Christian Eckes is coming home in 2026. McAnally-Hilgemann Racing announced today that Eckes is returning to the organization to compete full-time in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks Series (NCTS) in 2026. The 2024 NCTS regular season titlist will drive the No. 91 Chevrolet Silverado RST in pursuit of his first championship. Eckes will be paired with Dave Elenz, who will serve as crew chief and lead the No. 91 team.<\/p>\n
MHR and Eckes\u2019 reunion will be backed by Columbia Bank, as an expansion of the partnership that began in October 2025. Old World Industries\u2019 NAPA Nightvision brand, NAPA Brakes Gold Calipers, and NAPA Auto Care will also be featured on Eckes\u2019 No. 91 Chevrolet throughout 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t be happier to be back at MHR,\u201d Eckes said. \u201cWe had a lot of success in 2023-24, and we want to get back to that next year. Bill [McAnally] and I have always had a great relationship and we\u2019re putting a lot of quality people and pieces together. We had two great years here, and I enjoyed the races I ran this past year. It\u2019s great to stay in a Chevrolet and have their commitment to MHR. Also, the relationships with NAPA, their suppliers, and ownerships made a lot of sense to come back here and chase a championship together.\u201d<\/p>\n
In two full-time NCTS seasons, Eckes scored eight wins at MHR along with 25 top-five\u2019s, and 35 top-10 finishes. He also led a career-high 1,050 laps in 2024 when he finished a career-best third in the championship standings. Elenz, a veteran of 15 NASCAR Xfinity Series wins, two NXS championships, and a Southern 500 victory in the NASCAR Cup Series, joins MHR for his first season in the NCTS.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to working with Christian and everyone at MHR,\u201d Elenz said. \u201cThis will be a new challenge, and there\u2019s a lot of optimism for what we can accomplish together. It\u2019ll be great to have a full off-season to prepare so we can show up to Daytona ready to compete for wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re excited to have Christian back,\u201d team owner Bill McAnally said. \u201cHe certainly has his fingerprints on our program, and all of us were proud to see him in the Xfinity Series last year, but we have unfinished business. Between him and Dave [Elenz], we\u2019re putting a great team together to chase that championship. I\u2019m excited to see them work together and see the impact it makes throughout our company. It\u2019s special to have partners like NAPA, Old World Industries, and NAPA Brakes Gold Calipers return to support this, and to grow our relationship with Columbia Bank.<\/p>\n
Eckes kicks off his return with MHR on Friday, February 13th at Daytona International Speedway at 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1. Additional partnership details will be announced at a later date.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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