Ozzy Osborne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home” may be the theme song for Christian Eckes in 2026. The driver will return to McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series after a one-year departure with Kaulig Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly Xfinity Series) a season ago.
On Thursday, McAnally-Hilgemann Racing officially welcomed Eckes back with open arms as the driver of the team’s No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado RST for the upcoming season. Additionally, the team named Dave Elenz the crew chief for the No. 91 team in 2026.
He's home!@christianeckes is back in 2026!
Full details ?? https://t.co/SoVbslZbta#NASCAR pic.twitter.com/wjgdLCjfFb
— Bill McAnally Racing (@BMR_NASCAR) November 20, 2025
Eckes, who won eight races in a two-season run at McAnally-Hilgemann in 2023 and 2024 and cemented himself as a Championship 4 contender in 2024, is excited to rejoin his former team and his hopeful to rekindle their former dominance.
“I couldn’t be happier to be back at MHR,” Eckes said in a team press release. “We had a lot of success in 2023-24, and we want to get back to that next year. Bill [McAnally] and I have always had a great relationship, and we’re putting a lot of quality people and pieces together. We had two great years here, and I enjoyed the races I ran this past year. It’s great to stay in a Chevrolet and have their commitment to MHR. Also, the relationships with NAPA, their suppliers, and ownerships made a lot of sense to come back here and chase a championship together.”
Eckes will have primary sponsorship backing from Columbia Bank, NAPA Nightvision, NAPA Brakes Gold Calipers, and NAPA Auto Care in 2026.
Bill McAnally, who is seeking his first NASCAR National Series championship as a team owner, feels the No. 91 team is locked and loaded for the championship fight.
“We’re excited to have Christian back,” McAnally said. “He certainly has his fingerprints on our program, and all of us were proud to see him in the Xfinity Series last year, but we have unfinished business. Between him and Dave [Elenz], we’re putting a great team together to chase that championship. I’m excited to see them work together and see the impact it makes throughout our company. It’s special to have partners like NAPA, Old World Industries, and NAPA Brakes Gold Calipers return to support this, and to grow our relationship with Columbia Bank.”
Elenz, who served as a crew chief for Erik Jones in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2022 to 2024 and secured a win, is ready for the challenge of competing alongside Eckes in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
“I’m looking forward to working with Christian and everyone at MHR,” Elenz said. “This will be a new challenge, and there’s a lot of optimism for what we can accomplish together. It’ll be great to have a full off-season to prepare so we can show up to Daytona ready to compete for wins.”
Prior to his move to the NASCAR Cup Series, Elenz served as a crew chief for JR Motorsports, where he accumulated 15 victories.
