Ankrum looks to turn the page at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Home Turf … The eleventh NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) is a welcome sight for Tyler Ankrum.Just a short 30 minutes from the HRE race shop, CMS provides a “home game” on the tail end of a five week long stretch of competition. The driver of the No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro is coming off a promising run that was cut short due to an unavoidable incident at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Ankrum, crew chief Doug Randolph, and the No. 16 team look to parlay racing in the team’s backyard to another top-10 run and regain ground in the championship standings.
HRE Salutes … Ankrum’s LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro will showcase a military-themed paint scheme as the Craftsman Trucks Series kick-off Memorial Day weekend. The scheme features names of 2,372 active or retired LiUNA! Service members. Additionally, seven members who fought in World War 2 will be highlighted. Today and every day we recognize the sacrifices they’ve made for our nation. Each truck in the field will also run a patriotic Craftsman banner over the windshield.
Season to Date … Through 10 of 16 regular season events, Ankrum and the No. 16 team occupy the 15th position in the championship standings, 47 markers behind the cut line. Ankrum’s season-best result came seven races ago at Circuit of the Americas and he has posted three finishes of tenth or better in the 2023 season.
Chassis Selection … Chassis No. 011 will make it’s second start of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This Toyota Tundra TRD Pro made its first start at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where a strong run was ended on the final lap after running in the top-10 most of the day.
Tune In … Fox Sports 1 has complete coverage of the North Carolina Education Lottery 200, beginning with practice and qualifying on Friday at 1:30 pm ET (FS1), followed by the green flag at 8:30 pm ET (FS1). Stay connected with the No. 16 LiUNA! team by following @Hattori_Racing on Twitter, @hattoriracing on Instagram, and Hattori Racing Enterprises on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote on Charlotte Motor Speedway:
“I always liked coming to Charlotte Motor Speedway, mainly because it is so close to home. This place is always special because family members of mine, and the crew, get to come out to the track and experience a race together which is pretty special. I felt like we were trending in the right direction at Kansas and Darlington, so we will see what the sim work looks like for the week. The last time we ran this truck I felt like we had some pretty decent speed. I am also honored to carry the names of the LiUNA! members on our Toyota Tundra TRD Pro that have served this country this Friday night."