NCTS Championship Race – Race Results
Venue: Homestead-Miami Speedway
FINISH: 34th
Start: 18th
Stage One: 14th
Stage Two: 18th
NCTS Playoff Point Standings Position: 10th
Ankrum Gets Collected By Chaos in NCTS Season Finale at Homestead
Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST was forced to end his 2026 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series season a few short laps early after getting collected in an incident with 21 laps to go. The young driver started out his night in the 18th position after a tough qualifying run and knew he had some work to do. The field spread fast and Ankrum reported to the team with 10 laps to go that he needed more drive as he sat in the 15th position to later lead into a 14th-place Stage One finish. Along with needing more drive, Ankrum felt super loose in the rear and needed more stability. A slow pit stop for four tires, fuel and a trackbar adjustment sent the young driver back on track in 17th to restart Stage Two.
An uneventful second segment ran it’s course and the handling on the No. 18 Chevrolet continued to lack as the young driver held on for an 18th-place Stage Two finish. Crew chief Mark Hillman called Ankrum down pit road under the stage break for four fresh Goodyear tires with a slight air pressure adjustment and a top off of race fuel. A solid stop gained the San Bernardino, Calif. native three valuable spots on pit road to restart the final laps of the season 15th in line.
Chaos continued to stay minimal as the field ran green for the majority of the stage as green-flag pit stops started to cycle through. The No. 18 came down pit road on lap 97 for four tires and fuel and continued on until a caution just 10 laps later arose. Ankrum was still struggling with handling and came back down pit road under yellow for a solid stop with a handful of adjustments. On the restart, chaos finally broke through and collected the young driver in Turn 4. Ankrum came down pit road for the crew to asses the damage and after multiple attempts and new issues arising, the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet was sent to the garage, ending Ankrum’s season a few laps short with a 34th-place finish at Homestead.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
“Not a all how we wanted to end our season but man, that is just how our season has gone for this No. 18 group. Super proud of these guys all season long and huge thanks to Mark (Hillman, crew chief) on the box and Eddie (D’Hondt) on the roof guiding me through 2026. It has been a fun ride with Bill (McAnally, team owner) and I am super thankful to him and this entire team for allowing me this opportunity. I could not do any of this without the support of LIUNA and Chevrolet and I am looking forward to what is up next for us.”
The Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) partners with public and private entities, elected officials, community groups, and responsible contractors to build and maintain the infrastructure needs of communities throughout the United States and Canada, while providing residents a career in the construction industry. For more information on LIUNA, visit www.liuna.org.
