Corey Heim achieved a milestone in the Corey Heim NASCAR Truck Series on Friday by recovering from an early crash to win the EcoSave 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. This victory marked his 10th win of the 2025 season, setting a new single-season record in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
Heim Overcomes Early Crash in Dramatic Fashion
Just moments into the race, calamity struck for several key contenders. In the first turn—appropriately named Calamity Corner—three Playoff drivers tangled, with Grant Enfinger making contact that sent Layne Riggs spinning and forced Corey Heim, the pole winner and series leader, into the barrier. The incident left Heim’s No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota heavily damaged, with a notable left-rear tire rub that required multiple pit stops to correct. Despite the setback, Heim and his team quickly went to work to keep their championship hopes alive at the 2.28-mile, 17-turn circuit.
As repairs were made, Heim was forced to navigate the race with a car less stable than in earlier practice and qualifying sessions.
“It was not easy today—I think it was probably the toughest one of the year so far,”
said Heim, who locked in a spot for the October 31 Championship 4 finale at Phoenix Raceway.
“Just shows the resilience of this TRICON team. They fixed it up so good for me after that incident on the first lap—just kind of out of our control.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Heim described the severity of the moment, stating,
“I thought we were done, honestly. The right front completely folded when it hit the wall over there.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
Teammates Dominate Before Late-Race Chaos
While Heim was working his way back through the pack, Brent Crews established himself as the one to beat, leading 56 laps and controlling much of the pace. Crews’ strategy involved short-pitting in both stages to optimize track position after breaks in the action. The complexion of the race changed dramatically after another TRICON teammate, Toni Breidinger, stalled in Turn 5, triggering the fourth and final caution and setting up an overtime restart.
As the caution flew, Crews and fellow contender Connor Zilisch opted to pit for fuel and fresh tires, while Heim stayed out on the track. In the tense moments that followed, Layne Riggs and several others also remained on course, looking for an edge in the overtime shootout.
Overtime Drama Delivers First TRICON 1-2-3 Finish
When the green flag waved for overtime, Riggs—already hampered by a lack of a sway bar after the early crash—suffered clutch issues that bottlenecked the outside lane. Amidst the scramble and spinning trucks behind him, Heim seized the lead and maintained a comfortable interval for the remaining two laps.
Heim crossed the finish 1.338 seconds ahead of Crews, with rookie teammate Gio Ruggiero securing third-place. This marked the first 1-2-3 sweep in TRICON’s history.
“We were not as good as we were in practice and qualifying after that damage,”
said the 23-year-old Heim, who earned his first victory on Charlotte’s Roval circuit and the 21st of his career, placing him seventh all-time for the series.
“My steering wheel was about 45 degrees to the left, and we came down pit road like six times to try to get it back to at least somewhat where it was.”
— Corey Heim, Driver
The result underscored the team’s strength and adaptability under pressure. Crews reflected on the experience:
“We had a super-fast truck, as you got to see,”
Crews said.
“I’m out there leading the race today—I had a blast. Really happy for TRICON today to go 1-2-3, and congrats to the whole 11 team. They did a great job all day as well.”
— Brent Crews, Driver
Crews acknowledged the tough break at the finish, offering,
“I was happy to see them get back up there, but I definitely didn’t want to see stay out there (for the overtime).”
— Brent Crews, Driver
Playoff Race Intensifies Heading to Phoenix
With Heim’s historic win, he advances to the Championship 4, ensuring his chance at the title. The remaining seven Playoff drivers finished the opening Round of 8 event extremely close around the elimination line. Friday, Daniel Hemric finished 11th after starting at the back, while Tyler Ankrum secured ninth; both are now tied for second and third in the standings, only two points above the cut line. Rajah Caruth, who finished fourth, sits just one point clear of Riggs, who struggled to 21st after his opening lap misfortune.
Reigning series champion Ty Majeski remains in contention but is also only two points above the threshold, while Grant Enfinger and Kaden Honeycutt, both stage winners earlier in the race, face slim margins with only four points separating them from elimination after Honeycutt wound up 14th.
Connor Zilisch rounded out the top five, trailed by Josh Bilicki, Enfinger, Majeski, Ankrum and Connor Mosack. The result for Riggs left him frustrated with the sequence that derailed his run at Charlotte, as he explained his disappointment in forthright terms:
“We just got wrecked by the 9 (Enfinger),”
Riggs said.
“I don’t really understand what his thought process is. People say you’re supposed to take advice from the veterans and learn from them of how to race, and they race the worst out of anybody.”
— Layne Riggs, Driver
He further noted,
“At the end, we were just going to try to salvage something, but something in the rear end housing broke, or a clutch started slipping, but I had no power there at the end.”
— Layne Riggs, Driver
What Lies Ahead for the Truck Series Playoff Field
With one race down in the critical Round of 8, every point counts as the remaining Playoff drivers prepare for a high-stakes push to the Phoenix Raceway finale. Corey Heim’s resilience after an early setback not only set a new record for single-season wins, but also heightened the Corey Heim NASCAR Truck Series championship drama. As the field tightens and emotions flare—including sharp exchanges among veterans and rising stars—the road to the title promises further conflict and intensity in the races to come.
