McAnally Hilgemann Racing driver Tyler Ankrum saved enough fuel to claim his first Craftsman Truck Series win of 2025 in the Black’s Tires 200 at Rockingham Speedway on Friday (Apr 18).
This is the second career Truck win for the series veteran Ankrum and his first since he claimed victory at Kentucky Speedway in 2019, 130 races ago.
“I can’t thank these guys enough,” Ankrum said postrace. “The way the stage started, going a lap down and Mark making the pit call to get the track position back and just save fuel.”
“Coming to six to go, I knew that was the number. I knew we were five short, and I was hoping I saved enough and we did.
I knew being five to six laps short it’s five to six miles so you just got to be able to give up everything. I just found something there where I was lifting 60% down the straightaway (and) I was able to draft Crafton and a couple other guys. It’s just surreal. It’s pretty much how it went down in Kentucky in 2019.”
Jake Garcia finished second, followed by Daniel Hemric in third with Rajah Caruth and Grant Enfinger rounding out the top five.
The Rock has a new winner!@TylerAnkrum wins at @Rockingham1965! pic.twitter.com/GDv1FC2pLa
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) April 18, 2025
An early caution came out on lap three when Connor Mosack got loose, making contact with the left side of Bayley Currey and causing him to spin.
Here is what brought out the caution on Lap 2. pic.twitter.com/sw7vzjgTDm
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) April 18, 2025
As the race restarted, Garcia took control ahead of Chandler Smith. Garcia started to fade as the stage progressed with the trucks of Layne Riggs, Smith and Kaden Honeycutt closing in.
With under five to go in stage one, Riggs made his way around Garcia to claim the top position and win the stage.
Enfinger started the second stage up front after taking two tires under the caution. As the stage progressed, Riggs closed the gap to Enfinger. As the two battled, third place driver Honeycutt was able to pass both trucks and lead momentarily.
Riggs, however, wasn’t to be denied as he reclaimed the top spot to the remaining laps of the second stage and sweep the opening stages.
With multiple drivers taking two tires under the stage caution, the running order was shuffled for the start of stage three, with Smith and Caruth starting up front. After an intense battle, Smith would prevail ahead of Caruth and pull away.
Smith built a lead over a second before a caution came for an incident involving Ty Majeski in turns one and two. Majeski, who was battling Enfinger, got loose before backing into the outside wall and sustaining heavy damage.
The No. 98 is done for the day after hitting the outside wall. pic.twitter.com/HfsSsXuexy
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) April 18, 2025
The incident would result in a red flag as safety crews repaired damage to the outside safer barrier.
On the following restart, another caution came out on lap 117 when Caruth slid up the track in turn four, slowing the progress of Stewart Friesen. Friesen made heavy contact with the outside wall, collecting Matt Mills and Tanner Gray, which brought out the red flag for the second time.
Yikes! Several damaged cars bring the caution out on Lap 117. pic.twitter.com/sSXHG84UGt
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) April 18, 2025
TRICON Garage teammates Corey Heim and Gio Ruggiero claimed the front row for the restart with many of the leaders pitting under caution. Heim pulled away on the restart but didn’t have enough gas to make it to the finish.
With 30 to go, Heim came down pit road, opening the door for Ankrum to claim victory in the MHR No. 18 as multiple drivers ran out of gas.
Truck Rockingham Results
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns in two weeks to Texas Motor Speedway on Friday, May 2, at 2 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1.
