Race Lineup
The official 2023 FR8 208 NASCAR TRUCK Series race lineup, determined by qualifying results, shows the starting positions of all drivers at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
FR8 208
Saturday, March 18th, 2023
Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, GA
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17
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8
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9
- Atlanta Motor Speedway
- FR8 208
- Pole Winner: Zane Smith
- Age: 23
- Team: No. 38 - FR8Auctions.com Ford
- Owner: Front Row Motorsports
- Crew Chief: Chris Lawson
- Start positions set by NASCAR's Performance Metrics Qualifying (PMQ).
- Zane Smith won the Pole Award for the FR8 208 by having the highest total PMQ.
- PMQ is a total number calculated on four performance metrics from the previous race:
- 15% of the driver's fastest lap time position.
- 25% of the driver's final race finish position.
- 25% of the owner's final race position.
- 35% of the Owner Points position.
- Saturday, March 18th, 2023
- NASCAR Wire Service - Reid Spencer
Christian Eckes scores overtime win in wild NASCAR Truck race at Atlanta
Christian Eckes finished where he started Saturday's Fr8 208 NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway—with a lot of turmoil in between.
Eckes claimed his second victory in the series in overtime, choosing the bottom lane and front-row position for a restart on lap 136 of 137.
After leading the first 30-lap stage of the race wire-to-wire, however, Eckes sped on pit road and lost track position. He spent the rest of the event working his way back to the front.
In a race that featured a record 11 cautions for 58 laps, the driver of the No. 19 Chevrolet restarted 13th on Lap 103, but three yellow flags later, he was on the inside of the front row beside leader and ultimate runner-up finisher Nick Sanchez for the overtime restart.
Eckes surged ahead, took the white flag in the lead and was out front when NASCAR called the final caution of the race for a wreck in Turn 4 involving Tyler Ankrum, Stewart Friesen and defending series champion Zane Smith.
"It's been a tough offseason," said Eckes, in his first year with owner Bill McAnally after driving for ThorSport Racing in 2022. "I'm driving harder than I ever have—I have a lot to prove. The people know who they are.
"I'm really happy. Thanks to (crew chief) Charles (Denike), everybody on this team. They work so damn hard. This is what makes it all worth it. I'm pumped. It's going to be a really good year."
John Hunter Nemechek ran third after leading a race-high 53 laps to Eckes' 35. Nemechek had the lead for a restart on Lap 121, but was shuffled back in traffic.
Bayley Currey finished fourth, earning his first NASCAR national series top five, and Ben Rhodes came home fifth after giving Eckes a much-needed push to the lead.
Matt DiBenedetto, Chase Purdy, Timmy Hill, Matt Crafton and Jack Wood completed the top 10.
- Drivers Entered: 34
- Laps Scheduled: 130
- Laps Actual: 137 - NASCAR OVERTIME!
- Margin of Victory: N/A Seconds
- Time of Race: 2 Hours 17 Minutes 5 Seconds
- Average Speed: 92.344
- Cautions: 11 for 58 laps
- Lead Changes: 17
- Green Flag Passes: 1,503 (19.0 passes per green flag lap)
- Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Fr8 208
- Race Winner: Christian Eckes
- Age: 22
- Team : No. 19 - NAPA AutoCare Chevrolet
- Owner: Bill McAnally
- Crew Chief: Charles Denike
- Christian Eckes won the Fr8 208, his second victory in 71 CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races.
- This is his first victory and third top-10 finish in 2023.
- This is his first victory and second top-10 finish in three races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- Nick Sanchez (second) posted his first top-10 finish in one race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is his first top-10 finish in 2023.
- John Hunter Nemechek (third) posted his third top-10 finish in six races at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- Nick Sanchez (second) was the highest finishing rookie.
- Christian Eckes leads the point standings by 5 points over Matt Crafton.
| ST | # | DRIVER | MAKE | SPD | TIME | BHND | SPONSOR | TEAM | CREW CHIEF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 38 | Zane Smith | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | FR8Auctions.com | Front Row Motorsports | Chris Lawson |
| 2 | 98 | Ty Majeski | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Curb Records | Thorsport Racing | Joe Shear |
| 3 | 99 | Ben Rhodes | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TBA | Thorsport Racing | Jeriod Prince |
| 4 | 19 | Christian Eckes | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | NAPA Auto Care | Mcanally-hilgemann Racing | Charles Denike |
| 5 | 42 | Carson Hocevar | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Worldwide Express | Niece Motorsports | Phil Gould |
| 6 | 11 | Corey Heim | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Safelite | Tricon Garage | Scott Zipadelli |
| 7 | 23 | Grant Enfinger | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Champion Power Equipment | Gms Racing | Jeff Hensley |
| 8 | 88 | Matt Crafton | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Great Lakes Flooring/Menards | Thorsport Racing | Shane Wilson |
| 9 | 4 | Chase Purdy | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Bama Buggies | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Jimmy Villeneuve |
| 10 | 25 | Matt DiBenedetto | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Rackley Roofing | Rackley War | Chad Kendrick |
| 11 | 15 | Tanner Gray | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Dead On Tools | Tricon Garage | Jerame Donley |
| 12 | 35 | Jake Garcia | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Quanta | Mcanally-hilgemann Racing | Mark Hillman |
| 13 | 16 | Tyler Ankrum | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | LiUNA! | Hattori Racing Enterprises | Doug Randolph |
| 14 | 52 | Stewart Friesen | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Halmar International | Halmar Friesen Racing | Blake Bainbridge |
| 15 | 9 | Colby Howard | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TBA | Cr7 Motorsports | Doug George |
| 16 | 5 | Dean Thompson | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Thompson Pipe Group | Tricon Garage | Derel Smith |
| 17 | 51 | Jack Wood | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Logitech | Kyle Busch Motorsports | Brian Pattie |
| 18 | 56 | Timmy Hill | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | UNITS Storage | Hill Motorsports | Terry Elmore |
| 19 | 43 | Daniel Dye | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Heise LED Lighting Systems | Gms Racing | Travis Sharpe |
| 20 | 2 | Nicholas Sanchez | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Gainbridge | Rev Racing | Danny Stockman |
| 21 | 45 | Lawless Alan | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | AUTOChargit | Niece Motorsports | Wally Rogers |
| 22 | 24 | Rajah Caruth | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Wendell Scott Foundation | Gms Racing | Chad Walter |
| 23 | Layne Riggs | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | |||||
| 24 | 17 | John Hunter Nemechek | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Berry's Manufacturing | Tricon Garage | Billy Wilburn |
| 25 | 02 | Kris Wright | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | F.N.B. Corporation | Young's Motorsports | Andrew Abbott |
| 26 | 33 | Mason Massey | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TBA | Reaume Brothers Racing | Greg Rayl |
| 27 | 12 | Spencer Boyd | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Off the Grid | Young's Motorsports | Brad Means |
| 28 | 22 | Josh Reaume | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | JAG Metals LLC. | Am Racing | Ryan London |
| 29 | 04 | Kaden Honeycutt | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Car Quest | Roper Racing | Bruce Cook |
| 30 | 41 | Bayley Currey | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Unishippers | Niece Motorsports | Mark Hillman |
| 31 | 20 | Mason Maggio | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TBA | Young's Motorsports | Joe Lax |
| 32 | 13 | Hailie Deegan | Ford | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | TBA | Thorsport Racing | Rich Lushes |
| 33 | 32 | Bret Holmes | Chevrolet | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Pate Holdings | Bret Holmes Racing | Jerry Baxter |
| 34 | 46 | Akinori Ogata | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Kyowa-Eidemiller Precision | G2g Racing | Tim Silva |
| 35 | 30 | Ryan Vargas | Toyota | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 | Leargas Security | On Point Motorsports | Carol Hines |
| 36 | Keith McGee | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |