trucks, but through the chaos in the late stages of the event, managed to secure a third-place finish.
Rajah Caruth and Grant Enfinger spent much of the afternoon lying in the weeds, running in and around the top 10, before coming home in fourth and fifth place. Kaden Honeycutt led some laps early in Friday’s race but managed to finish sixth.
In the seventh spot, Jack Wood managed to collect a career-best result in the No. 91 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet. Corey Heim rebounded from a late-race fuel pit stop for an eighth-place finish, with Connor Mosack and Gio Ruggiero rounding out the top 10.
Layne Riggs had a strong showing on Friday, leading 24 laps, but after a late-race pit stop for fuel, the Front Row Motorsports driver finished 11th, two spots ahead of his teammate Chandler Smith.
Leaving Rockingham, Corey Heim continued to hold the lead in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series point standings, holding a 22-point margin over second-place Chandler Smith. Tyler Ankrum moves into third in points, with Daniel Hemric and Layne Riggs inside the top five.
Up next for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, after some time off, is a trip to Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, May 2 at 8:00 PM ET with coverage on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
