Inaugural Lime Rock Truck Pole Goes To Corey Heim

Corey Heim celebrates the Lime Rock Park NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole Saturday. (Gavin Baker/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

LAKEVILLE, Conn. – Corey Heim sped to his third Kennametal Pole Award of the year during NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series qualifying Saturday morning at Lime Rock Park.

The four-time season winner turned a lap of 53.115 seconds (100.175 mph) around the 1.473-mile, seven-turn natural road course to earn the top starting spot for the inaugural LiUNA 150.

It marked the 10th Truck Series pole of the Marietta, Ga., native’s already decorated career.

But Heim’s pole time wasn’t without a few nerves in the closing moments, as four-time IMSA champion Jordan Taylor looked to steal the honors away in his Truck Series debut before a right front lock-up at turn one on his final time-trial lap.

“If he’d had a mistake-free lap, I think we’d have ended up second,” said the 22-year-old Heim. “I feel like my first lap out was actually really good; it was just a matter of getting the tires up to temperature. The second time I was really sloppy on the lap that ended up putting us on the pole. I thought my first lap was better even though the tire grip wasn’t quite there yet.

“I’ll take pole, though, of course. I missed a couple of gears, a couple of shifts on that last lap, but it shows the speed of our Tundra that we were still able to be on top,” he added of the No. 11 Safelite Toyota. “I really enjoy coming to these road courses … and it’s a new challenge for us coming to Lime Rock, so in a big track position race we just have to stay up there.”

Taylor’s time of 53.281 seconds (99.863 mph) on his last run was .166 seconds shy of earning the pole for his first Truck Series appearance. It’s the fourth NASCAR start overall for the Orlando, Fla., native.

“It’s tough when you only have one lap to do it, and I feel like I’m still learning the truck,” Taylor noted. “We had practice to get a feel of things, but coming today and having no practice before just going for your one lap is a challenge. I felt I did a good first lap, kind of a banger, but still left some on the table.

“I knew I needed to brake later into turn one, and just locked up the right front [tire] where it killed the rest of the lap,” continued the driver of the No. 07 Gainbridge Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. “Lesson learned, but still happy to be starting on the front row.”

The Fords of Front Row Motorsports’ Layne Riggs and ThorSport Racing’s Ty Majeski start third and fourth, respectively, with Heim’s TRICON Garage teammate Brent Crews rolling off fifth.

Kaden Honeycutt, Rajah Caruth, Connor Mosack, Chandler Smith, and Andres Perez de Lara filled out the first five rows.

Others starting deeper in the field include rookie Gio Ruggiero (12th), Trans-Am TA2 ace Thomas Annunziata (13th), Grant Enfinger (14th), Australian Supercars star Cam Waters (16th), and multi-time Truck Series champions Ben Rhodes (19th) and Matt Crafton (23rd).

Jack Wood was the only driver that didn’t set a qualifying time and will start last in the 34-truck field.

Broadcast coverage of the LiUNA 150 from Lime Rock is slated for 1 p.m. ET, live on FOX, the Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.