What’s Happening?

McAnally-Hilgemann Racing has announced that Tyler Ankrum will return to the team’s No. 18 truck in 2026, marking the veteran driver’s sixth full-time season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

• Ankrum is coming off a career year at MHR, scoring his first win since 2019, and made his first appearance in the Championship Four. This followed up a solid 2024 campaign in which he scored what was, at the time, a career high in top-fives and top-tens, something he improved on yet again in 2025.
• To the surprise of some, Ankrum led the way at MHR this season, leading his teammates, including former Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric, in all but two statistical categories. His career high 10.8 average finish also ranked fourth among full-time drivers in the Truck Series.
• The 24-year-old made his Truck Series debut in 2018 and made his full-time debut in the series in 2020 after running a majority of the 2019 calendar. Despite his time in the series and an early win, Ankrum has consistently bounced around teams, with this incoming season being the first time he will race for a team in three different seasons.
• As of press time, Ankrum is the first confirmed driver for MHR’s 2026 lineup. Although they have yet to announce any other plans, numerous rumors are circulating about the team’s lineup, mostly surrounding Christian Eckes, who is seeking a new ride following the closure of Kaulig Racing’s Xfinity Series (soon to be O’Reilly Auto Parts Series) operation.

What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.