Ankrum's Season Ends in Turn 4 Crash
Tyler Ankrum finished 34th at Homestead-Miami and closed the 2026 Craftsman Truck Series season after a restart collision.
Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Motorsports
Tyler Ankrum ended his 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season early after being collected in a Turn 4 incident at Homestead-Miami Speedway with 21 laps to go. He finished 34th in the NCTS Championship Race and sits 10th in the playoff point standings.
Why it matters
The early exit cost Ankrum's No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet team any remaining opportunity to improve its finish in the race. Ankrum's season closes with a 10th-place playoff point standing, showing how the restart incident weighed on the team's final result.
Ankrum started 18th, ran 14th at the Stage One finish and 18th at the Stage Two finish, then ended 34th after the truck was damaged. He closed the season 10th in NCTS playoff point standings, though the source does not detail how the final incident affected the standings calculation.
The players
Tyler Ankrum
Tyler Ankrum is a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver from San Bernardino, California, who competes in the No. 18 LIUNA Chevrolet Silverado RST.
Mark Hillman
Mark Hillman is the crew chief who led the No. 18 team's pit road efforts during the Homestead-Miami race.
The details
Ankrum was running in the middle of the pack when he was collected in a Turn 4 incident on the restart with 21 laps to go. His crew attempted multiple repairs on pit road under crew chief Mark Hillman, but the truck was ultimately sent to the garage. Earlier in the race, he had reported handling problems, saying he was loose in the rear.
Timeline
Lap 97: Ankrum pitted for four tires and fuel.
Lap 107 (approximately): Caution came out and Ankrum pitted under yellow.
21 laps to go: Ankrum was collected in the Turn 4 incident and his season ended.
Season Trajectory
Ankrum's 10th-place finish in the NCTS playoff point standings sets his final season position within the Craftsman Truck Series playoff format. The early exit at Homestead-Miami closes his 2026 campaign without further points opportunities in the championship race.
Fantasy and standings followers should note that Ankrum finishes the season 10th in NCTS playoff point standings, with no further races remaining in 2026. The 34th-place result removes him from any points-based comparisons for the final event.
The takeaway
A single restart collision can erase a strong run, and Ankrum's season ends with a playoff-standings reminder that consistency across the year matters. Readers following the NCTS should watch how the team rebuilds its approach heading into the next campaign.
Further reading
Explore more Motorsports coverage for context on NASCAR's regional and national series.
More information
Learn more about the team's sponsor at LIUNA.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Speedway Media.
