Christian Eckes Clinches Playoff Spot with Fifth-Place Finish at Darlington

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News
Christian Eckes clinched a spot in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series with a fifth-place finish in Sunday’s race at Darlington Raceway. Eckes sits sixth in the point standings and eighth on the playoff grid, but currently has a 62-point cushion over the cutoff line with just one regular season race remaining.
 
Stage One Recap: 
  • Eckes started from the 17th position after a performance matrix based off his finishing position from the previous race, ranking in owner points standings and the ranking of the fastest lap he turned from the previous race at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
  • The Safelite Tundra was scored in the 16th spot when the competition caution slowed the field for the second time on Lap 20. A speedy stop by the over-the-wall crew allowed Eckes to leave pit road in the 11th position.
  • Eckes gained three spots over two laps when the field went back green, and then lost one spot on the final lap and finished Stage One in the ninth position. With his two stage points, he clinched a spot in the playoffs based on points despite not having won a race yet this season. 
Stage Two Recap:  
  • Eckes communicated to championship crew chief Rudy Fugle that his Tundra “got freer as the stage went along,” before hitting pit road for four fresh tires and full load of fuel. Another speedy stop allowed the No. 18 Tundra to exit pit road seventh.
  • The 19-year-old driver elected to line up in the third row on bottom. After the restart on Lap 53, he settled into line in the seventh position for the next 20 laps before he began to fall backwards. He reported that the Safelite Tundra was “way too loose.” and would end Stage Two in the 11th position. 
Final Stage Recap:  
  • Eckes hit pit road for four fresh tires, a full load of fuel and a chassis adjustment between stages.
  • The No. 18 would restart in eighth when the Final Stage went green on Lap 97. When the caution flew on Lap 103, he reported that the changes on the last pit stop had helped, but he needed more of the same adjustment.
  • Fugle summoned his young driver to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel and another chassis adjustment. With the majority of lead-lap drivers remaining on track, Eckes would restart 15th on Lap 106.
  • Using the fresh tires to his advantage, the talented teenager had maneuvered his way up to the seventh position when the next caution occurred on Lap 122. With new tires being so valuable at Darlington, Fugle once again summoned Eckes to pit road to get four fresh tires for the closing laps of the event.
  • The Safelite Tudnra was the fourth truck to leave pit road and lined up in the outside lane of the second row for the restart with 18 laps remaining.
  • Eckes lost one spot before the seventh and final caution flew with three laps remaining.
  • While the top-three trucks pitted, Eckes remained on track and moved up to the second position. With the choose-lane rule in effect, he opted to start from the outside lane on the second row instead of on the front row on the inside lane for NASCAR overtime.
  • The top lane did not get moving on the ensuing restart and the Safelite Tudnra would fall back a handful of spots, finally falling in line in the fifth position. Eckes would narrowly nudge out his KBM teammate Raphael Lessard to earn his fifth top-five of the 2020 season. 

KBM PR

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