Corey Heim wins Watkins Glen truck race after a remarkable triple overtime showdown, collecting his fourth straight NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series road course win Friday evening at the iconic Watkins Glen International in New York. Heim, the series’ championship leader, secured a dramatic finish under darkening skies, overcoming strong competition and a tense sequence of late-race cautions.
Heim Prevails in Extended Finale
The 23-year-old Georgia driver conquered the Mission 176 event in the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota, grabbing the lead during the race’s first overtime and expertly managing two more restarts to fend off Daniel Hemric and rookie Giovanni Ruggiero by just .202 seconds. This victory marks Heim’s sixth career Truck Series road course win and his 17th overall series triumph, making him the youngest driver in series history to reach that milestone.
Heim started from pole—his second start-to-win of the season—on the historic 2.45-mile circuit. The race remained largely incident-free until the latter stages, when a flood of accidents triggered six extra caution periods. The subsequent three overtimes pushed the finish dangerously close to NASCAR’s darkness deadline, with the event wrapping up only minutes before the race risked official closure.
A Night of Intense Battles and Rising Pressure
During the final overtime, Heim managed a crucial maneuver as his Toyota briefly faltered in search of a fuel pick-up, then regained momentum to ensure he stayed ahead of Hemric in the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevy and Ruggiero in the No. 17 Tricon Garage entry. Earlier, Heim had led 44 laps—a race high—yet found himself clawing back from 11th place after a late restart.
“Just never give up,” Heim emphasized after the race. “I got behind in that last stage and was scratching and clawing trying to get back through the field.
“I had my brakes pretty much go out on me completely on that long green flag run, was beating them up trying to get back through the field – blew the bus stop chicane between turns four and five – and made a lot of mistakes myself. I’ve had a lot of them get away from us this year by cautions or whatever else, finally had one go our way.”
—Corey Heim, driver
Major Storylines: Challengers, Strategy, and Playoff Implications
Christopher Bell, a regular in the NASCAR Cup Series and the 2017 truck series champion, nearly delivered an emotional win while filling in for Stewart Friesen, who suffered significant injuries in a racing crash a week before. Bell, representing Halmar Friesen Racing, led the field with a lap to go in regulation thanks to a fuel-saving gamble. However, a late caution for an incident involving former champion Ben Rhodes triggered the cascade of overtime attempts, ultimately forcing Bell to pit and rebound for a fourth-place finishing position.
Behind the front-runners, the top-10 showcased familiar and emerging talent: Tyler Ankrum, Xfinity Series regular Sammy Smith, Ty Majeski, Xfinity Series championship leader Connor Zilisch, Matt Mills, and Layne Riggs all earned strong finishes. Throughout, intense collisions and mechanical challenges reflected the high stakes just ahead of the regular season’s end.
Playoff Field Tightens Ahead of Regular Season Finale
Ben Rhodes’ misfortune on track further complicated the playoff picture with only one regular-season race left before NASCAR finalizes its 10-driver championship lineup. Stewart Friesen, who had secured a playoff spot at Michigan earlier in the year, was forced to miss the event at Watkins Glen due to injury, potentially freeing up a spot for another contender. Friesen can still request a medical waiver, which if granted by NASCAR, would allow him playoff eligibility and reshape the standings yet again.
Before the Watkins Glen race began, Ty Majeski and Jake Garcia were narrowly ahead of Rhodes for the final playoff transfer position. Majeski’s seventh-place run compared to Garcia’s 15th and Rhodes’ 26th (despite winning Stage 2) shifted the battle: Garcia now carries a slender 11-point edge over Rhodes and a 21-point margin over Ruggiero heading into the last regular-season event in Richmond, Va., next Saturday night.
Next Stop: Richmond Decides Playoff Entrants
The season’s deciding race—the eero 250 at Richmond Raceway—will play a pivotal role in shaping the postseason picture. Ty Majeski, last year’s winner at Richmond, seeks to solidify his spot against relentless competition.
The relentless action at Watkins Glen, fueled by dramatic caution periods and intense restarts, sets the stage for a high-stakes finale, with Corey Heim’s resilience and sharp strategy serving as the latest chapter in a rapidly evolving Truck Series season.
