A New Beginning… Tyler Ankrum joined McAnally-Hilgemann Racing (MHR) in early December 2023 looking for a new challenge. Piloting his No.18 LiUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST, Ankrum is looking for a strong start to the season at Daytona International Speedway (DIS). In his sixth full-time season Ankrum is looking to return to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) playoffs with his new team, led by crew chief Mark Hillman.
New Teammates… In a strategic move to strengthen the lineup for 2024, MHR will have Ankrum join forces with fellow drivers Daniel Dye (No.43), Christian Eckes (No. 19), and Jack Wood (No. 91). This group brings together a diverse group of talented drivers, each bringing their own unique skills and experiences to the table. With Ankrum’s veteran experience, combined with the youthful energy and potential of the team, they aim to set the pace for the upcoming season, striving to place all four entries in the NCTS playoffs.
Something different … With the combined experience that Ankrum and Hillman posses, the duo aims to build on past successes of the former No. 35 team from 2023. With notable top-10 finishes at DIS with Chase Elliott and a second-place finish at Phoenix Raceway with Jake Garcia, the No. 18 group is primed to come out of the box strong on Friday evening. Ankrum is no stranger to the challenges DIS presents, and with a stage win at DIS in 2023 he has plenty of superspeedway experience of running towards the front.
Career Stat Book… In the 2023 NCTS campaign, Ankrum demonstrated his competitive prowess with six top-10 finishes, including a noteworthy top-five result at Circuit of the Americas. Ankrum looks to build on his first-career NCTS win from 2019 at Kentucky Speedway, and earn an outright spot in the playoff run.
Tune In… FOX Sports 1 will have all the on-track action covered at DIS, beginning with practice at 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. Raceday coverage begins at 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday with qualifying followed by NASCAR Raceday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The drop of the first green flag for the 2024 campaign will be at 7:30 p.m. ET. Stay connected with the No. 18 LIUNA team by following @BMR_NASCAR on Twitter, @bmrnascar on Instagram, and Bill McAnally Racing on Facebook.
Tyler Ankrum Quote:
On starting the new season:
“I’m thrilled to start this new chapter with the MHR team as we get ready for 2024. With MHR’s support, I am excited to see what we can accomplish this year. I want to get everyone at LIUNA back in the playoffs and be a contender each week. I’ve enjoyed working with Mark (Hillman) over the offseason so far, and I’m glad to finally get back to the racetrack this week. We have a lot to be optimistic about, and now it’s about putting races together and competing at a high level each week.”
MHR PR