Getty Christian Eckes will run full-time during the 2022 season.
The ThorSport Racing roster is nearly complete. The championship-winning organization has announced that Christian Eckes will return to the team and will run full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
ThorSport Racing announced the news on February 3 with a press release. The team confirmed Eckes’ return and provided the first look at his No. 98 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. He will kick off the season at Daytona International Speedway with AHI Facility Services as his primary partner.
.@christianeckes returns to ThorSport Racing with AHI Facility Services Inc., onboard for the @NASCAR_Trucks event at @DAYTONA.
Read more👉https://t.co/llRvcTdir2
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with ThorSport Racing this season,” said Todd Haddock, President of AHI Facility Services, Inc., in a statement from the team. “I am excited to see the AHI Facility Services Toyota Tundra TRD Pro hit the track at Daytona with Christian Eckes.”
The season-opening Truck Series race will take place at Daytona International Speedway on February 18, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. ET. FOX Sports 1 will provide coverage for the race as Eckes joins Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton in the ThorSport Racing lineup.
Eckes Won During a Part-Time Season in 2021
First-time winner! RETWEET TO CONGRATULATE CHRISTIAN ECKES ON HIS NASCAR TRUCK SERIES WIN AT VEGAS. #NASCARonFS1
The New York native only drove part-time during the 2021 season while sharing the No. 98 Toyota Tundra with Grant Enfinger. Eckes only made 10 starts, but he ended the year with five top-10 finishes, two top-fives, and his first career win.
Eckes reached Victory Lane for the first time in the Truck Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He started 15th overall in the No. 98 Toyota Tundra and survived a caution-filled event under the lights.
Eckes jumped to the front of the pack at the end of the race and held off teammates Ben Rhodes, Matt Crafton, and Johnny Sauter until the 10th caution of the night. The incident took place on the final lap, ending the race and securing the win for Eckes. The ThorSport drivers also took the top four spots and made Truck Series history.
The 21-year-old driver will now join forces with Rhodes and Crafton once again while trying to reach the playoffs for the second time in his career. He previously finished eighth overall in the 2020 championship standings while driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports.
“I am extremely excited to be back with ThorSport Racing and ready to kick the year off at Daytona with AHI Facility Services on the No. 98 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro,” Eckes said. ‘This is an amazing opportunity and I’m more than ready to show that I belong.”’
ThorSport Racing Has 1 Seat Remaining
With Eckes joining Rhodes and Crafton in the lineup, there is now one seat remaining. Allison Thorson, the Advisor and Spokesperson for ThorSport Racing, appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on November 11 and said that the team would field four full-time entries.
Thorson announced during the appearance that the team would field four entries in the Truck Series. Three-time champion Matt Crafton and defending champion Ben Rhodes would both return after making the championship four in 2021, with Rhodes capturing the title. The other driver announcements would take place at a later date.
There are multiple possibilities for the ride, especially if ThorSport splits starts in the fourth entry between drivers. Johnny Sauter will run a part-time season with G2G Racing, but he could also make select starts for ThorSport Racing. Ty Majeski is another option after he made four starts for the organization during the 2021 season.
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