The 2024 Weather Guard Truck Race was the 4th stock car race of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, and the 4th iteration of the event. The race was held on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee, a permanent asphalt oval shaped short track. The race took the scheduled 250 laps to complete. Throughout the entirety of the event, the race was known for an intense and exciting battle between Christian Eckes and Kyle Busch. Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, took over the lead from Busch on the final restart, and held him off in the final few laps to earn his sixth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series win, and his first of the season. Eckes won the pole and led a race-high 144 laps. Busch led 105 laps and won both stages, but spun his tires on the final restart and ultimately finished 2nd. To fill out the podium, Busch, driving for Spire Motorsports, and Zane Smith, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would finish 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Report
Background
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway, is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961. Bristol is among the most popular tracks on the NASCAR schedule because of its distinct features, which include extraordinarily steep banking combined with short length, an all concrete surface, two pit roads, and stadium-like seating.
In 2021, the race shifted to a dirt surface version of the track and was renamed the Food City Dirt Race.
On September 15, 2023, Bristol Motor Speedway announced that the race would return to being run on concrete.
Entry list
(R) denotes rookie driver. (i) denotes driver who is ineligible for series driver points.
#DriverTeamMake1William SawalichTricon GarageToyota02Mason MasseyYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet5Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota7Kyle Busch (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet9Grant EnfingerCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet11Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota13Jake GarciaThorSport RacingFord14Trey HutchensTrey Hutchens RacingChevrolet15Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota17Taylor GrayTricon GarageToyota18Tyler AnkrumMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet19Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet21Mason MaggioFloridian MotorsportsFord22Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord25Ty DillonRackley WARChevrolet32Bret HolmesBret Holmes RacingChevrolet33Lawless AlanReaume Brothers RacingFord38Layne Riggs (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord41Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet42Matt MillsNiece MotorsportsChevrolet43Daniel DyeMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet45Kaden HoneycuttNiece MotorsportsChevrolet46Thad Moffitt (R)Faction46Chevrolet52Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota56Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota66Conner Jones (R)ThorSport RacingFord71Rajah CaruthSpire MotorsportsChevrolet75Stefan ParsonsHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet76Spencer BoydFreedom Racing EnterprisesChevrolet77Chase PurdySpire MotorsportsChevrolet88Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord90Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota91Zane Smith (i)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet98Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord99Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFordOfficial entry list
Practice Practice was held on Saturday, March 16, at 3:00 PM EST. Since Bristol Motor Speedway is a short track, drivers were split into two groups, Group A and B, with both sessions being 15 minutes long. Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, was the fastest driver between both groups, with a lap of 15.553, and a speed of . Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.553123.372266Conner Jones (R)ThorSport RacingFord15.576123.19032Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet15.584123.126Full practice results
Qualifying Qualifying was held on Saturday, March 16, at 3:40 PM EST. Since Bristol Motor Speedway is a short track, the qualifying system used is a single-car, two-lap system with only one round. Whoever sets the fastest time in that round will win the pole.
Christian Eckes, driving for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, would score the pole for the race, with a lap of 15.122, and a speed of .
No drivers would fail to qualify.
Qualifying results Pos.#DriverTeamMakeTimeSpeed119Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.122126.88822Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet15.203126.212317Taylor GrayTricon GarageToyota15.264125.70847Kyle Busch (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet15.270125.658598Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord15.276125.609671Rajah CaruthSpire MotorsportsChevrolet15.290125.494791Zane Smith (i)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.294125.461845Kaden HoneycuttNiece MotorsportsChevrolet15.299125.420918Tyler AnkrumMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.333125.1421043Daniel DyeMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet15.335125.1261177Chase PurdySpire MotorsportsChevrolet15.337125.1091241Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet15.341125.077139Grant EnfingerCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet15.342125.0681466Conner Jones (R)ThorSport RacingFord15.350125.0031511Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota15.385124.7191699Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord15.406124.5491713Jake GarciaThorSport RacingFord15.431124.3471842Matt MillsNiece MotorsportsChevrolet15.442124.259191William SawalichTricon GarageToyota15.451124.1862088Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord15.472124.0182115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota15.478123.970225Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota15.498123.8102352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota15.527123.5782432Bret HolmesBret Holmes RacingChevrolet15.554123.3642575Stefan ParsonsHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet15.558123.3322625Ty DillonRackley WARChevrolet15.602122.9842756Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota15.712122.1232838Layne Riggs (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord15.716122.0922933Lawless AlanReaume Brothers RacingFord15.725122.0223076Spencer BoydFreedom Racing EnterprisesChevrolet15.839121.1443102Mason MasseyYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet15.879120.839Qualified by owner's points3290Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota15.943120.3543346Thad Moffitt (R)Faction46Chevrolet15.970120.1503422Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord16.096119.2103514Trey HutchensTrey Hutchens RacingChevrolet16.328117.5163621Mason MaggioFloridian MotorsportsFord––Official qualifying resultsOfficial starting lineup
Race results Stage 1 Laps: 65 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Kyle Busch (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet0219Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet932Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet8498Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord7591Zane Smith (i)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet0617Taylor GrayTricon GarageToyota5718Tyler AnkrumMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet4899Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord3945Kaden HoneycuttNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2109Grant EnfingerCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet1 Stage 2 Laps: 65 Pos.#DriverTeamMakePts17Kyle Busch (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet022Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet9319Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet8498Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord7591Zane Smith (i)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet0618Tyler AnkrumMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet5752Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota4888Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord3999Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord21038Layne Riggs (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord1 Stage 3 Laps: 120 FinSt#DriverTeamMakeLapsLedStatusPts1119Christian EckesMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet250144Running57247Kyle Busch (i)Spire MotorsportsChevrolet250105Running03791Zane Smith (i)McAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2501Running042088Matt CraftonThorSport RacingFord2500Running365918Tyler AnkrumMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2500Running4161511Corey HeimTricon GarageToyota2500Running317317Taylor GrayTricon GarageToyota2500Running358671Rajah CaruthSpire MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running299139Grant EnfingerCR7 MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running29102838Layne Riggs (R)Front Row MotorsportsFord2500Running28111241Bayley CurreyNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running2612845Kaden HoneycuttNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2500Running27131043Daniel DyeMcAnally-Hilgemann RacingChevrolet2500Running24141713Jake GarciaThorSport RacingFord2500Running23152115Tanner GrayTricon GarageToyota2500Running22161699Ben RhodesThorSport RacingFord2500Running261722Nick SanchezRev RacingChevrolet2500Running37182575Stefan ParsonsHenderson MotorsportsChevrolet2490Running19191466Conner Jones (R)ThorSport RacingFord2490Running18202625Ty DillonRackley WARChevrolet2490Running1721191William SawalichTricon GarageToyota2480Running16222352Stewart FriesenHalmar Friesen RacingToyota2480Running1923225Dean ThompsonTricon GarageToyota2470Running14242756Timmy HillHill MotorsportsToyota2470Running13251842Matt MillsNiece MotorsportsChevrolet2470Running12263346Thad Moffitt (R)Faction46Chevrolet2460Running11272933Lawless AlanReaume Brothers RacingFord2460Running10283102Mason MasseyYoung's MotorsportsChevrolet2450Running9293621Mason MaggioFloridian MotorsportsFord2440Running8303076Spencer BoydFreedom Racing EnterprisesChevrolet2420Running7312432Bret HolmesBret Holmes RacingChevrolet2420Running6323422Keith McGeeReaume Brothers RacingFord2380Running5331177Chase PurdySpire MotorsportsChevrolet2280Running434598Ty MajeskiThorSport RacingFord1700Engine17353514Trey HutchensTrey Hutchens RacingChevrolet1130Suspension2363290Justin CarrollTC MotorsportsToyota570Brakes1Official race results
Standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings Pos Driver Points 1 Tyler Ankrum 174 1 2 Corey Heim 157 (-17) 1 3 Rajah Caruth 152 (–22) 2 4 Ty Majeski 145 (–29) 4 5 Christian Eckes 142 (–32) 1 6 Nick Sanchez 141 (–33) 1 7 Taylor Gray 138 (–36) 1 8 Matt Crafton 130 (–44) 1 9 Grant Enfinger 114 (–60) 2 10 Bret Holmes 95 (–79)Official driver's standings
Manufacturers' Championship standings Pos Manufacturer Points 1 Chevrolet 160 2 Toyota 133 (–27) 3 Ford 127 (–33) Note: Only the first 10 positions are included for the driver standings.
References