Truck Series: Ankrum hangs onto victory in fuel mileage on Rockingham return

Written by Sean McKean

Credit - James Gilbert / Getty Images

In a fuel mileage race to the end, Tyler Ankrum took his second victory on return to “The Rock.” It was his first win in over 130 races.

As it unfolded

Jake Garcia started from pole, but a bump from Chandler Smith in Turn 4 saw the two front row drivers go side by side. 

However, this battle never materialised, as a caution came out for an incident in the back on Lap 2. Going into Turn 3, Connor Mosack lost control and tracked his truck on the outside, collecting Bayley Currey as an innocent bystander whilst Mosack himself went for a spin. Each driver continued on. 

Garcia and Smith took the green flag on Lap 7, with the former jumping out into the lead.

When the run began, Ben Rhodes saw fluid come out of his ThorSport truck. This turned out to be power steering fluid, which made the truck virtually “unsteerable,” – per radio from Rhodes. He dropped from third to 28th within 13 laps. 

As Garcia caught lapped traffic, Smith began to catch up to the ThorSport driver. However, Layne Riggs also caught up to his teammate – passing Smith for second on Lap 38. 

With Kaden Honeycutt catching up to the top three, it meant a four-way battle for stage victory. Nonetheless, Layne Riggs made the move on Garcia with two laps remaining to take stage victory. Honeycutt also passed Smith for third.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports)

2. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing)

3. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

4. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

5. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage)

6. No. 17 - Gio Ruggeiro (TRICON Garage)

7. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

8. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

9. No. 07 - Sammy Smith (Spire Motorsports)

10. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing)

All drivers took to the pits on the break. Honeycutt came out first followed by Grant Enfinger and Riggs. Also, Matt Crafton’s engine expired during the break – putting him in the garage.

Honeycutt led the way on Lap 56, but Grant Enfinger rocketed into the lead before lap’s end.

Riggs managed to take the lead on Lap 71, but Honeycutt managed to get through both he and Enfinger to take the lead for himself. Riggs managed to firmly secure the lead eight laps later.

Riggs held onto the lead to take his second career stage win. Honeycutt and Garcia followed behind.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports)

2. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

3. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing)

4. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)

5. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage)

6. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

7. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

8. No. 17 - Gio Ruggeiro (TRICON Garage)

9. No. 75 - Parker Kligerman (Henderson Motorsports)

10. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

Everyone again took to the pits following stage one. Smith was the first out followed by Rajah Caruth and Parker Kligerman.

Smith led the way on Lap 100. 

The caution came out again on Lap 109. Going into Turn 1, Ty Majeski got loose whilst battling Grant Enfinger – sending the defending champion into the outside wall hard. The major damage to the rear of his truck was terminal. The caution turned into a brief red flag for barrier repair. 

Smith led the way again on Lap 116. Shortly thereafter, however, a big crash unfolded off Turn 4. Rajah Caruth lost the rear, leaving Stewart Friesen unable to react to the incident and sandwiching Matt Mills into the wall. Friesen spun down the track and was hit again by Tanner Gray in the grass. All three drivers walked away unhurt but were out of the race. 

Most of the frontrunners went to pit road. Of this bunch, Daniel Hemric was the first out followed by Honeycutt and Smith. Corey Heim, Gio Ruggeiro and Enfinger were the new top three.

Heim led the way on Lap 124. He held the lead until Lap 171, when green flag pit stops began. Ruggeiro eventually came down pit road too, relinquishing the lead to Tyler Ankrum, who was trying to stretch his fuel window.

However, most drivers began running out of fuel, from Riggs to Smith. Leader Ankrum ran out as he took the white flag, but he managed to hang on for victory. 

Provisional Results:

1. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

2. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing)

3. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

4. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports)

5. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports)

6. No. 45 - Kaden Honeycutt (Niece Motorsports)

7. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing)

8. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [FL] +1 lap

9. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally-Hilgemann Racing) +1 lap

10. No. 17 - Gio Ruggeiro (TRICON Garage) +1 lap

11. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) +1 lap

12. No. 77 - Andrés Pérez de Lara (Spire Motorsports) +1 lap

13. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports) +1 lap

14. No. 02 - Nathan Byrd (Young’s Motorsports) +2 laps

15. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises) +2 laps

16. No. 07 - Sammy Smith (Spire Motorsports) +3 laps

17. No. 1 - Brandon Jones (TRICON Garage) +4 laps

18. No. 5 - Toni Breidinger (TRICON Garage) +4 laps

19. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley WAR) +4 laps

20. No. 44 - Bayley Currey (Niece Motorsports) +5 laps

21. No. 56 - Timmy Hill (Hill Motorsports) +5 laps

22. No. 7 - Corey Day (Spire Motorsports) +6 laps

23. No. 33 - Frankie Muniz (Reaume Brothers Racing) +24 laps

24. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) +44 laps

25. No. 75 - Parker Kligerman (Henderson Motorsports) [DNF]

26. No. 66 - Luke Fenhaus (ThorSport Racing) [DNF]

27. No. 22 - Cody Dennison (Reaume Brothers Racing) +69 laps

28. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage) [DNF]

29. No. 52 - Stewart Friesen (Halmar Friesen Racing) [DNF]

30. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports) [DNF]

31. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing) [DNF]

32. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) [DNF]

33. No. 2 - Stephen Mallozzi (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF]

34. No. 90 - Justin Carroll (Teddy Carroll Motorsports) [DNF]

35. No. 6 - Norm Benning (Norm Benning Racing) [DNF]