In what should have been his fourth win of the season, Corey Heim found himself spinning out and furious on pit road instead. After dominating the Window World 250 at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Heim was taken out of contention in the final moments by an aggressive move from Layne Riggs, sparking a heated post-race exchange and widespread debate in the NASCAR Truck Series garage.
Despite the gut-wrenching loss, Heim still holds a strong lead in the championship standings. But the sting of watching a win slip away due to contact from a fellow competitor clearly hasn’t faded — especially when that competitor has a growing reputation for pushing things too far.
From Pole to Pit Road Confrontation: Heim’s Day Turns Ugly Fast
Saturday at North Wilkesboro started with promise for Heim and his No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota team. He grabbed the pole position and led an incredible 162 of the race’s 255 laps, showing race-winning speed all day. Everything seemed to be going according to plan until overtime, when things unraveled.
As the green flag dropped on the final restart, Heim looked poised to seal the deal. But in a bold and risky move, Front Row Motorsports’ Layne Riggs launched a slide job into Turn 3 that ended Heim’s hopes instantly. Riggs’ truck clipped Heim, sending him into a spin and off the lead pack. Chandler Smith, Riggs’ FRM teammate, capitalized on the chaos and raced to the win. Riggs followed in second, while Heim limped across the line far back, furious.
Heim didn’t hold back after the race. On pit road, the 22-year-old stormed over to Riggs and delivered a message that NASCAR fans quickly latched onto.
“Look in the mirror and figure out this is why no one likes you. You’re racing like a f***ing idiot,Calm down, or someone’s going to take care of you.”
The tense encounter went viral, with fans and analysts weighing in on whether Riggs had crossed the line — or simply made a hard racer’s move.
Heim Left Wondering What Might Have Been
In the post-race media scrum, Heim voiced his disappointment, clearly exasperated by another race slipping through his fingers due to aggressive driving by others. This wasn’t the first time Riggs had tried the same move, and Heim made sure to point that out.
“He tried to do it to the 7 (Carson Hocevar) last week for the win, and mission accomplished for him, I guess, this week — and it cost him one, too. I got really loose into Turn 3… he had an opportunity, and he wrecked me.”
Heim has been one of the most dominant drivers in the Truck Series this season, and Saturday was another case of control turning into chaos. Just one week earlier at Kansas Speedway, Riggs ran into Hocevar’s No. 7 Chevrolet late in the race, barely missing out on the win himself. That time, Hocevar hung on for the win. But this week, Heim wasn’t as lucky.
The real frustration may not be just the loss itself, but the pattern of late-race contact that’s been plaguing Heim’s season. He added, “We’ve given up so many of them this year after dominating the race.” It’s clear that Heim sees these run-ins not as tough racing, but as reckless decisions that cost good teams wins.
Despite Frustration, Heim Still Tops the Truck Series Standings
Although the disappointment was raw and public, Heim doesn’t walk away empty-handed. He remains at the top of the Truck Series driver standings with 450 points, holding a 47-point lead over Chandler Smith, who now has momentum on his side with the win.
Heim also had a strong showing outside of the Truck Series during the same weekend, making his Cup Series debut with 23XI Racing. In that race, Heim quietly impressed with a 13th-place finish, outpacing seasoned teammates Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Riley Herbst.
Corey Heim confronted Layne Riggs after the race and gave him some choice words. Heim stormed off before Riggs could muster a response. pic.twitter.com/qEtSWzQ6e8
— Toby Christie (@Toby_Christie) May 17, 2025
That Cup performance, combined with his dominant Truck pace, shows that Heim has the talent to rise through NASCAR’s ranks. But if more run-ins like the one at North Wilkesboro keep happening, it may be hard for him to stay calm.
Adding to the drama, Heim later posted a sarcastic Instagram Story, showing off a fishing trip and captioning it, “About the only luck I’ve had today.” The jab added a bit of humor to the tension but showed just how much the result stung.
News in Brief: Corey Heim Loses North Wilkesboro in Final-Lap
Corey Heim’s day at North Wilkesboro was supposed to end in victory lane. Instead, it ended with confrontation and controversy. Layne Riggs’ move may have earned him a second-place finish, but it cost Heim a win — and maybe more. For Heim, the message was simple: race clean, or expect consequences.
Still, Heim walks away with the points lead, a strong Cup debut, and a growing fanbase who admire his speed and straightforward attitude. As the season continues, all eyes will be on the No. 11 — not just for what Heim does on the track, but how he responds when others try to take what’s his.
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