“When it rains, it pours.” You must have heard this adage at some point in time. Well, almost every NASCAR driver lives through it every now and then. One day, a racer is on the cusp of glory, only to be sidelined by a crash or mechanical failure the next. Just ask Daniel Hemric or Harrison Burton, both of whom competed in the NASCAR Cup Series last year. But in 2025, Hemric took a humbling pill to race full-time in the Truck Series, whereas last year’s Daytona winner, Burton, is now in the Xfinity Series. And Chandler Smith, driving for Front Row Motorsports, is in the same boat as these two drivers.
NASCAR is a cruel sport sometimes, where bad weeks turn into rough seasons. And for one driver this weekend, a messy personal life met another bitter on-track letdown. Meanwhile, a familiar name, Tyler Ankrum, broke one of the Truck Series’ longest winless streaks, leaving fans stunned and victory lane wide open for a feel-good moment.
A long-awaited win for Tyler Ankrum and another gut punch for Chandler Smith
The Rockingham race was a dramatic showcase of NASCAR’s unpredictability, with every lap ratcheting up the tension for drivers and fans alike. Chandler Smith looked poised for a strong finish, running near the front as the laps wound down. But as the race entered its final moments, a cruel twist of fate struck, altering the outcome in spectacular fashion.
With a 76-lap green flag run to end the race, the strategy was split throughout the field. Some drivers like Corey Heim pitted with 30 to go, whereas the likes of Ankrum and Smith stayed out, hoping to make it to the checkered flag on the edge. But this gamble to lay on fuel fuel-saving strategy backfired for Smith and his team as his #38 truck was out on gas with three laps to go.
Tyler Ankrum won comfortably by over six seconds over second-place Jake Garcia. The 24-year-old’s last victory came in 2019, making this the longest drought ever snapped in series history. It was an emotional, improbable comeback six years in the making. Ankrum crossed the line, radioing, “Oh man, I better have enough fuel for a burnout.” He did. And the victory lane celebration was one of pure relief.
Tyler Ankrum wins at Rockingham, ending a 130 race winless streak, the longest ever broken in Truck Series HISTORY.
— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) April 18, 2025
It wasn’t just a win; it was proof that perseverance in this sport still pays off. The Rock gave him a moment fans won’t forget. The win also helped Tyler Ankrum move one place up in the driver standings. He is now on P3 with 250 points, just 62 points short of the leader, Corey Heim.
Off the track, Smith’s personal life has been under intense scrutiny. He is going through a messy and highly publicized divorce with Jacquelyn McKenzie Smith, dominating recent headlines. Legal disputes over custody and support have only added to the stress, casting a shadow over his racing campaign and fueling speculation about his future both on and off the circuit. Hopefully, just like Kyle Larson, Chandler Smith, too, can turn it around when the time is right.
“I didn’t know where victory lane was!” – Tyler Ankrum soaks in a surreal Rockingham win
After six years of waiting, Tyler Ankrum finally found himself in Victory Lane. Only problem? He didn’t know where it was. Laughing in disbelief, Ankrum told FOX, “It’s strange, I got lost. I didn’t know where the victory lane was at.” It was the perfect, human moment to cap off a career-defining night.
Ankrum’s race was far from smooth. Early on, things looked bleak as he fell a lap down. But a smart strategy call turned it around. “I can’t thank these guys enough for the way the stage started and going a lap down and making a pit call to get the track position back,” he explained. The decision to save fuel was critical, especially with six laps remaining. From there, it was a game of nerve, fuel, and patience as laps dwindled.
Reflecting on the moment, Ankrum compared it to a previous victory, saying, “I feel like this is pretty much how it went down in Kentucky in 2019, but here we are now.” Remember Tyler Ankrum’s first NASCAR Truck Series win at Kentucky Speedway on July 11, 2019? Driving for DGR-Crosley, the driver capitalized on a dramatic late-race twist when Brett Moffitt ran out of fuel in the final laps. Ankrum seized the lead, and the win helped him qualify for the playoffs.
Now, years later, Rockingham gave him the redemption story he desperately craved. With three consecutive top 5 finishes and a runner-up result at Martinsville, it was only a matter of time before Ankrum found himself in the victory lane.
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