Heartbreak Hovers Over Dye After an Early Exit at Charlotte
Daniel Dye, driver of the No. 20 Champion Container Chevrolet was poised for a top-10 finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Ecosave 200 until an incident in the closing laps led to heartbreak for the young driver. Dye started the 134-lap event 21st in line and wasted no time on his charge to the front. A quiet first stage saw Dye picking up spots left and right and raced his way to a 16th-place Stage One finish. Under the stage break, Dye reported to his team that his balance was pretty neutral and did not feel he needed adjustments. Four fresh tires and top off of Sunoco race fuel for the young driver to send him on his way to restart Stage Two.
The field stacked up and the No. 20 was forced to drop a few spots back to 22nd. Dye quickly regrouped and soon found himself back just outside the top 15 with 10 laps to go. As the stage came to a close, the young driver was able secure a 15th-place Stage Two finish and reported to crew chief Dewy Townsend under the stage break that he was lacking rear-stability in his race truck. A quick trip down pit road for four fresh tires, fuel and a slight adjustment to help the handling on that race truck led the Daytona Beach, Fla. native to restart the final stage 15th in line.
Throughout the final run, the field started to heat up and the racing started to get dicey. Dye continued to battle with the handling on the rear end of his race truck until a yellow flag appeared with 35 laps to go. This allowed the young driver to come down pit road for four tires, fuel and a small adjustment. A quick stop by the crew gained Dye a few spots on pit road to get him inside the top 10 to restart the closing laps. Dye set his focus forward and made a move up through the middle putting himself three-wide and battling hard as he found himself up to seventh until another caution arose. This gave the No. 20 a chance to reset and regroup in eighth.
On the restart, the field stacked up and a gaggle of trucks, including the No. 20 Chevrolet made contact, sending the competition into a red flag. The No. 20 spotter was able to assess the damage from above and the team chose not to pit when the field went back green. On the restart, the No. 20 went for an unfortunate spin headed into Turn 1 which forced the young driver to the garage for an early exit and a 28th-place finish at Charlotte.
Daniel Dye Quote:
“We had a really fast No. 20 Champion Container Chevrolet tonight and I hate that we walk away, once again, with nothing to show for it. Tough night for this No. 20 team but very grateful to MHR for the opportunity to hop in this truck for a few races this year. Big thanks to Champion Container, Bill (McAnally, team owner), Dewey (Townsend, crew chief) and the No. 20 team for a great run.”
Ankrum Bounces Back to Secure a Top-10 finish at Charlotte
Tyler Ankrum, driver of the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet scooped up a solid rebound Friday evening at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the Ecosave 200 where he rallied from a 25th-place start to a top-10 finish in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event. Starting toward the back of the pack, Ankrum struggled with track position for the first run of the 134-lap event as he reported to crew chief Mark Hillman that he was tight off the corners in the right front. An uneventful stage allowed the young driver to make his way up to the top 20 for a 17th-palce Stage One finish. Under the stage break, Ankrum’s only complaint continued on with tight handling in dirty air but overall balance felt decent. Four tires, fuel and a slight air pressure adjustment was the call for the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet. A quick trip down pit road sent the young driver out to restart the second stage in the 14th position.
A scuffle on the opening lap sent the San Bernardino, Calif. native three-wide heading into Turn 1 but Ankrum was able to overpower the chaos and pick up two spots to 12th where he settled in for the remained of the stage. Another quiet round of 30 laps saw the driver of the No. 18 Chevrolet on the heels of front of the field. The handling on his race truck had started to shift throughout the second stage and he reported to his crew that he was now building free throughout the run. Hillman (Mark, crew chief) brought Ankrum down pit road under the stage break for a fresh set of Goodyear tires, Sunoco race fuel and a small round of adjustments in the right rear to restart the final laps at Charlotte.
The pit crew doubled down for another solid stop which allowed the young driver to gain three very valuable spots on pit road to put him seventh in line and hungry in the top 10. The competition started to heat up and chaos started to settle in. Ankrum battled to stay inside the top 10 for the majority of the final stage until the first incident-caution of the night arose with 35 laps to go. One last stop was in the cards for the No. 18 for his final set of four fresh tires, fuel and more adjustments on the right rear. More pit road gains were in sight that led the young driver to restart the closing laps of the Ecosave 200 in sixth. Knocking on the door of a top-five finish, the chaos continued and more yellow fell. A big shuffle on the final restart pushed Ankrum a few spots back where he ultimately finished the night with a hard-fought top-10 finish in ninth.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
“A really good effort by the No. 18 team tonight. I had a poor qualifying effort and I put us in a bad spot to start but man, these guys worked so hard all night. This Trackhouse pit crew is unreal and the 18 guys gave me such a fast No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet so super happy that we were able to fight our way to a top 10 tonight. I think we really could of had a top five if I chose the top instead of the bottom on that final restart but we will take the top 10, hang our heads high and move on to Phoenix next week.”
Kris Wright and the No. 81 F.N.B. Corporation team finished 25th in Friday night’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing brought strong speed to the 1.5-mile oval, earning three top-10 finishes across its entries, while Wright and the No. 81 team battled strong before dealing with late-race misfortune.
Wright battled handling challenges throughout Stage 1, fighting a loose condition in Turns 1 and 2 and tight handling in Turns 3 and 4. Wright made a pass on lap 22 to move into the top-30 and finished the stage in 29th. The team made air pressure and chassis adjustments during the stage break, hoping to improve the truck’s pace and balance.
As Stage 2 went green, Wright made quick work of the trucks in front of him as he leaped into the top-25 on lap 45. Wright fought off his opponents for the duration of Stage 2 to hold position in the top-25. The F.N.B. Corporation team made minor tire pressure adjustments under the stage break and sent him back out to battle in the final stage.
The Pittsburgh, Pa. native continued to show speed early in the final segment, climbing to 22nd on lap 70. Wright was called to pit road on lap 97, but a caution interrupted the F.N.B. Corporation team’s green-flag pit stop, trapping Wright a lap down in 31st. He took the wave around to return to the lead lap and restarted 30th on lap 105. Shortly after going back green, Wright’s right-front tire went soft on lap 113 and made contact with the Turn 2 wall, which forced him to pit road for repairs . Wright scratched and clawed the rest of the way, ultimately finishing the Ecosave 200 25th, four laps down.
Kris Wright Quote:
“I was super impressed with the speed we figured out tonight with our F.N.B. Corporation Chevrolet Silverado RST. After the first stage, I really started to trust the vehicle and we made some really good moves on our way though the field. It’s unfortunate that our night didn’t end how we wanted it to, but we’ve only got four more races this season and the speed we had gives this team confidence that we’ll continue to bring fast trucks to the race track continuing with Phoenix next weekend.”
Carson Kvapil was awarded the pole position for the Blue Cross NC 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, October 10.
The event’s starting lineup was determined by a qualifying metric formula that evaluated competitors’ finishing results from a previous-scheduled event and respective entries in the owner’s standings. This was due to this weekend’s on-track qualifying session at Charlotte being canceled due to inclement weather.
Kvapil is coming off a strong runner-up result during last weekend’s NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series’ Chase event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and is currently ranked in the runner-up spot in the 2026 Chase standings. Therefore, the 23-year-old native from Mooresville, North Carolina, was awarded the top-starting spot for Saturday’s fifth Chase event of this season at Charlotte. Kvapil is also currently trailing the points lead by 19 points as he has five Chase events remaining on his schedule, including this weekend at Charlotte, to make up his deficit and contend for his first series’ championship.
Kvapil will share the front row with Corey Day, the latter of whom won last weekend at Las Vegas following a dramatic duel with Kvapil in the closing laps. Jesse Love, Brent Crews, Sam Mayer, Taylor Gray, Austin Hill, Sheldon Creed, William Sawalich and Rajah Caruth complete the top-10 starting grid, respectively.
With eight of 12 Chase contenders (Kvapil, Day, Love, Mayer, Gray, Hill, Creed and Caruth) starting in the top 10 on the grid, the remaining Chasers that include Sammy Smith, Parker Retzlaff, Justin Allgaier and Brandon Jones will start 13th, 16th, 23rd and 28th, respectively.
With 39 competitors vying for 39 starting spots, all made the main event.
Charlotte – Starting Lineup:
Carson Kvapil
Corey Day
Jesse Love
Brent Crews
Sam Mayer
Taylor Gray
Austin Hill
Sheldon Creed
William Sawalich
Rajah Caruth
Jeremy Clements
Anthony Alfredo
Sammy Smith
Ryan Sieg
Harrison Burton
Parker Retzlaff
Dean Thompson
Brennan Poole
Austin Green
Carson Brown
Jeb Burton
Kyle Sieg
Justin Allgaier
Garrett Smithley
Patrick Staropoli
Matt DiBenedetto
Lavar Scott
Brandon Jones
Mason Maggio
Blaine Perkins
Joey Gase
Josh Bilicki
Ryan Ellis
Myatt Snider
Derek Lemke
Jake Finch
Dawson Cram
JJ Yeley
*Bold indicates Chase Drivers
The 2026 Blue Cross NC 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is scheduled to occur on Saturday, October 10, at 4 p.m. ET on the CW Network, PRN Radio and SiriusXM.
Layne Riggs | Chandler Smith Charlotte Motor Speedway NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race Report Charlotte Motor Speedway 200 Date: Friday, October 9, 2026 Event: Race 21 of 25 Series: NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Location: Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-miles) Length of Race: 134 laps over one hour, 43 minutes, 15 seconds
FRM Finish:
Layne Riggs (Started 13th, Finished 1st / Running, completed 134 of 134 laps) Chandler Smith (Started 10th, Finished 5th / Running, completed 134 of 134 laps)
Layne Riggs won his seventh race of the season and 12th of his career with tonight’s victory.
The win completes a Charlotte season sweep after he took the checkered flag in May, as well.
Riggs is now only four wins away from tying Greg Biffle (16) as Ford’s all-time wins leader in the series.
“It was a great race tonight,” said Riggs. “Front Row Motorsports gave me a great No. 34 BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing Ford F-150. We’ve been working a lot at the Ford Racing simulator to get better for this race. We kind of fine-tuned our setup that we had here in the Spring and brought the same truck back. I feel like the bumps and characteristics of this track make it really, really difficult to hit it just right, but the truck was good enough, and I was confident enough behind the wheel that I was able to drive it up to the front.”
“Our No. 38 Mystik Lubricants Ford F-150 was really good tonight,” said Smith. “Obviously, we ran top three the whole race until we had that problem. Man, I don’t even know what to call it back there. It’s something. I didn’t like it. I joked to the guys, ‘please, don’t put me in this spot again. I hate it back here. I’m scared.’ I was joking because we haven’t had nothing go for us and then we dodged that wreck and I came on the radio and was like, ‘I want to praise the Lord for us dodging that wreck’ because that would have been the topping on the cake for tonight. To rebound and finish top five, I’m humbled.”
ABOUT FRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization competing in the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Founded in 2004 by entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, FRM has earned top honors including a 2021 Daytona 500 victory and the 2022 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series championship. Based in Mooresville, N.C., FRM fields the No. 4, No. 34, and No. 38 entries in the NASCAR Cup Series, along with the No. 34 and No. 38 teams in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. For more information, visit FrontRowMotorsports.com and follow Front Row Motorsports on social media — X: @Team_FRM, Instagram: @teamfrm, Tik Tok: @Team_FRM, YouTube: @FrontRowNASCAR, and Facebook: facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.
Eckes Notches Second Straight Runner-Up at Charlotte
Christian Eckes’ stout Chase run continued with a brilliant drive towards a runner-up finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday evening. The driver of the No. 91 NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet Silverado RST was methodical and opportunistic in his second-straight second-place effort. A late charge from fourth to second in final 11 circuits netted him one position in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series Chase standings and sits fourth after his eighth top-five finish of the season.
Eckes’ evening began from the eighth position but was met with a tight handling condition at the drop of the green flag. While he navigated the chaotic traffic at the outset, Eckes directed his NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet towards the top-five despite a “super tight” chassis balance. As the opening 30-lap stage progressed, so did the No. 91, while an improved handling condition allowed Eckes to muscle his way inside the top-five and collect seven points at lap 30 while running in fourth position.
The first pit stop of the evening posed a dose of adversity to the team as Eckes was blocked in his pit stall by the No. 88 machine, who was pitted directly in front. Eckes’ pit exit was hampered and subsequently lined up 10th for the lap 38 restart. Within two circuits, Eckes was back inside the top-five and scored six additional points at the close of Stage 2 on lap 60 in fifth position.
The second four-tire pit stop of the night under caution saw a second instance of Eckes being blocked in on pit road, thus dropping him back to 12th. The pit lane woes couldn’t keep him buried for long as he drove back into he top five in 21 laps. He ran fifth when a cycle of green flag pit stops began and was third when a fortuitous caution flew on lap 99, allowing him to pit under yellow.
Quality pit work by the NAPA team kept Eckes in the top-five and restarted fourth on lap 106. A pair of cautions and a restart on lap 124 set up an 11-lap run to the checkers. Eckes immediately took third position on the restart and closed in on the top two jockeying for position. He pounced on the leader stumbling in Turn 4 with five laps remaining to take second and began tracking down the new leader. Eckes ultimately ran out of time, but scored his best-career finish at CMS, coming home second to equal his best result of the year.
Christian Eckes Quote:
“Not only on our team, but all of McAnally-Hilgemann Racing. We have three in the top-10, so that’s good to see progress across the board. Our NAPA Nightvision Chevrolet was really solid all day. We were kind of just slow down the straightaways and struggled with a couple balance items. Still good to finish second, that’s back-to-back weeks. Obviously, we want to win and I feel like we’re on the cusp of doing that. We’ll move on to Phoenix and hopefully we can do it there.
Consistency can be an elusive attribute for drivers, but Daniel Hemric has found it and generating momentum after a sixth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) on Friday evening. The driver of the No. 19 Delphi Chevrolet Silverado RST continued his progress up the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) Chase standings by moving to fifth in points. Hemric’s string of consistency now includes fourth top-10 results over the last five races, and three finishes of eighth or better in the last four races.
Hemric’s Delphi Chevrolet featured a tribute scheme to Kyle Busch’s 2007 NASCAR Busch Series car, and the North Carolinian made sure to deliver an effort worthy of Rowdy’s scheme. He took the green flag in 16th position and instantly moved forward. By lap four, Hemric climbed to 11th but began to contend with a loose handling balance during the opening run. The entirety of Stage 1 ran under green flag conditions as Hemric was scored 13th at the end of the segment on lap 30.
During the stage caution, crew chief Kevin Bellicourt armed Hemric with a fresh set of Goodyear tires, fuel, and an adjustment to improve his balance. He restarted in 18th position on lap 38 and immediately made another charge forward. The outside lane provided timely momentum as the neon No. 19 rocketed back into the top-10 by lap 40. The ensuing 24-lap run showed Hemric’s durability as he maintained the 10th position to score a stage point at the end of the segment at lap 60.
After the second pit stop of the evening for four tires, fuel, and an adjustment, Hemric lined up 13th for the lap 69 restart. Cooler temps and increased grip levels gradually improved the No. 19’s outright speed as Hemric drove to ninth by lap 73. The following green flag period ran long enough to begin a cycle of pit stops but was interrupted by a timely caution flag on lap 99 while running fifth. Hemric made his final pit stop of the evening under the yellow flag and restarted seventh on lap 106. Two subsequent restarts with elevated intensity settled the evening and saw Hemric run as high as fourth with 11 laps remaining. He ultimately finished sixth for his 10th top-10 finish of the season and was one of three MHR entries to finish in the top-nine.
Daniel Hemric Quote:
“Super special to carry that Delphi throwback paint scheme. Just disappointed we couldn’t finish a little better than we did but the reality is we finished better than we ran all day. Just got fortunate with the yellow that caught a couple of the guys that we were kind of around and racing. That was a break, netted us two or three spots. Had a couple restarts go our way. We thought we were going to claw out a fouth-place finish there and the front tires shut off. Disappointed we let a top-five slip away, but where we were in Stage 1, Stage 2, we’ll count our blessings and go to the next one.”
NCTS RACE RECAP: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY II Event: Ecosave 200 (134 laps / 201 miles) Round: 21 of 25 (Chase) Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway Location: Concord, NC Date & Time: Friday, October 9 | 5:00 PM ET
No. 45 J.F. Electric Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Landen Lewis | Crew Chief: Phil Gould
Key Takeaway: Landen Lewis and the J.F. Electric team had a great outing in Charlotte. Lewis started off on the right foot after nabbing his best-career qualifying effort in fifth-place. The No. 45 team fell back in the opening two stages as they fought a tight-handling condition, and nearly lost all track position once the caution flew during the green flag pit cycle. Lewis rose to the occasion in the last run of the night and rallied back to finish in seventh-place, marking his fifth top-10 finish of the season.
Landen Lewis’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Honestly, this is a really good finish for us, especially considering this is only my second mile-and-a-half race I’ve ran. It felt like we ran inside the top-10 all day long. We maybe fell out of it once or twice, but we had a lot of speed. I learned a lot running up front against those guys who have been doing it for a long time. Obviously, the pit call Phil (Gould) gave me to not pit once we were coming down when the yellow came out was a good call for us. We lost a little bit of track position since we were already on pit road, but it could have been much worse. My pit crew was really quick tonight and they helped put us in a good spot to still get a solid finish. It was a good night for us on the J.F. Electric team.”
About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future.
No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Andrés Perez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers
Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the Telcel team had fortune on their side as they were able to capitalize on a well-deserved top-10 finish in Charlotte. Pérez de Lara laid down a quick lap in qualifying and started in ninth-place. In the first two stages, the No. 44 team made swings at the balance of the truck on pit road. Once the changes were implemented ahead of the final stage, Pérez de Lara made strides on the track. He crossed the line in eighth-place for his third top-10 result of the year.
Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “It feels great for us to be able to get a solid top-10 result tonight. One finally fell our way! The team played a good strategy there, we got some good positioning after the last pit stop, and we were able to execute and keep it up front. I’m happy with our result; we’ll take the eighth-place finish and keep building on it for good momentum to end the year. Thank you to everyone at Telcel, Acceptance Insurance, Niece Motorsports, and Team Chevy for supporting our team.”
About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.
No. 4 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett
Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the Utilitra team battled through a considerable amount of adversity in Charlotte. Rolling off from 19th, Mills ran conservatively early on in his first start since last year’s season finale. As the night progressed, Mills began his advance through the field. Unfortunately, his No. 4 Silverado became damaged after getting involved in a multi-truck crash on lap 119. Shortly after, Mills was forced to pit under green as he had a left-front tire go down due to the damage. In his series return, Mills came home posted in 23rd-place.
Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “It was good to be back, and I had a lot of fun out there tonight. It was tough to go so long without making a start and feel comfortable off the bat, but I felt like we showed speed tonight. Right when we finally got some track position, we got in the big wreck on the backstretch and had to go to the back after we fixed the damage. On the next restart, we had more damage that made the left-front tire go down under green. I really feel like we just needed track position and green flag laps tonight and we could’ve had a solid finish, but I was just glad to be out there. Huge thanks to everyone at Utilitra, J.F. Electric, and Niece Motorsports for the opportunity.”
About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners.
No. 42 Comprehensive Logistics Chevrolet Silverado RST Driver: Conner Jones | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski
Key Takeaway: Conner Jones and the Comprehensive Logistics team had their night end early due to a mechanical failure in Charlotte. Jones earned his best qualifying result of the year in 11th, and was optimistic for a solid evening. Once the race began, Jones did not maintain his pace and fell behind. The No. 42 team made several adjustments throughout the race, but a rear gear issue ultimately brought their efforts to a halt with 20 laps to go. Jones was credited with a 34th-place result in his fourth start of the year.
Conner Jones’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Just had an unfortunate set of circumstances for us tonight. Our Comprehensive Logistics Chevy was fast in qualifying earlier today, but we just couldn’t go much further in the race. My guys worked hard to try and make it better, but I something broke in the rear end on the truck that kept us from finishing. We will move onto the next one and hope for a better race.”
About Comprehensive Logistics: Comprehensive Logistics (CLI) is a full-service inbound-to-manufacturing logistics partner specializing in high-volume, high-velocity, and highly complex operations, including warehouse management, value-added services, sequencing, transportation, and sub-assembly manufacturing. By integrating advanced technology, data-driven insights, and process engineering with experienced teams, CLI delivers high-precision, reliable logistics solutions tailored to evolving customer needs. For more information, please visit complog.com.
About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series since 2016. The team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra, and was founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.
Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).
Daniel Hemric muscled his way to a strong sixth-place result in the 2026 Ecosave 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday, October 9.
The 2021 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion from Kannapolis, North Carolina, rolled off the starting grid from his 16th-place qualifying spot while sporting a throwback paint scheme to his No. 19 Delphi/McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet Silverado RST entry that pays tribute to the late two-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, and the scheme Busch piloted when he drove for Hendrick Motorsports during the 2007 O’Reilly season.
Hemric spent the entirety of the first stage period racing within the top-15 mark. After carving his way up as high as 11th place in the early laps, Hemric settled in 13th place at the first stage’s conclusion. Restarting in 17th place for the start of the second stage period that commenced on Lap 37, Hemric managed to navigate his way back up to 11th place by the Lap 40 mark before he cracked the top-10 mark for the first time during the following lap, where he was ranked in 10th place. Ultimately, Hemric retained the spot and netted a single stage point when the second stage period concluded on Lap 60.
After starting the final stage period with 66 laps remaining in 14th place, Hemric steadily carved his way back into the top-10 mark and he raced his way up to seventh place within the final 40-lap mark. Amid a late cycle of green flag pit stops that featured a handful of front-runners pitting, Hemric remained on the track and was ranked in fifth place when a caution for an on-track incident occurred with 36 laps remaining. This allowed the Kannapolis native to pit with the leaders and restart in eighth place for the next restart with 29 laps remaining.
Through two additional cautions and restarts, Hemric carved his way within the top-six mark and was up into fourth place following an 11-lap dash to the finish. After appearing to have fourth place solidified, he was overtaken by Bayley Currey and Chandler Smith in the final laps before he took the checkerd flag in sixth place. The result enabled Hemric to notch his ninth top-10 result of the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season, his second in a row in the Chase and his highest-finishing result at Charlotte in the series. It also places his current average-finishing result within the first three Chase events of this season at 7.3.
“[I’m] Disappointed we couldn’t finish a little better than we did, but the reality is, we finished better than we ran all day,” Hemric said. [I] Just got fortunate there with the yellow that caught a couple of the guys that we were around and racing closely to. That was a break. It netted us two or three spots. I had a couple of restarts go our way. I thought we were gonna claw out a fourth-place finish there and the front tires shut off with like five [laps] to go.
Prior to Charlotte, Hemric was ranked in sixth place in the Chase standings and trailed the points lead by 87 points. After Charlotte, he jumped a single spot to fifth place in the standings despite his deficit to the points lead growing to 109. With the consistent runs and results generated on the track, Hemric strives to cap off the 2026 campaign on a strong note.
“I’m not a momentum guy, but I am a guy who believes that when your product gets better, you run better and that makes momentum,” Hemric said. “I feel like our trucks and our processes are beginning to be where they need to be. We’re showing that with our results week in and week out. This is not by accident. I look forward to continuing on the next four weeks.”
Daniel Hemric’s 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season continues next Friday, October 16, at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event’s broadcast time is scheduled to commence at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.
On a standard bicycle, gears exist so your legs can stay efficient on hills and at speed. On an e-bike the motor helps with both, which is why the single-speed e-bike is a genuine option rather than a compromise. The right choice depends on your terrain, your cargo, and how much maintenance you want to think about.
This guide compares single-speed and multi-speed e-bikes across hills, starting power, range, maintenance and reliability, so you can match the drivetrain to your route — and avoid overpaying for gears you will never use.
The short version: flat, relaxed city riding suits a single speed beautifully; hills, long distances, cargo or sporty riding reward a multi-speed drivetrain. Everything below explains the practical difference.
What Single Speed Means on an E-bike
A single-speed e-bike has one gear ratio, which means no derailleur, no shifter, no chain tensioner and no gear cables. You simply pedal and the motor assists in the selected mode. Because the drivetrain is almost empty of moving parts, it is quiet, cheap to maintain and hard to break — a genuinely attractive package for urban riders on flat ground.
The limitation is flexibility. On steep hills or against a strong headwind, a single gear forces you to pedal slowly or push hard, and while the motor helps, it cannot change the gear ratio. If your route is flat, you will rarely notice; if it includes real climbs, you will feel it every day.
Single-speed e-bikes are also the lightest and cheapest drivetrains, which shows up in a lower price and easier lifting. If your town is genuinely flat, that simplicity is a feature, not a compromise.
What Multi-Speed Adds
A multi-speed drivetrain — typically 3 to 8 hub gears, or 7 to 12 derailleur gears — lets you keep your cadence comfortable whether you are climbing, cruising or riding empty. On an e-bike the bigger benefit is efficiency: with the right gear you keep the motor working in its efficient range, which extends both battery range and component life.
The costs are weight, complexity and maintenance. Derailleur systems need adjustment and are exposed to weather and knocks; hub gears are heavier but almost fully sealed. For most buyers the real question is not whether gears are better, but whether the routes you ride need them.
If you do choose gears, decide between hub and derailleur early: a 3-speed hub covers most city needs with almost no maintenance, while a 7–8 speed hub or derailleur adds the range for hills and faster cruising. On a 25 km/h pedelec, anything beyond 8 speeds buys weight rather than usefulness.
Hills, Starts and Commuting: Where Gearing Counts
Gearing matters most at two moments: starting from a standstill on a slope, and grinding up a long climb. On a multi-speed e-bike you drop into a low gear, let the motor pull smoothly, and pedal comfortably. On a single-speed you rely entirely on the motor’s torque — and if that torque is modest, steep starts become hard work.
In flat stop-and-go traffic the difference nearly disappears. A single-speed e-bike with 45 Nm of torque handles junctions and red lights effortlessly, and many commuters prefer the simplicity. Test your own hills before assuming you need gears: an e-bike with strong torque may climb surprisingly well in one gear.
Cadence also matters for comfort: in a too-high gear you pedal slowly and push hard; in the right gear you spin smoothly. On multi-speed bikes you control that; on a single speed, your legs adapt to the ratio.
Range and Battery Efficiency
Gears also influence range, though less than battery size does. A multi-speed drivetrain lets you choose an efficient cadence, which keeps the motor drawing less current on climbs and at speed. The difference is meaningful on long rides and negligible on short commutes.
The practical rule: if range matters more than simplicity, multi-speed helps; if your trips are short and flat, the battery difference between a single speed and a multi-speed bike will be hard to notice.
Maintenance and Reliability
This is where single-speed e-bikes win clearly. Fewer parts mean fewer failures: no derailleurs to knock out of alignment, no cables to stretch, no indexed shifting to drift. A single-speed drivetrain is effectively a chain and a chainring, which any shop — or any confident home mechanic — can service quickly.
If you do choose multi-speed, hub gears (3–8 speeds) offer the best reliability-for-convenience balance on a commuter, because the mechanism is sealed inside the rear wheel. Derailleur gears give more ratios and lighter weight, but expect an annual tune-up and more care in wet weather.
Whichever you choose, keep the chain clean and lubricated — a dry or gritty chain is the most common cause of early drivetrain wear on any e-bike, single speed or multi.
Single Speed vs. Multi-Speed: Which Fits Your Riding?
Riding profile
Best drivetrain
Why
Flat city commuter
Single speed
Simple, quiet, low maintenance, plenty of torque
Hilly town
Multi-speed (hub or derailleur)
Low gears keep climbing smooth and efficient
Long-distance rider
Multi-speed
Efficient cadence protects range on long rides
Cargo and family hauling
Multi-speed
Low gears help with heavy loads on hills
Casual leisure rider
Single speed
Nothing to think about, nothing to adjust
Drivetrain Choices by E-Bike Type
A city e-bike aimed at daily commuting usually offers a multi-speed option, and for good reason: towns have hills, pavements and junctions, and a low gear turns awkward climbs into easy pedalling. If your town is flat, the single-speed version of the same bike will serve you just as well.
Retro and cruiser e-bikes, meanwhile, lean towards comfort-first gearing: a retro e-bike with a relaxed frame and a multi-speed drivetrain, such as PIXAR’s M9 with its Shimano 7-speed system, pairs easy pedalling with long-range batteries for unhurried weekend rides.
Folding e-bikes split both ways: compact single-speed folders suit flat, short urban hops, while multi-speed folders earn their keep on hills and mixed commutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do single-speed e-bikes climb hills well?
They climb, but not always comfortably. With strong torque (55 Nm or more) a single-speed e-bike handles moderate hills fine; steep, long climbs are much more pleasant with a low gear. Test the exact hill before you decide.
Are multi-speed e-bikes harder to maintain?
Slightly. Derailleurs need periodic adjustment and care in wet weather; hub gears are sealed and need little attention. Both are manageable, but if maintenance avoidance is your priority, single speed wins.
Does a single speed save battery?
Not necessarily. A multi-speed drivetrain can actually extend range on hills by keeping the motor in an efficient cadence. On flat ground the difference is minimal — battery size matters far more.
How many gears do I really need on an e-bike?
For most flat-city riders, one gear or a 3-speed hub is plenty. Riders facing hills, cargo or long distances benefit most from 7–8 speeds. More than 8 speeds adds weight and cost without much benefit on a 25 km/h pedelec.
Are hub gears better than derailleurs on an e-bike?
For commuting and cargo, usually yes: hub gears are sealed, weather-resistant and need almost no adjustment, which suits the stop-start, all-weather life of a city e-bike. Derailleurs offer more ratios and less weight for sportier riding.
Final Words
The honest answer to single speed vs. multi-speed is that most riders who never try a single-speed overestimate how much they need gears. If your route is flat and simple, save the weight and the maintenance and enjoy the simplicity. If hills, loads or distance are part of your week, a multi-speed drivetrain will repay you every ride. Choose for your route, not for the spec sheet.
And if you are still unsure, err on the side of simplicity: a single-speed e-bike with strong torque is rarely regretted on flat ground, while the multi-speed option is there when the terrain demands it. Either way, the motor does most of the work — gears are there to make the ride feel right.
