IN THE NICK OF HEIM: Corey Heim Survives To Win Craftsman Truck Series Race At Texas Motor Speedway

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FORT WORTH, Texas (MAY 2, 2025) – TRICON Garage driver Corey Heim had to survive double overtime after a dominant performance to secure his series-leading third NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory in Friday night’s SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas Motor Speedway.

The win was Heim’s first at Texas Motor Speedway and fourth top-seventh finish, including runner-up last season, in as many career starts at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. It also was his first victory in the last four races after winning two of the opening three of the season (Daytona, Las Vegas).

“I wasn’t gonna let them take that one away from me,” Heim said. “I’ve given up too many already this year so far. Just so proud of these TRICON guys. … Just overwhelmed. Obviously, so many restarts there at the end and guys are trying to slow me three wide. Man, I wasn’t gonna let them take that back from me right there. I can’t even speak I’m so overwhelmed. They tried to take me three wide into (Turn) One, and I just drove until I couldn’t anymore. Still catching my breath if you can tell.”

Heim led a race-high 96 of the 172 laps and was enjoying comfortable leads in excess of 13 seconds in the final stage before those evaporated in a series of late cautions, including a red flag with 11 to go. Two of Heim’s primary contenders, Grant Enfinger, running second, and Stewart Freisen, running third, were involved in an accident that also included Chandler Smith that brought out the red flag.

Heim would still have plenty of work to do as the 10th caution came out with five laps remaining that forced the first two-lap overtime shootout. On the opening lap of OT, he found himself sandwiched in a three-wide charge for the lead with Ben Rhodes and Rajah Caruth and a victory suddenly in jeopardy. However, debris from Matt Mills’ truck brought out yet another caution that left just 18 of the 32 trucks remaining for the second and final OT.

Heim restarted on the inside, and on his outside was Rhodes, who got a great initial run and had the lead by a nose on the backstretch. Heim regained the lead in Turn 3 before Daniel Hemric made a frantic late run at him. Heim was able to hold him off by .279 of a second while Caruth finished third, Tyler Ankrum fourth and Tanner Gray fifth.

This marked the first overtime finish in the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series in the last 22 races and was a series-record 14th OT race at Texas Motor Speedway.

“Honestly, to come up one short, you’re disappointed but when you’re doing that on a 50-lap tire disadvantage, you’ll take days and results like that,” Hemric said. “… Aww man, second is not fun, especially after you taste winning this year. … Just not quite enough when we needed it, but we’ll take today and roll.”

In NASCAR Xfinity Series news, both practice and qualifying for the Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 were canceled due to damp track conditions. The starting lineup was determined by a combination of metrics by NASCAR, with the most emphasis on the previous race results and the owner’s point standings. Austin Hill of Richard Childress Racing will start on the pole and be joined on the front row by Justin Allgaier of JR Motorsports for Saturday’s Andy’s Frozen Custard 300 (1 p.m., TV: CW, Radio: PRN, SiriusXM). Jesse Love of Richard Childress Racing will start third, Jeb Burton of Jordan Anderson Racing fourth and rounding out the top five will be Harrison Burton of AM Racing.

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