By Alex Harrington
Sports Contributing Writer
Another change is coming for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series as Kaulig Racing has announced that Christian Eckes will pilot the No. 16 car. Eckes, who is currently making his mark in the Craftsman Truck Series, is set to move up a rung of his racing career to the Kaulig team next season.
Eckes's rise in the Truck Series has been nothing short of impressive. Since 2023, he has captured seven race wins and is deeply embroiled in a championship battle as he races for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing.
Despite rumors of a potential jump to Cup racing with Front Row Motorsports, Eckes has decided to advance to the Xfinity Series first, viewing it as a crucial step in his career.
For Kaulig Racing, the addition of Eckes to their roster marks a positive shift following a challenging 2024 season. The team's current performance has seen Daniel Hemric behind the wheel of the No. 31 car in the Cup Series and a rotating cast of drivers in the No. 16 car.
While AJ Allmendinger and Shane van Gisbergen had been solid fixtures in the Xfinity Series, their move to Cup racing created opportunities that are now being filled by Eckes and another newcomer, Daniel Dye. The 2025 lineup also includes mainstay Josh Williams in the No. 11 car.
Eckes brings a notable record of success and a rising star status to Kaulig. His performances in the current season, such as winning the regular-season championship and securing six consecutive top-three finishes, proves a solid level of performance. A particularly dominant victory at Nashville further solidified his reputation, only marred slightly by a single DNF at Atlanta.
His transition to Kaulig Racing is seen as a mutually beneficial move. The team will gain a focused, skillful driver while Eckes steps into a more competitive field in the Xfinity Series. Moreover, his presence alongside Josh Williams and Daniel Dye is anticipated to be a formidable team, bolstering Kaulig Racing's prospects for the 2025 season.
Following the departure of seasoned drivers like Allmendinger and van Gisbergen to Cup racing, integrating the determined and accomplished driver into their lineup could lead to a resurgence in their performance.
Looking ahead, Eckes is set to enter the Xfinity Series at a time when competition is expected to be fierce. With several promising drivers eyeing top positions, the New York driver's entry adds another layer of excitement.
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Current Standings
- Justin Allgaier - 806 points
- Cole Custer - 773 points
- Chandler Smith - 731 points
- Austin Hill - 704 points
- AJ Allmendinger - 674 points
- Riley Herbst - 665 points
- Sheldon Creed - 654 points
- Jesse Love - 620 points
- Parker Kligerman - 605 points
- Ryan Sieg - 576 points
- Sammy Smith - 561 points
- Shane Van Gisbergen - 532 points
- Sam Mayer - 527 points
- Brandon Jones - 468 points
- Anthony Alfredo - 445 points
- Brennan Poole - 378 points
- Josh Williams - 354 points
- Parker Retzlaff - 337 points
- Leland Honeyman - 330 points
- Jeb Burton - 315 points
- Jeremy Clements - 307 points
- Kyle Weatherman - 298 points
- Ryan Ellis - 276 points
- Kyle Sieg - 267 points
- Matt DiBenedetto - 253 points
- Aric Almirola - 248 points
- Blaine Perkins - 240 points
- Ryan Truex - 234 points
- Carson Kvapil - 194 points
- Hailie Deegan - 174 points
- Josh Bilicki - 171 points
- Garrett Smithley - 149 points
- Patrick Emerling - 120 points
- Austin Green - 112 points
- Joey Gase - 110 points
- BJ McLeod - 78 points
- David Starr - 77 points
- Jordan Anderson - 71 points
- JJ Yeley - 61 points
- Ed Jones - 57 points
- Sage Karam - 49 points
- Joe Graf Jr - 48 points
- Logan Bearden - 48 points
- Caesar Bacarella - 46 points
- Alex Labbe - 46 points
- Nick Leitz - 41 points
- Brad Perez - 32 points
- Bubba Pollard - 31 points
- Natalie Decker - 27 points
- Justin Bonsignore - 25 points
- Patrick Gallagher - 25 points
- CJ McLaughlin - 24 points
- Conor Daly - 23 points
- Myatt Snider - 18 points
- Preston Pardus - 18 points
- Dexter Bean - 17 points
- Nathan Byrd - 17 points
- Daniil Kvyat - 16 points
- Andre Castro - 16 points
- Chad Finchum - 15 points
- Thomas Annunziata - 12 points
- Glen Reen - 10 points
- RC Enerson - 9 points
- Boris Said - 9 points
- Greg Van Alst - 5 points
- Armani Williams - 4 points
- Timothy Viens - 2 points
- Ryan Vargas - 2 points
- Gus Dean - 1 point
\
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
\\
\';uncommonKnowledgeItems[0].insertAdjacentHTML('afterend',uncommonKnowledgeContainerHtml);let uncommonKnowledgeContainerElement=document.getElementsByClassName('uncommon-knowledge');let itemsContainerElement=document.getElementById('uncommon-knowledge-items-container');uncommonKnowledgeContainerElement[0].style.display='block';uncommonKnowledgeItems.forEach((itemUncommon)=>{document.getElementById('uncommon-knowledge-items-container').insertAdjacentHTML('beforeend','
'+itemUncommon.innerHTML+'
');itemUncommon.remove()});jQuery('.start-slider').owlCarousel({loop:!1,margin:10,nav:!0,items:1}).on('changed.owl.carousel',function(event){var currentItem=event.item.index;var totalItems=event.item.count;if(currentItem===0){jQuery('.owl-prev').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-prev').removeClass('disabled')}if(currentItem===totalItems-1){jQuery('.owl-next').addClass('disabled')}else{jQuery('.owl-next').removeClass('disabled')}})}})})
