Christian Eckes NCTS Kansas Speedway Preview

Race Information

Venue: Kansas Speedway
Event: Race to Stop Suicide 200
Date: Saturday, September 26
Location: Kansas City, KS
Track Description: 1.5-mile tri oval
Distance: 134 laps, 201 miles (1:00 p.m. ET, FOX Sports 1, Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM)

Eckes Reseting for Chase Rebound in the Heartland

Going for Two … Former Kansas Speedway winner, Christian Eckes, returns to the Sunflower State in search for his second victory at the 1.5-mile track in a crucial moment of the season. The driver of the No. 91 Motion Industries Chevrolet Silverado RST visited Kansas’ victory lane in September 2023 and looks to use this weekend as a reset in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) Chase. After beginning the Chase fourth in the standings, a 30th-place finish last week at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) has Eckes “behind the sticks” entering the second round at Kansas Speedway. Eckes has three prior NCTS victories at 1.5-mile tracks and looks to add a fourth on Saturday afternoon.

“Are You Experienced?” … Eckes has more experience at Kansas Speedway than any other venue on the NCTS slate. Saturday’s 200-miler marks his 11th NCTS start on the Heartland’s progressive banks, and will be his 13th overall combined with experience in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series (AMS). Eckes not only has been experienced, but also elite in Kansas. In four prior starts with MHR at Kansas Speedway, Eckes has three top-three finishes, including a win in 2023 and has led laps in all four races. In his 10 prior NCTS races, Eckes has led laps in nine of them and collected six top-five’s and eight top-10 finishes. He also claimed an AMS victory in 2019 and has led laps in every series in which he’s competed at Kansas.

Season to Date … Despite opening the Chase with a difficult start at BMS, Eckes is still within 58 points of the lead and sits eighth in the standings. Through 19 races, Eckes has scored six top-five’s, 11 top-10 finishes and has an average finish of 13.9 with three stage victories.

Tune In … The Kansas race weekend gets underway Friday afternoon with practice and qualifying at 5:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 2. The green flag drops on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Stay connected with the No. 91 Motion Industries team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmr_nascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.

Christian Eckes Quote:

On returning to Kansas as a former winner:

“Kansas is a place that gives you some of the most options as a driver of anywhere we go. I’ve been fortunate to run pretty well there over the years and have always felt comfortable. It’s been a while since we were at a mile-and-a-half, but our No. 91 team has been looking forward to this ever since we ran so well at Charlotte. Hopefully we can replicate what we did there with our Motion Industries Chevy this weekend. Everybody at MHR, and especially our No. 91 group, put a lot of effort into finding more speed on the intermediates, and felt like we did that at Charlotte. We need improve our execution this weekend and dig ourselves back out of the hole we’re in, but we’re more than capable of it, for sure.”

Christian Eckes 2026 Statistics

Starts: 19

Wins: 0

Top-5’s: 6

Top-10’s: 11

Poles: 0

Stage Wins: 3

Laps Led: 173

Average Finish: 13.9

NCTS Points Position: 8th

Motion is a leading distributor of maintenance, repair, and operation replacement parts, and a premier provider of industrial technology solutions. Products include bearings; mechanical power transmission products; electrical and industrial automation components; hose, belting, and gaskets; hydraulic/pneumatic components; process pumps; industrial/safety products; seals and accessories; material handling solutions; and more.

With the goal of increasing customers’ productivity, the Company offers many valued-added services, including engineering, fabrication, repair, and Industry 4.0 solutions across these product groups. To learn more, visit Motion.com.

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? Follow every lap, every pit stop, every storyline? We're looking for fellow enthusiasts to share insights, race recaps, hot takes, or behind-the-scenes knowledge with our readers. Click Here to apply!

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of SpeedwayMedia.com

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

SM SPEEDWAY SHOTS

Latest articles

RCR Race Preview: Kansas Speedway

In 113 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Kansas Speedway, Richard Childress Racing has one win (Kevin Harvick, 2013) along with five top-five and 29 top-10 finishes.

America’s Home for Racing Hosts Triple-Header Bank of America 400 Weekend

Bank of America 400 weekend tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267).

Hendrick Motorsports Media Advance: Kansas

Hendrick Motorsports is the all-time leader in wins (11), top fives (51) and top 10s (96) at the 1.5-mile tri-oval and its seven poles are tied for the most.

RFK Racing – Kansas II Advance

Mike Skarbowski has been named as the interim crew chief of the 6 car and Brad Keselowski. Mike previously held the role of Race Support Manager and crew chief of No. 99 car at Daytona in February

Best New Zealand Online Casinos