For Christian Eckes, the win at the Phoenix Raceway was bittersweet. Yes, a race victory is an important addition to any driver’s portfolio, but he did not win the ultimate prize. Eckes was one of the most in-form drivers during the Truck Series playoffs, earning four back-to-back top-five finishes. However, two bad races and he lost his chance to be part of the championship 4, only to make a comeback and win the championship race.

One of the most entertaining aspects of NASCAR is its unpredictability. But sometimes it can be extremely cruel to some drivers. Christian Eckes was dominant in Phoenix, where he took a sweeping victory. He drove like a champion but there was no crown at the end of it. In a post-race media interaction, the 22-year-old expressed his disappointment despite leading his team to an impressive finish.

Christian Eckes makes 2024 promise after Phoenix disappointment

The driver of the #19 truck said that it was difficult to be happy given the circumstances. He would have been crowned the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series champion had things gone his way. The 22-year-old admitted that winning the race stung, and that is something you don’t hear from a driver.

“This one kind of stings. I know it’s a win, but the stupid mistakes the last two weeks of a near perfect playoffs cost us a championship. It’s kind of hard to be happy right now, but overall just super proud of everybody for the year that we’ve had and just ready for 2024,” Eckes said as per Speedway Digest.

Christian Eckes finished in the top five in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Kansas, and Bristol. At this point, fans and experts believed the 22-year-old to be a strong favorite. However, things went horribly wrong for the #19 team at Talladega and Homestead where he finished P19 and P20 respectively. Those two races are the reasons why he is not the 2023 Truck Series champion today.

“Yeah, like I said, it hurts for sure. To finish second, third, first, second, then 20th and 19th and then first again, it’s those two races that killed the whole playoffs pretty much, and that’s just kind of the nature of it. I didn’t do my job last week and really the week before either. That gets us out, and that puts us in this situation, but it’s motivating for next year, and it was motivating for this race, too,” the driver of the #19 truck added.

Ben Rhodes was crowned the 2023 NASCAR Truck Series champion after finishing P5 in Phoenix ahead of the rest of the championship drivers. At various points in the race, it seemed like any of them could have won, but fortune was on Rhodes’ side.

Read More – “I Almost Lose It Three Times, It’s Crazy”- Triumphant Over Grant Enfinger, Ben Rhodes Claims Second Truck Series Championship at Phoenix

Ben Rhodes becomes two-time Truck Series champion

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Most of the drivers faced challenging situations throughout the race which seemed unending at one point. Championship contenders Carson Hocevar and Corey Heim wrecked towards the end. Rhodes, however, remained composed and persevered until the very end to pass Grant Enfinger’s #23 Chevy to win his second Truck Series title.

“It’s just so awesome man. To go 25 laps into overtime, you know, what that feels like, almost lose it 3 times, look at the front of the truck, it’s crazy,” the driver of the #99 said after the race.

As Ben Rhodes reveled in the celebrations of a two-time Truck Series champion, a stern challenge faces Christian Eckes. The driver of the #19 truck will have to make a solid comeback in 2024. He will be raring to go by the time the new season arrives, but it is easier said than done.

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