Tyler Ankrum's white-hot start proves that proper driver development takes time

On a warm summer night in Sparta, Ky., in 2019, it seemed that Tyler Ankrum was taking the first step toward NASCAR stardom. After collecting his first Truck Series win in his rookie season, it seemed that the San Bernadino native was surely bound for greatness. 

While Ankrum snuck into the playoffs in 2020, he didn't come close to making the 10-driver postseason field in any of the past three seasons, which is why his white-hot start to the 2024 season is so surprising. 

The 23-year-old driver currently leads the Truck Series points standings, sitting 84 points above the playoff cutline. And he's already led more laps this season (62) than in any previous season of his career. 

After a middling 11th-place run at Daytona, Ankrum started on the front row and led 46 laps at Atlanta, eventually finishing seventh. Two consecutive top-five finishes have graced the results sheet since, with Ankrum finishing runner-up to Rajah Caruth at Las Vegas and fifth at Bristol. 

It seems the driver of the No. 18 Silverado has finally come into his own, equipped with a team that fits him and more confidence than ever. That confidence will be key in continuing the 18 team's consistency as the grueling NASCAR schedule rolls on with a trip to Circuit of The Americas this weekend. 

Ankrum currently boasts an average finish of 6.3 and an average start of 5.3, both of which would easily end up as career-best marks. 

It's important to remember that Ankrum was only 18 years old in his first Truck Series season back in 2019. Now in his sixth full-time season at age 23, Ankrum is the most complete, consistent, and confident driver of his career thus far — a welcoming sign for a driver who has struggled mightily to be competitive over the past several seasons. 

If Ankrum can keep up even a semblance of his torrid pace thus far, the Truck Series field should be terrified, and owners in the Xfinity Series should start taking notice.