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Heim Clocks in with 12th Win, 2025 Truck Series Title at Phoenix

Heim Clocks in with 12th Win, 2025 Truck Series Title at Phoenix
Photo Credit to Noah Lewis/TSJSports

NASCAR

Corey Heim Hits Dozen Mark, Earns First Truck Title at Phoenix

AVONDALE, Ariz. – One of the best season-long campaigns in modern NASCAR history ends on top. Phoenix Raceway went in Corey Heim’s favor for a record-extending 12th win of the year. With his 100-lap-led effort in the desert, the TRICON Garage driver takes home a maiden Craftsman Truck Series title. It was anything but a stress-free drive for Heim, however, having to battle back in double overtime.

Despite starting sixth on track and second of the Championship 4, it did not take Corey Heim long to take command on both fronts. An initial start penalty for Kaden Honeycutt gave the No. 11 the championship lead. Lap 22 also saw him take P1 on track. Only a lap one incident halted action between the stages; both green-and-white checkered flags likewise went to Heim. During this time he eclipsed the Truck Series single-season laps led record (1,534) that had stood since 1996.

Ty Majeski and a hungry Kaden Honeycutt were each not far off of Heim’s bumper though. The ThorSport Racing No. 98 team edged the TRICON Garage 11 off of pit road ahead of Stage 3, but this lead did not last long. Heim retook lost ground in less than a lap and began to drive off.

With three laps left in the season a race-defining caution flag flew. Connor Mosack blew a tire in turn four, sending this race into overtime. As his team opted to take four tires, Heim was initially sent back to ninth for the two-lap sprint. Thanks to a Herculean seven-wide restart on his fresh Goodyear rubber, however, Heim rebounded to second when another yellow flew just feet shy of the white flag.

Overtime number two saw Heim trade paint with Majeski but ultimately gain the upper hand by the white flag. With nobody else in striking distance, Heim set sail for victory lane and the long-awaited championship stage.

“I just am so grateful to be where I’m at,” Heim said. “So thankful for the TRICON Garage, Toyota taking a chance on me years ago, Safelite, Mobil1, Yahoo, Celsius, for every bit of their support.”

“I was so stressed out ever since we went to the Roval. I’ve been, like, so terrible to talk to as a person, so stressed out. This is just such a relief, to say the least. So thankful for everybody. There’s so many names I could go through, Trevor and Blake for all my prep work, 23XI for everything they do for me on the development side. There’s such a long list. Thankful for everybody involved.”

“I don’t care if I was on hundred-lap tires, nobody was going to beat me tonight. It wasn’t going to happen. We struggled all weekend in practice a little bit. In qualifying we missed it a little bit. You can always trust Scott [Zipadelli, crew chief] up on the box to do everything he can to put me in position to win the race. That’s what he did. Drove it in deep until I couldn’t anymore. Drove away with it.”

“Just insane. I’m so grateful, so thankful for everyone involved. A laundry list of people that have put me in this spot and allowed me to execute. So grateful to be here.”

Majeski and Honeycutt rounded out podium positions, with Tyler Ankrum a distant 14th-place at the checkers. Other top-five finishers included past Playoff hopefuls Layne Riggs and Rajah Caruth, who gave post-race reactions.

NASCAR Championship Weekend continues with Saturday’s Xfinity Series finale. The all-Chevrolet Championship 4 will go to battle at 7:30 p.m. ET on The CW, MRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Written by Peter Stratta

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Photo Credit to Noah Lewis/TSJSports

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