TC Daily Pit Stop: Eckes Wins Truck Race; JHN on Xfinity Pole; Tyler Reddick's Crew Chief Ejected; Saturday's TV Schedule

TC Daily Pit Stop: Saturday, May 13th, 2023

May 13, 2023

PC: Christopher Fisher / TobyChristie.com

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing had zero wins heading into the 2023 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Then, they added Christian Eckes to their stable. Now, they have two wins in the opening nine races of the year.

Eckes scored his second win of the season on Friday night at Darlington Raceway after enduring two overtime restart attempts. The caution came out just after Eckes crossed the start-finish line to take the white flag, which sealed the deal.

Post-Race Interviews

Rajah Caruth Encouraged By Recent Speed, Wishes Darlington Ran Green at End

After 9th Place Finish at Darlington, Kaden Honeycutt Ready to Race For Anyone that Needs a Driver

John Hunter Nemechek Leads Xfinity Front Row Sweep for Joe Gibbs Racing at Darlington

PC: NKP, Courtesy of Toyota Racing

It was a Joe Gibbs Racing clean sweep of the front row in NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying on Friday for Saturday’s Shriners Children’s 200 at Darlington Raceway. John Hunter Nemechek snagged the pole over his JGR teammate Ryan Truex.

The JGR team has won two of the last three NXS races, and Truex is coming off of his first-career win a couple of weeks ago at Dover.

Billy Scott, Tyler Reddick Crew Chief, Ejected After Pre-Race Inspection at Darlington

PC: Nigel Kinrade, LAT Images, Courtesy of Toyota Racing

Tyler Reddick and the No. 45 23XI Racing team will be missing their crew chief Billy Scott, who was ejected for the weekend after the No. 45 car failed pre-race inspection twice on Friday. NASCAR apparently didn’t like something they saw on the car, which led to NASCAR selecting to send the crew chief home — typically car chiefs get sent home.

If any penalties come from what was found, they will be announced early next week. Dave Rogers will fill in for Scott.

Ty Gibbs and the No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing team also failed pre-race inspection twice on Friday and will lose their car chief Nate Bellows for the weekend. Both teams will lose their pit stall selection.

Josh Reaume Says His Team Saved Money by NOT Making the Truck Series race

We caught up with Josh Reaume, the lone DNQ from the NASCAR Truck Series race, and Reaume stated that he qualified on six-lap old scuffed tires, and was simply hoping to sneak into the field. Reaume says his team was on a shoe-string budget after they lost full-time driver Mason Massey unexpectedly this week.

Reaume says by missing the race, his team actually did better financially, as the $18,000 tire bill would have equalled more than the amount of prize money the team would have taken home from the $690,000 Truck Series race purse.

WATCH FULL INTERVIEW

NASCAR Television Schedule: Saturday, May 13, 2023

10:30 AM ET: NASCAR Cup Series Practice and Qualifying (FS1 / FOX Sports App)
1:00 PM ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series RaceDay (FOX / FOX Sports App)
1:30 PM ET: NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington (FOX / FOX Sports App)

Other 2023 NASCAR Throwback Weekend Resources: