Christian Eckes, the driver of the #19 Chevrolet for Mcanally-Hilgemann Racing, encountered faulty brakes after winning Stage 1 of the Fr8 208 Craftsman Truck Series race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The 23-year-old New York native was heard venting his frustrations over the radio, stating, “I can’t get close. If they crash in front of me, I’m going to total this motherf**ker.”
With just a handful of laps to go in Stage 2, Eckes was forced to go down pit road with no brakes. The 2019 ARCA Menards Series champion ran a few laps till he complained of brake fluid appearing at the front of his car. Emphasizing the dangerous nature of Superspeedway racing at speeds of above 180 mph, Eckes was heard saying, “If there’s a caution, I have to put it in the fence because that’s the only way to slow it down.”
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Christian Eckes very distraught coming to the green
“I can’t get close. If they crash in front of me, I’m going to total this motherfucker.”
“I hear you.”
“If there’s a caution, I have to put it in the fence because that’s the only way to slow it down.”
“I hear you. We’re…
— Matt Weaver (@MattWeaverRA) February 24, 2024
His pit chief replied with a resounding, but disheartening, “I hear you. We’re going to have to clamp it.”
The Stage 1 winner is currently behind the wall with his team checking for the issue, it is safe to say that Eckes’ strong running in the early stages has been jeopardized due to the brake failure.
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“It’s not like I can f***ing stop. I’m trying my best,” Christian Eckes says as he tries to make his way to the garage without brakes.
— Jordan Bianchi (@Jordan_Bianchi) February 24, 2024
Kyle Busch wins 65th, and Christian Eckes finishes Last after Winning Stage 1
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“It’s not like I can f***ing stop. I’m trying my best,” Christian Eckes was heard saying as he tried to make his way to the #19 garage without any brakes. The other McAnally-Hilgemann Trucks finished 9th and 7th respectively, with pole-winner Daniel Dye finishing behind Spire Motorsports’ Rajah Caruth in his #77 Chevrolet Silverado, separating the #1 truck with teammate Tyler Ankrum by only one spot in the thrilling race.
Caruth’s teammate, 65-time Truck Series winner Kyle Busch won his seventh Truck Series victory at Atlanta. Eckes however, registered a DNF after a hard-fought win in Stage 1, finishing in last position.