Race Recap Elite Truck Series
EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta)
Wed, Feb 18, 2026Round 7
Crosby Charges Through Field at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta): From P13 to Victory Lane
Race at a Glance
🏁Field Size
27
🔄Laps
110
⏱Avg Lap Time
38.088
🟡Cautions
4
⚠️Caution Laps
12
🔀Lead Changes
17
🛡️Clean Runners
2
🏎️Lead Lap Finishers
10
Winner Spotlight
CustomJohn W Crosby
P1 Finish

John W Crosby
Started P13 • Inc 4

Nate Lesko
Started P22 • Inc 1

Justin Carey
Started P4 • Inc 5
John Crosby delivered a masterclass performance at EchoPark Speedway, charging from 13th on the grid to capture his first victory of the RFRL Truck Series season in dramatic fashion. The #73 driver navigated through 12 positions during the 110-lap battle, collecting maximum points despite accumulating four incidents along the way. Crosby's triumph came as pole-sitter Jesse Gordon endured a nightmare race, plummeting from first to 24th position—a catastrophic 23-position drop that handed Crosby the opportunity he needed to break through for his inaugural win.
The real story of the night belonged to hard charger Nate Lesko, who authored one of the most spectacular drives of the season by rocketing from 22nd starting position to second place—a remarkable 20-position gain that earned him 35 crucial championship points. Lesko's #20 truck carved through traffic with precision, managing just one incident while others around him struggled with the challenging Atlanta surface. Justin Carey completed the podium in third, advancing one position from his fourth-place starting spot despite five incidents that threatened to derail his strong run.
The 27-car field battled through four caution periods that consumed 12 laps of green flag racing, with contact being a constant threat as evidenced by the incident-heavy nature of the event. Anthony Hardin emerged as one of only two clean drivers, piloting his #77 truck from 12th to fourth without a single incident, while Brandon Hinton also kept his nose clean advancing 12 positions from 25th to 13th. The carnage claimed several contenders, with Ryan Philbrick suffering a devastating 17-position slide from second to 19th that severely damaged his championship hopes.
Crosby's victory dramatically reshuffled the championship standings with five races remaining in the season. Jordan Traas maintains his points lead at 365 despite finishing 22nd, adding just 15 points to his tally, while Crosby's 40-point windfall catapulted him from third to third in the standings—now just 42 points behind the leader. Philbrick remains second with 347 points but saw his deficit to Traas grow, while Tom Ringer and Todd Parent round out the top five with 300 and 299 points respectively. With such tight margins separating the championship contenders and five races left on the calendar, Crosby's breakthrough victory has injected fresh drama into what promises to be a thrilling title fight.
Top Movers
Nate Lesko20
▲ +20David Burcicki92
▲ +13John W Crosby73
▲ +12Finishing Order
| Finish | Start | +/- | Car # | Driver | Inc | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | +12 | 73 | John W Crosby | 4x | 40 |
| 2 | 22 | +20 | 20 | Nate Lesko | 1x | 35 |
| 3 | 4 | +1 | 33 | Justin Carey | 5x | 34 |
| 4 | 12 | +8 | 77 | Anthony Hardin | 0x | 33 |
| 5 | 8 | +3 | 97 | Anthony Burleyson | 4x | 32 |
| 6 | 11 | +5 | 71 | Thomas Wynne | 1x | 31 |
| 7 | 9 | +2 | 69 | Todd Parent | 8x | 30 |
| 8 | 6 | -2 | 63 | Justin Clapper | 10x | 29 |
| 9 | 16 | +7 | 54 | Tiyler Walts | 12x | 28 |
| 10 | 7 | -3 | 1 | Jeffrey Goodpaster | 6x | 27 |
| 11 | 24 | +13 | 92 | David Burcicki | 1x | 26 |
| 12 | 23 | +11 | 68 | Tom Ringer | 2x | 25 |
| 13 | 25 | +12 | 5 | Brandon M Hinton | 0x | 24 |
| 14 | 5 | -9 | 85 | Dakota Reeder | 4x | 23 |
| 15 | 27 | +12 | 13 | Cody Deak | 13x | 22 |
| 16 | 3 | -13 | 45 | Brent Thompson | 5x | 21 |
| 17 | 18 | +1 | 99 | Christian Clark | 3x | 20 |
| 18 | 10 | -8 | 66 | Brandon H Yates | 15x | 19 |
| 19 | 2 | -17 | 06 | Ryan Philbrick | 5x | 18 |
| 20 | 20 | 0 | 72 | Zachary Wynne | 7x | 17 |
| 21 | 26 | +5 | 70 | Chad J Thompson | 6x | 16 |
| 22 | 19 | -3 | 79 | Jordan Traas | 4x | 15 |
| 23 | 14 | -9 | 09 | jonathan McIntosh | 8x | 14 |
| 24 | 1 | -23 | 10 | Jesse Gordon | 8x | 13 |
| 25 | 15 | -10 | ![]() | Victor Etheridge | 6x | 12 |
| 26 | 21 | -5 | 36 | Brody Duescher | 5x | 11 |
| 27 | 17 | -10 | 52 | Brandon Shuman | 4x | 10 |
