Tyler Ankrum makes emotions known after first NASCAR win in 6 years

After a six-year winless stretch, Tyler Ankrum made his way back to victory lane at the Black's Tire 200 at Rockingham Speedway. The Truck Series driver opened up about the long-awaited win, showing no qualms about how tough it was to remain motivated during the dry spell.

Driving the No.18 Chevrolet for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, Ankrum endured a woeful start that saw him fall a lap behind after making contact with the wall. Consequently, the Californian was unable to make up places and finished both stages outside the top-20.

The final stage featured a 76-lap green flag run, forcing teams to either break the stretch with a pitstop or gamble with a fuel-saving strategy to reach the checkered flag. Ankrum's team chose the latter and took the lead with 30 laps remaining.

While many who opted for the same strategy could not make it to the end, Ankrum had enough to cross the finish line for his second NASCAR Truck Series win. Speaking to the media post-race, the 24-year-old shared his thoughts on the comeback.

"You know, you don't do it for so long, you start to think you might not be able to do it again......It's hard you know, I was told as a kid that the easy part is getting bucked off, the hard part is getting back on. I think this is us finalizing us getting back on so I just can't thank everyone enough," Tyler Ankrum said via SiriusXM.

The event marked an end to Tyler Ankrum's 130-race winless streak, along with the series' return to Rockingham Speedway after 12 years. Additionally, he also walked away with a $50k bonus from the Triple Truck Challenge.

Ankrum gained a spot in the driver's standings and currently sits third, 62 points shy of championship leader Corey Heim.

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When Tyler Ankrum won his first NASCAR race in 2019

On July 11, 2019, Tyler Ankrum won his maiden NASCAR event at Kentucky Speedway, in only his 12th career start. Much like his second win, he bested his competition with a fuel-saving run. With less than two laps remaining, he inherited the lead when Brett Moffitt dropped out of the race with low fuel.

Talking to the media post-race, Ankrum opened up about overcoming self-doubt to secure his first career win.

"I can’t believe it. This is a dream come truck. Honestly, one of my biggest faults is I’ve always doubted myself. I kind of feel like all that has washed away," he said.

Tyler Ankrum won the race when he was 18 years old, marking him as the first driver born in the 2000s to achieve the feat. Moreover, the victory was also a first for his team, DGR Crosley, at the time.