In a display of sheer dominance, Christian Eckes led every single lap of the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series’ Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday night. The 23-year-old driver of the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet showcased an extraordinary performance, leading all 150 laps of the race – a feat not accomplished in the series for 12 years.

Starting from the third position, Eckes wasted no time in asserting his authority on the track. By Turn 2 of the opening lap, he had already overtaken pole-sitter Stewart Friesen and never relinquished the lead. Throughout the race, Eckes maintained a commanding presence, at times leading by more than three seconds.

The victory marks Eckes’ third win of the season and extends his championship lead to 40 points over Corey Heim. This win also completes a sweep of both stage wins and the race victory, a feat he previously accomplished at Martinsville earlier in the season.

“Can’t say enough about these guys,” Eckes said after the race. “We were really motivated to get this truck out there. Nice job for the day.” The young driver admitted he couldn’t recall ever leading every lap in any previous race of his career.

Adding to the sweetness of victory, Eckes claimed a $50,000 bonus for winning the final leg of the series’ Triple Truck Challenge. The win seems to have ignited a competitive fire in Eckes, who noted, “I saw the 11 (Heim) has four of them [wins] so got a little upset walking in [to Nashville Superspeedway], so now another one to go catch another one.”

While Eckes dominated up front, the race behind him was far from uneventful. Seven caution flags flew over the course of the evening, accounting for 42 laps under yellow. Eckes, however, mastered every restart, maintaining his lead throughout.

Daniel Dye, Eckes’ teammate, finished second, marking a career-best for the 20-year-old Floridian. Corey Heim, Rajah Caruth, and Tyler Ankrum rounded out the top five.

The race also saw the return of NASCAR Cup Series star and current FOX Sports NASCAR broadcaster Clint Bowyer to competitive racing. Bowyer, who hasn’t competed in a NASCAR national series race since retiring from full-time competition in 2020, finished 17th after his truck suffered damage in an early-race incident.

With this historic performance, Eckes has firmly established himself as the driver to beat in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. As the season progresses towards the Playoffs, all eyes will be on the young star to see if he can maintain this impressive momentum.

Image: James Gilbert/Getty Images