Did Eckes just make a major misstep in his pursuit of a 2024 NASCAR Truck title?

I truly believe Christian Eckes made a miscalculation during Friday night’s Martinsville cutoff race, and I’m not talking about the morality of the bump-and-run for the win, but the logic in it.

He may have just chosen a race win over a championship when we end up looking back on this season:”My kingdom for a ‘clock’,” to use the words of doomed king Richard III. Eckes went home with a Martinsville clock after Friday’s race, but it could cost him a much bigger prize in the long run.

Eckes was safe! He was advancing into the Championship 4 on points! He didn’t need to bump Taylor Gray! Looking at the 2024 season, no driver has more top-fives, top-tens, or laps led than Eckes. Alongside Corey Heim, he has bee dominating most of the year, but did he just throw away his chances of winning the 2024 NASCAR Truck Series title?

There are a few reasons why I think he did.

Taylor Gray drove a solid race, but he was only in that position because of a clever call to put on tires late. He had not won a race yet this year, or ever in in his young career. Wouldn’t Eckes have preferred him in the final four over a consistent contender Ty Majeski?

History says beware

But beyond that, there’s a much more pressing issue. Eckes had just made an enemy when he 100% did not need to. It’s reminiscent of Joey Logano in 2015. He was unreal in the playoffs and won all three races in the Round of 12. However, it came at a massive cost. While chasing Matt Kenseth for the win at Kansas, he got into the back of him and spun him out. Logano was already advancing into the next round based on his win one week prior while Kenseth was ultimately eliminated after losing the victory. He didn’t need to get that aggressive, and he certainly paid the price.

Logano was dominating once again in the Round of 8 opener at Martinsville. A win there would have solidified his place in the Championship 4, but while leading the race, Kenseth appeared while multiple laps down and sent the both of them careening into the wall. Logano was eliminated two weeks later. A eye-for-an-eye on full display.

“I was expecting to get moved – I wasn’t expecting to get moved to the fence,” said Gray after the Truck race. “Especially, with how I raced him, and he is locked into the final four, so I don’t know. The only thing he did was put a target on his back, and unfortunately, and this day and age I can’t go to Phoenix and do anything about to him, because I’m going to go get…