Corey Heim stamped his authority once again on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, winning the Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway on Saturday evening. The victory marked Heim’s eighth triumph of 2025 and his first at the historic “Lady in Black,” as he held off Daniel Hemric by less than a second in the playoff opener. With the result, Heim locked himself into the Round of 8, continuing what has become one of the most commanding seasons in series history.
Key Highlights
Corey Heim scored his eighth win of the 2025 season at Darlington Raceway
The victory secured Heim an automatic berth in the Round of 8 of the Truck Series Playoffs
Layne Riggs led a race-high 71 laps before a flat tire ended his chances, finishing 17th
Daniel Hemric finished second, while Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Trevor Bayne completed the top five
Chandler Smith crashed out early, placing him below the playoff cutline with two races left in the round
Corey Heim’s Playoff Statement
Darlington’s reputation as a grueling test suited Heim’s steady hand. Driving the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota, he stayed within striking distance for much of the night before capitalizing on late misfortune for Layne Riggs, who had dominated the early going. After a restart with 13 laps to go, Heim surged forward and never looked back, building a slim cushion over Daniel Hemric that proved decisive. The win was his 19th career Truck Series victory, one short of Greg Biffle’s single-season mark of nine wins set in 1999.
“Lucky it wasn’t a complete blowout — otherwise we would have been in trouble. I could make a little bit of speed on the wall, but it was such a high-risk play if you scrubbed it. You saw so manypeople have those right-front issues.” – Corey Heim
A tire scare just before the end of Stage 2 nearly spoiled his day, but Heim managed to pit under caution and avoid major damage. From there, he methodically set himself up for the late charge that sealed his playoff advancement.
Riggs’ Heartbreak and Hemric’s Consistency
For much of the race, Layne Riggs appeared destined to take the victory. Starting from the pole, he paced the field for 71 laps, the most of any driver, and swept Stage 2. But with less than 20 laps to go, a right-front tire failure sent Riggs into the outside wall and stripped away his chance at victory. The damage dropped him to a bitter 17th-place finish despite showing race-winning speed throughout the night. Hemric, meanwhile, capitalized on the late sequence. Piloting the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevrolet, he kept Heim honest in the closing laps and earned his best performance of the season at just the right time.
“We’ve been wanting so badly to have execution like that. That was our cleanest race of the season.” – Daniel Hemric
Playoff Shakeup and Full Results
The Darlington race dramatically altered the playoff landscape. Chandler Smith, who started on the front row beside Riggs, brushed the wall on Lap 11 and cut a tire, forcing him to retire after only 14 laps in 30th place. His early exit left him below the Round of 8 cutline, sitting two points behind Jake Garcia.
“Made a mistake on my end today. Just got a little too greedy trying to run the fence a little too hard… When you get into that hard, it suckers you in, you cut a tire, and you’re done for the day.” – Chandler Smith
Grant Enfinger turned in a steady third-place finish, while defending champion Ty Majeski recovered from a flat tire of his own to claim fourth. Trevor Bayne, making his first NASCAR start since 2023, impressed with a solid fifth-place run. Tanner Gray led the rookies in sixth, with playoff driver Tyler Ankrum in seventh. Timmy Hill and Corey Day followed in eighth and ninth, while Garcia secured 10th to maintain his narrow advantage in the standings.
| Fin | Driver | Diff |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corey Heim | — |
| 2 | Daniel Hemric | 0.766 |
| 3 | Grant Enfinger | 2.593 |
| 4 | Ty Majeski | 3.214 |
| 5 | Trevor Bayne | 4.671 |
| 6 | Tanner Gray | 6.022 |
| 7 | Tyler Ankrum | 7.542 |
| 8 | Timmy Hill | 8.182 |
| 9 | Corey Day | 8.200 |
| 10 | Jake Garcia | 8.831 |
| 11 | Ben Rhodes | 9.419 |
| 12 | Rajah Caruth | 11.268 |
| 13 | Connor Mosack | 11.667 |
| 14 | Jack Wood | 11.863 |
| 15 | Stefan Parsons | 12.687 |
| 16 | Andres Perez de Lara | 13.647 |
| 17 | Layne Riggs | 14.025 |
| 18 | Kaden Honeycutt | 18.681 |
| 19 | Dawson Sutton | 21.019 |
| 20 | Corey LaJoie | 1 lap |
| 21 | Matt Crafton | 1 lap |
| 22 | Gio Ruggiero | 1 lap |
| 23 | Spencer Boyd | 2 laps |
| 24 | Toni Breidinger | 4 laps |
| 25 | Bayley Currey | 7 laps |
| 26 | Mason Maggio | 19 laps |
| 27 | Nathan Byrd | 34 laps |
| 28 | Caleb Costner | 122 laps |
| 29 | Matt Mills | 126 laps |
| 30 | Chandler Smith | 133 laps |
| 31 | Stephen Mallozzi | 143 laps |
| 32 | Clayton Green | 144 laps |
Further back, Rajah Caruth placed 12th, while playoff hopeful Kaden Honeycutt endured contact late that relegated him to 18th. The incident dropped him to 10th in the standings, seven points outside the cutline. The full finishing order included notable runs from Connor Mosack in 13th, Jack Wood in 14th, and Andres Pérez de Lara in 16th. Veterans Matt Crafton, Spencer Boyd, and Corey LaJoie finished outside the top 20, while Mason Maggio, Nathan Byrd, and Caleb Costner were among those who retired early.
News in Brief: 2025 Sober or Slammer 200 Full Results
Corey Heim won the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sober or Slammer 200 at Darlington Raceway, scoring his eighth win of the season and first at the historic track. Heim led 65 laps and locked into the Round of 8 by holding off Daniel Hemric, who finished second, followed by Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Trevor Bayne. Pole-sitter Layne Riggs led 71 laps but faded to 17th with a late tire failure. Chandler Smith crashed early, slipping below the playoff cutline.
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