Heim’s Championship Charge Hampered By Late Penalty

Corey Heim (Danny Hansen/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

AVONDALE, Ariz. – A stage-three restart violation may have hampered Corey Heim’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship chase briefly at Phoenix Raceway, but in the end, he was short on the speed he needed anyways.

The 22-year-old came just short of capping a six-win season with his first Truck Series title. Though he beat the odds and rebounded from the lap-99 lane change penalty that relegated him to the tail end of the lead lap, Heim lacked enough pace to get past dominant race winner and new series champion Ty Majeski.

Heim finished a distant second in the race, 3.945 seconds adrift of Majeski, and ended his year a career-best second in the final standings.

“Really disappointed to come up short like that, but it’s hard to even be upset,” said Heim, who won stage one but largely trailed Majeski after that, following the race. “I did almost everything right except for that restart violation, but we were able to get our track position back pretty quick and make the most of it.

“[Majeski] was just unbelievably lights out all race,” Heim continued. “From the get-go, I felt like we fired off [loose] in stage one and we were able to reel him back in. He seemed to struggle in traffic a little bit. However, once they adjusted on it and the cautions started cycling to the point where we never really hit a lot of lapped traffic, it was about over for me.”

Friday night’s Truck Series race was unlike Phoenix finales in years prior: no championship contenders got wrecked and there also weren’t many cautions. Instead, the laps went by quickly around the mile-long desert oval.

The race was straightforward and based on pure speed. There were opportunities to take advantage of restarts, however they were too far apart and in between moments where Majeski’s No. 98 was strongest.

Whether it was Heim or fellow championship 4 contenders Christian Eckes and Grant Enfinger, no one could match Majeski on the short spurts of runs that materialized later in the event.

It was what fans would call a traditional race: show up with speed, take care of your vehicle, and stay out front. That’s what Majeski did to capture his first Truck Series championship and deny Heim the crown.

Corey Heim in action Friday night at Phoenix Raceway. (John Harrelson/NKP for Toyota Racing photo)

“I just had nothing for Majeski all day. He was so fast. I’m just proud of myself for not driving through the fastest truck like I was driven through last year by Carson Hocevar,” noted Heim.

Despite a strong year for Heim, as he mentioned, scars from the outcome of the 2023 Truck Series title decider still haunted him.

Heim arguably had a championship title taken from him, as now-NASCAR Cup Series rookie Carson Hocevar spun him late in the race, when the Marietta, Ga., native had race-winning speed.

This year, after doubling his win total from three last season and collecting two more top fives across 23 races, it was heartbreak again instead of the championship he desired.

Heim chose to look at the brighter side, though, despite his frustration over appearing in the final round in consecutive seasons and coming up empty.

His potential remains bright, and his chances are good at making year three the best yet, as he’ll return to TRICON Garage full-time in 2025 to pursue another title.

“We're going to go away from here with our heads up high and a six-win season – career highs for myself, my team, organization, everybody,” Heim said. “Just one spot short of the championship.”