Portland Top Five Showcases Eckes’ Improved Performance

Christian Eckes (16) battles Sammy Smith at Portland Int'l Raceway. (David Rosenblum/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

PORTLAND, Ore. – While Christian Eckes’ NASCAR Xfinity Series rookie season likely won’t end with a playoff berth, there are still things to be optimistic about.

One of those things is speed, and his results are starting to round into shape because of those gains.

Eckes finished fourth on Saturday at Portland (Ore.) Int’l Raceway to capture his fourth top five of the year. It’s his third finish inside the top 10 in the last four weeks, going back to his 10th-place effort at Iowa Speedway on Aug. 2.

Throughout Saturday’s race, Eckes was able to capitalize on the long run pace his Chevy had. He was able to finish just outside the top 10 in stage one in 11th, and carried the progress into the second segment.

From there he cracked the top 10 on lap 36 and was able to hold strong as strategy and cautions mixed up the field. From there he finished ninth in stage two, as he battled handling throughout the middle portion of the race.

Even with that obstacle, Eckes was able to stay up front, but a late caution with four laps to go presented another opportunity.

With the field bunched back together and all to gain in front of him, the 24-year-old jumped from sixth at the last green and finished fourth, netting his first top five since Pocono Raceway back in June.

The Middletown, N.Y., native also captured his third top five in five road courses races this season. His one finish worse than fifth on the road was when he came home eighth at New York’s Watkins Glen Int’l.

"I’m proud of everyone at Kaulig Racing for fighting hard today. We had a really good No. 16 Action Industries Chevy once we got going, I felt like we were easily a top-five car,” said Eckes. “We tried a couple things differently this race, and we feel like we made some gains.”

The rookie continues to grow and find his footing in NASCAR’s second national series level. Eckes sits 15th overall in the points standings, and will have to win to make the playoffs in the regular season finale at World Wide Technology Raceway near St. Louis.

While that is the reality of his season, positives like his race at Portland are what gives Kaulig Racing optimism headed into the fall with Eckes’s development.

Now, he will turn to WWT Raceway and make his debut in an Xfinity Series car at the 1.25-mile track.

At Gateway in his last three starts, Eckes has three consecutive second-place finishes since 2022 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He’s also led 102 laps in six career Truck Series starts there.

“We’ll take those [positives from Portland] into the ROVAL [in October] and move on to Gateway next week with one more shot at the playoffs.”

Coverage of the Nu Way 200 Sauced by Blues Hog from WWT Raceway is slated from Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.