Corey Heim feels the sting of defeat after losing the bid for a third consecutive win for the Baptist Health 200. The Tricon Garage star swept Phoenix and Las Vegas in the Craftsman Truck Series two weeks ago. He started the race at the pole, giving him a clear advantage over the field, sweeping stages 1 and 2. Therefore, the odds for a Homestead-Miami victory looked good on Friday until a freak engine malfunction took him out of contention.
He fought with all his might to hold off Ross Chastain and Kyle Larson on the final 20 laps of the race until his engine shut off at lap 114. He tried but failed to recover and handed the final ten laps to Larson. Tomorrow’s race is what Heim needs to redeem himself and possibly earn his third win of 2025, but can it be done?
The Strongest Start Yet
On Friday, Corey Heim ran one of his strongest starts from the Homestead-Miami pole. However, Ross Chastain threatened Heim’s 70-lap lead on the final stage in the Baptist Health 200. He was able to reclaim it by lap 114. Then, like a thief in the night, his engine shut off, squandering his lead. It was game over for the Tricon Garage driver, but the answer to Kyle Larson’s prayers after a lap 91 spin-out.
Larson coursed to victory, leaving Heim in the dust. He felt gutted Friday after losing to Larson and finishing P3 but hopes for recovery at the Boys and Girls Club Blueridge 200 tomorrow. The Toyota Tundra TRD driver swept the race at Martinsville in 2023. Heim finished seventh in 2024. He knows how to do well on the track so the odds are in his favor.
The Sting of Corey Heim’s Defeat
As a result of intermittent engine cuts during the Baptist Health 200, Corey Heim lost his bid to win the race. In a post-race interview, Heim spoke to the media about the freak mishap and the moment he realized something was wrong. “The engine would hard-cut on me, and the dash would go black. I’d have to pull my right hand over and fully recycle the power to get any sort of life back in the motor,” he said.
He knows he could’ve done nothing about the malfunction, which was hard to grasp. Heim candidly admitted it made him emotional, stating, “This stings pretty bad, obviously, but nothing I can have done about it.” “Just having that good of a truck … I feel like we were lights out the best truck.” He continued his statement by capitalizing on the what-ifs. We probably would have won the race by 10 seconds if we hadn’t had that problem,” Corey Heim said.
Corey Heim fought back the tears as he wrapped up the interview, describing his unexpected third-place finish. He also thanked his crew for their rigorous attempts to discover what caused the Toyota TRD Pro’s engine to malfunction. It was suspected a glitch with electrical system components was the culprit. The electrical system is responsible for providing horsepower and ensuring top-notch engine operation. The root cause of the issue remains inconclusive at this time, and even Heim is still scratching his head.
“I really don’t know what the problem was, to be honest with you,” A choked up Heim said.“But can’t say enough about the Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. Everyone at Tricon Garage and Toyota did a phenomenal job. Probably the best truck I’ve ever had.”
Final Thoughts
Though Corey Heim could not carry his winning streak into Homestead-Miami last week, there’s hope for redemption in Martinsville. He had a solid start to the race despite seasoned drivers Kyle Larson and Ross Chastain on the field. Heim started the 2025 season off strongly, securing wins in Phoenix and Las Vegas. He’s also amassed 50 top-tens and 8 poles over his career and holds 177 regular points and 12 playoff points this season. Therefore, seeing what he does in Martinsville tomorrow will be interesting.
