Race Recap | SciAps 300

• Start: 22nd 
• Stage 1 Finish: 18th
• Stage 2 Finish: 13th
• Finish: 9th
• Eckes started the SciAps 300 at the rear, due to making unapproved adjustments. When an early caution for debris fell on lap two, crew chief Alex Yontz made the call for Eckes to pit for sticker tires, saving a set of two-lap scuffs for the end. He restarted 37th on lap nine and raced his way into the top 20 by lap 68. Although he fell a lap down to the leader, Eckes was matching second-place lap times. A caution on lap 75 allowed Eckes to take the wave around, putting him back on the lead lap for a three-lap dash to the stage finish. He was scored 18^th. Needing track position, Eckes pitted to take fresh tires during the stage break. He started the second stage from 18th and gained five positions throughout the incident-free segment to finish 13th in Stage 2. He pitted for tires, fuel, and a right-rear adjustment during the second stage break, before starting the final stage from 13th place. Fighting traffic from those that took the wave around, a timely caution allowed Eckes to pit for the two-lap scuff tires to restart 12th with 75 laps to go. With the only car threatening for position being teammate, Daniel Dye, Eckes held him off and entered the top 10 for the first time of the night on lap 234. The remainder of the race stayed green, and Eckes went on to finish ninth, his second top-10 finish in-a-row.

“Starting from the back made for another hard-fought day. We probably should have finished better with the car we had. Our No. 16 LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevy was fast, but we just couldn’t get the track position we needed. The No. 16 group worked hard to turn a long day into a good points day for us.”

– Christian Eckes

No. 11 Call811.com Chevrolet

• Start: 26th
• Stage 1 Finish: 21st
• Stage 2 Finish: 24th
• Finish: 14th
• During the race’s early caution, Josh Williams radioed that the No. 11 Chevy was “free on entry” but felt that its handling would improve as the race progressed. Williams picked off 20th soon after the restart and momentarily stalled as traffic became a factor midway through Stage 1. After using close to 30 laps to leap into 19th, Williams was put one lap down on lap 52 and fell back to 20th. Nearing the stage end, Williams, who was entrenched in a multi-car battle that included his teammates in Christian Eckes and Daniel Dye, was running 20th when a big wreck brought out the yellow flag, followed by the red flag, on lap 75. Williams took the wave around and restarted in 19th with three laps remaining in the stage, finishing it in 21st. Crew chief Eddie Pardue called Williams in during the stage break for tires and fuel, along with wedge and packer adjustments, leading to a 21st-place restart on lap 97. The Call811.com Chevy lost its early momentum, and it drifted backwards, falling to 24th and one lap down in the early part of the middle stint; that’s how he finished Stage 2. A late call to take the wave around kept the No. 11 Chevy on track and back on the lead lap for the start of the final stage, with Williams restarting in 16th on worn tires. Just as the No. 11 got lapped, a caution came out, giving Williams the free pass and justifying the decision to take the wave around. He pitted for tires, fuel, and a host of adjustments, leading to a lap-226 restart from 15th. Williams quickly jumped into 14th, but due to restarting from the rear because of the free pass, he was not within close range of the next lead-lap car while under green. With 28 laps to go, the leader put Williams one lap down for the final time, and after an uneventful Stage 3, Williams took the checkered flag in 14th.

“Not a bad day. Needed track position at the end. I feel like we should’ve made more adjustments earlier, but overall, we worked with what we were handed and came out of it okay.”