Tyler Ankrum nearly captured his first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the 2026 season during Friday's Love's RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway. The McAnally-Hilgemann Racing driver started seventh and finished second after an intense four-wide battle approaching the checkered flag.
Ankrum remained competitive throughout the afternoon, navigating the shifting drafting lanes while several championship contenders experienced significant problems. His No. 18 Chevrolet stayed among the leading group during the final stage, giving him an opportunity to challenge for the victory when the race entered overtime.
Ankrum restarted among the front-running trucks and maintained enough momentum to reach the finish line alongside Austin Green,
Ty Majeski and Kaden Honeycutt. Although Sammy Smith secured the victory by 0.091 seconds, Ankrum narrowly defeated Green for second place by just 0.002 seconds.
The runner-up finish marked Ankrum's seventh top-10 result of the season and fourth career top-10 finish at Talladega. He also earned 35 points, providing an important boost to his championship total. Ankrum remains ninth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Chase standings with 2,157 points, trailing championship leader Honeycutt by 214 markers.
Although his championship chances have ended, Ankrum will look to build on his strong Talladega performance at Martinsville and Homestead-Miami.
This article originally appeared on Motorsports Wire: Tyler Ankrum eliminated from Truck championship contention in 2026
