Corey Heim achieved a new milestone by securing a record-breaking tenth single-season victory in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval in Concord, N.C. on Friday, delivering a pivotal win that clinched his place in the Championship 4 and drawing attention to the Corey Heim record Truck win.
Heim’s triumph came in an overtime finish, where he led a historic 1-2-3 sweep for TRICON Garage, with Brent Crews and Gio Ruggiero following in second and third, respectively. The dramatic result unfolded after a turbulent start for Heim, who, despite starting on pole, crashed at turn one, damaging the right side and front of his truck. Against the odds, Heim fought his way back through the field, re-entering the top five, and began pursuing Crews, who had taken over the lead amid the early chaos.
Early Race Turmoil and Team Strategy
The opening laps set a chaotic tone, with Heim’s accident in the first turn appearing to jeopardize his race. Nevertheless, he quickly began moving up through the pack, determined not to let the early setback define his evening. Brent Crews, meanwhile, held onto the lead, consistently outpacing his rivals except during pit cycles, where Kaden Honeycutt briefly claimed the top spot during green flag stops. Honeycutt’s control was short-lived, though he did manage to sweep both stage wins before losing track position.
After the stage breaks, Crews extended his advantage, forging a gap of approximately two seconds over Heim, with a significantly larger cushion to third place. The complexion of the race abruptly shifted when a caution came out in the closing laps due to TRICON Garage teammate Toni Breidinger running out of fuel, following shortly after Crews himself reported a stumble from his truck. While this forced Crews to pit for fuel, Heim gambled by staying out on track, a move that would prove decisive.
Overtime Drama and Heim’s Victory
As the race resumed in overtime, Heim capitalized on his position at the front, maintaining the lead over the final five laps. He crossed the finish line first, securing not only his tenth win of the season—a new NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series single-season record—but also his spot in the final race for the championship. Heim celebrated his achievement with a burnout in victory lane, marking a memorable night for both himself and his team.
Brent Crews, who had commanded the majority of the event, expressed mixed emotions after finishing runner up. Reflecting on the result, he acknowledged the competitiveness of the No. 11 team and the value of the learning experience:
“I’m just grateful to be running races and learning more and more and more. We had a super fast truck as you guys got to see… Congrats to the 11 team. I definitely didn’t want to see them stay out there, it sucks, but I learned a lot today,”
Crews said.
Gio Ruggiero joined Heim and Crews to complete a sweep of the podium for TRICON Garage, adding further cause for celebration within the organization.
Close Calls and Costly Late-Race Mistakes
Kaden Honeycutt, after his strong performance and stage dominance, saw his chances unravel on the final lap when a spin dropped him from the top five to a 14th-place finish, negating much of the advantage he had built up earlier. Clearly frustrated, Honeycutt commented on the recurring misfortune that has defined his season:
“It’s hard to hold my tongue about this. I just, I don’t understand why stuff like this happens. All year, I mean, we rank good and just had no results. It is just something that’s not out of our doing and, you know, it’s what it is. Thankfully, we’re only 4 under so it could be a whole lot worse,”
Honeycutt said.
Layne Riggs, another playoff contender, endured a challenging night as well. An early issue damaged his truck on the first lap, and though he restarted near the front for overtime, another setback relegated him to a 21st-place finish. Riggs voiced his anger toward fellow playoff driver Grant Enfinger after a contentious on-track incident:
“We just got wrecked by the 9. 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. That’s twice this year we’ve gotten wrecked by the 9 truck – at Watkins Glen and here, both road courses, two separate incidents, two blatantly wrong on his part. We drug a sway bar arm off after that contact and just had a terrible handling truck the rest of the day,”
Riggs said.
Following the Charlotte Roval race, Riggs, Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Honeycutt all remain below the playoff cutline, intensifying competition for the remaining spots in the Championship 4.
Championship Implications and Next Steps
Despite his record-setting victory, Corey Heim is not yet assured the overall title. The 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship will be decided during the finale on October 31 at Phoenix Raceway. Until then, Heim, Brent Crews, and other top contenders will face one last playoff event at Talladega on October 17, where the tension and unpredictability of the season are sure to continue shaping each driver’s fate.
The intense, turbulent atmosphere of Charlotte has set the stage for a dramatic end to the season, spotlighting standout moments and ongoing rivalries among drivers like Heim, Crews, Honeycutt, Riggs, and Enfinger as the championship fight reaches its conclusion.
