Ankrum Posts First Top-10 of the Season at COTA

Tyler Ankrum delivered his best finish of the 2022 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season with a seventh-place effort on Saturday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). His first top-10 result of the year was due to a resilient effort to regain track position in the waning laps. The seventh-place run vaulted Ankrum up three positions in the driver championship standings to ninth and into playoff contention.

 

The driver of the No. 16 LiUNA! Toyota Tundra TRD Pro began the day by receiving a declaration from Mayor Steve Adler who proclaimed March 26, 2022 “Tyler Ankrum Day” in Austin, Texas. Ankrum took the green flag from 10^th position after advancing to the final round of qualifying on Friday. The 21-year old maintained position inside the top-10 in the opening stage. As green flag pit stops began to unfold on lap nine, crew chief Scott Zipadelli kept Ankrum on track for the entirety of Stage 1, which netted the LIUNA team six points by finishing the stage in fifth position on lap 12.

 

Ankrum restarted in 15^th on lap 15 to begin Stage 2 and immediately charged forward and swiftly reclaimed position inside the top-10 by lap 21 when the race’s second caution flag flew. Zipadelli brought Ankrum to pit road under the yellow flag for four tires and fuel, but a violation during the stop relegated the No. 16 team to 26^th for the lap 23 restart. Ankrum would be scored 19^th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 26.

 

Ankrum and Zipadelli took advantage of the stage caution to put on a fresh set of tires to gain an advantage of the field over the final laps, and restarted 22^nd on lap 30. The slow sections of COTA’s 3.41-mile layout yielded extremely physical racing which led to multiple spins and three cautions over the next 11 laps. Despite receiving collateral damage, Ankrum reentered the top 15 on lap 38 and lined up 15^th for the second and final overtime restart. Ankrum capitalized on multiple braking zone opportunities over the final two laps to gain eight positions and secure the seventh-place finish.

 

“We got behind in Stage 2, but we stayed with it to rebound and finish seventh. We had a few mistakes, but we didn’t give up and put ourselves in a position to take advantage of some other guys’ mistakes on that last overtime restart with our LIUNA Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. I think the No. 7 ran out of fuel on the last lap and all the trucks in front of me checked up for him and we were able to get by them. Then the No. 52 overshot the double right-hander in Turns 13 and 14, and I was pretty much home free after that. We keep on finishing better and better every single week, so I can’t help but be proud of my team and we’ll keep working hard.”

 

HRE PR