The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series is set for its 35th season finale at Phoenix Raceway, with Corey Heim leading the Championship 4 after a historic season. Heim, who is chasing the Corey Heim Phoenix championship, brings dominance and broken records into a high-stakes showdown in Arizona.
Phoenix Raceway’s Legacy and the Championship Drama
Phoenix Raceway stands with Martinsville as one of two venues to host a Truck Series race every year since the competition began. Its one-mile layout has built a reputation for unpredictable and dramatic finishes, and recent finales often extend into overtime, with titles being decided in the closing laps. The track’s legacy of hosting the season’s final race has made it center stage for memorable championship moments.
Heim’s Record-Breaking Season Sets a New Standard
As the 2025 regular season champion, Corey Heim has made history over the course of the year. His series of top-three finishes over the last ten races sets an unprecedented standard for performance. Heim manages to lead laps in every event this season, establishing a record with a streak of 25 consecutive races as a frontrunner. With only six laps led at Phoenix, Heim will match Mike Skinner’s 1996 record for most laps led in a single year, reaching 1,533. Remarkably, Heim has commanded more than 40 percent of all the laps run in 2025, achieving the highest percentage in the series’ history.
The Youngest Championship 4 in Series History
This year’s Championship 4 brings together Corey Heim, Ty Majeski, Kaden Honeycutt, and Tyler Ankrum. Among the quartet, Majeski alone has prior experience at this stage. Kaden Honeycutt enters with a unique opportunity to become the first champion without a race victory and the first to claim a championship while driving for more than one team during the same year. Both Ankrum and Honeycutt were born in the current millennium, and with Heim also born after 2000, the average age among the title contenders sets a new record for youth in a championship lineup.
Dramatic Momentum for TRICON Garage
TRICON Garage has surged throughout the last half of the season, scoring seven wins in the past eight races and capturing the last four events consecutively. Should the team secure another win in Phoenix, it would not only break the record for most wins over a nine-race span but would also tie the all-time history books for consecutive victories by one team.
Manufacturer Rivalries and Dry Spells
Toyota is poised to claim its 14th manufacturers title, cementing its leadership in the series. In contrast, Ford-backed teams have been responsible for the previous three drivers’ championships. ThorSport Racing—a perennial powerhouse—has yet to win after 24 races this season, marking their lengthiest winless streak since 2007 and adding an unexpected twist to the competitive landscape.
What Lies Ahead at Phoenix
With the Corey Heim Phoenix championship in sharp focus, all eyes are on the final showdown at Phoenix Raceway. The event brings together a record-setting young field, teams on the verge of adding their names to the history books, and manufacturers battling for supremacy. The outcome at Phoenix is poised to shape the direction of NASCAR’s future stars and may see new records established as the checkered flag falls in the desert.
