While McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced back in December that Tyler Ankrum would pilot a Ullico-sponsored No. 18 Chevrolet Silverado for the team in two races during the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, those two races weren’t revealed at the time. On Monday, the team revealed the two Ullico primary sponsorship races for Ankrum.
Ankrum will carry the blue, white, and red colors of Ullico this weekend in the Weather Guard Truck Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, and the company will return as the primary sponsor for the No. 18 team at Nashville Superspeedway in June.
This marks the second season of Ullico’s partnership with Ankrum as the company served as the primary sponsor for Ankrum during last year’s race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“It’s an honor to represent Ullico again this season,” Ankrum said. “This is our second year together and I couldn’t be happier to run their colors at Bristol and Nashville. It’s been a great start to the year and I’m looking forward to continuing that momentum as we grow this partnership. Ullico is doing remarkable things for union members financial security, and I’m thrilled that I can represent them on the track again this season. Hopefully, we can put the No. 18 in victory lane this weekend for them at Bristol.”
While Ankrum says he hopes to reach victory lane with Ullico on his truck, he isn’t just rehearsing pie-in-the-sky aspirations. Ankrum, who has one career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win in 116 starts, has had a career resurgence through the opening three races of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season.
The McAnally-Hilgemann Racing team as a whole have been ultra-strong, and Ankrum, who moved over to the organization in the offseason has reaped the benefits from that raw speed. Ankrum has an average finish of 4.0 and an average finish of 6.7 so far this season, and he finished runner-up in his last outing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Through just the opening three races of the 2024 season, Ankrum has already more than doubled the amount of laps led (62) that he recorded over the previous three seasons combined (30). Ankrum has momentum heading into this weekend’s race at Bristol.
