130 races later, Tyler Ankrum snaps winless streak in Rockingham Truck race

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing’s Tyler Ankrum is once again a NASCAR Truck Series winner. For the first time since July, 2019, the Truck Series regular has returned to Victory Lane, and it wasn’t easy, falling a lap down early in NASCAR’s return to Rockingham. But he never gave up, stretching the fuel longer than anyone around him during the final run.

Ending a six-year winless streak after 130 races means Ankrum now holds the record for the longest winless streak ever broken in the history of the NASCAR Truck Series.

“I can’t thank these guys enough for the way this day started and going a lap down and (my crew chief) making the pit call to get the track position back,” said Ankrum, who struggled to find the winner’s circle. “Just saving fuel. I knew we were five short and I was just hoping I saved enough and we did.”

Talking about how he was able to save fuel, Ankrum continued: “I know being five or six laps short is like six miles, so you just have to be able to give up everything. I just found something there where I was lifting about 60% down the straightaway, but I was able to draft off of [Matt] Crafton and a couple other guys and I was able to save that way. It’s just surreal. I feel like this is pretty much how it went down at Kentucky in 2019. But here we are now.”

Just enough in the tank

It was remarkably impressive for Ankrum to make it as drivers who had pitted later than him still ran out of fuel. Corey Heim, who has figured out how to lose races in the most unique ways early in this 2025 season, was firmly in control for most of the final run. However, with his last stop coming on Lap 94, he had no chance of making it. With 30 laps to go, he relinquished the race lead and dove to the pits.

Ankrum’s final stop came on Lap 112. Andres Perez was on the same strategy but failed to make it. Front Row Motorsports teammates Chandler Smith and Layne Riggs both pitted seven laps later than Ankrum, but shockingly, neither could go the distance. Pitting from second and third, it allowed Ankrum to pull out to a massive lead, allowing him to cruise on the final two laps of the race.

At the checkered flag, Jake Garcia was second, Daniel Hemric third, Rajah Caruth fourth, and Grant Enfinger fifth. Kaden Honeycutt, Jack Wood, Heim, and Connor Mosack rounded out the top ten.

The race was also slowed by two red flags. One for wall repairs following a crash involving Ty Majeski, and the other for cleanup follow a major three-truck incident with Stewart Friesen. Afterwards, a dejected Friesen questioned if he even wanted to continue racing at the Truck level. 

Photos from Rockingham – Race