The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned to Michigan International Speedway for the first time since 2020, and the race lived up to every bit of anticipation. Featuring aggressive driving, dramatic stage battles, multi-truck crashes, and a heartwarming victory, the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 unfolded as one of the wildest contests of the 2025 season. Veteran driver Stewart Friesen, once on the verge of stepping away from the sport, emerged victorious in a triple-overtime thriller. But the path to that checkered flag was anything but straightforward.
Stage One Showdown: Corey Heim vs. Carson Hocevar
From the drop of the green flag, the action was fast and chaotic. Trucks darted four-wide early, setting the tone for an aggressive afternoon. Carson Hocevar, racing at his home track, took an early lead after executing a slick three-wide move. He looked strong, but Corey Heim had a strategy in mind.
As the laps wound down in Stage One, Heim played it cool—laying back, studying Hocevar’s line, and timing his run. On the final lap of the stage, he made his move with a clean pass, using the side draft effectively to slow Hocevar and grab the playoff point. It marked Heim’s 10th stage win of the season, the most ever recorded through 13 races.
Strategic Racing and Stage Domination
Stage Two carried over the strategic intensity. In a rare move in modern NASCAR, Heim allowed Hocevar to pass him—not to lose the race, but to help. Debris on Hocevar’s grill risked overheating his engine, so he signaled Heim to go by, using the lead truck’s wake to clear his front end.
Once the favor was returned, Heim regained the advantage and held firm. His efforts earned him another stage win—his fourth stage sweep of the season—continuing a dominant stretch that has put him at the center of the championship conversation.
Meanwhile, other contenders like Grant Enfinger, Jake Garcia, and Conner Mosack tested the limits of side drafting and momentum through Michigan’s wide corners, making each restart more chaotic than the last.
Trouble on the Restarts: Pileups and Tempers
The race took a dramatic turn in the final stage with a series of chaotic restarts. Ross Chastain, who entered mid-race, threw himself into the mix and found himself at the center of several near-incidents. On one restart, both front-row trucks struggled to launch, triggering a chain reaction behind them. Chastain got a shove at the wrong time, spinning his tires and stacking up the field.
The result was a multi-truck crash that swept up Gio Ruggiero and several others. The field was jumbled, and with every restart, trust between drivers wore thinner. At one point, Chastain and Hocevar made contact, with Chastain spinning sideways but saving it miraculously—only to get hit again and end his day.
Meanwhile, Wallace Allen slammed the wall after a cut tire, and Matt Mills triggered another crash when he tried to rejoin the middle lane too late. Tanner Gray and Jack Wood were among the trucks collected in that melee, setting up a tense finish that no one could predict.
The Final Push: Late-Race Surges from Underdogs
With multiple caution periods and two overtime restarts, every contender had a shot in the closing laps. Grant Enfinger took a daring inside line to briefly grab the lead, while Ben Rhodes and Luke Fenhaus tried to capitalize on his move.
Fenhaus, a part-time driver in the No. 66, had a career day, running inside the top five late and nearly contending for the win. But as trucks darted across lanes and blocks became more desperate, Stewart Friesen lurked behind, setting up the move of the race.
Getting a powerful push and working the side draft to perfection, Friesen found himself in front as the white flag waved. All around him, trucks scrambled for position and tried to close in.
Stewart Friesen’s Redemption: Victory After Doubt
Stewart Friesen hadn’t won in over two years. The veteran Canadian had questioned whether continuing in the series was worth the grind. But at Michigan, all those doubts disappeared.
Friesen’s win was the product of patience, strategy, and just enough aggression when it mattered most. Despite being nearly invisible for much of the day, he emerged at the perfect time, surviving the chaos and holding off a late surge from Enfinger and Fenhaus to take the checkered flag.
The victory was emotional, not just because of its significance, but because of how unpredictable and grueling the road to it had been. After 72 races without a win and multiple near-misses, Friesen proved he still had what it takes.
News in Brief: NASCAR 2025 Michigan Race Highlights
The return of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to Michigan International Speedway delivered every ingredient fans love—speed, risk, emotion, and redemption. From Corey Heim’s strategic domination in the stages to Chastain’s rollercoaster afternoon, and from the heartbreaking crashes to Stewart Friesen’s inspiring triumph, the DQS Solutions & Staffing 250 will go down as a race to remember.
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