Hot Streak Continues: Corey Heim Grabs 11th Win at Martinsville
Martinsville Speedway delivered another unpredictable yet jaw-dropping finish tonight, and after the dust settled, Corey Heim stood in victory lane for the 11th time this season. The young driver wheeled his truck to an overtime victory, securing his spot in the Championship 4 alongside Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski, and Kaden Honeycutt. These four will battle it out next weekend at Phoenix Raceway for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship.
Heim’s Remarkable Season Continues
Corey Heim has been nothing short of spectacular this year. Eleven wins in a single season is the kind of dominance that reminds you of the sport’s greatest campaigns. When the pressure was on at Martinsville, he didn’t flinch. The overtime restart gave him one last shot, and he made it count. That’s what separates good drivers from great ones: the ability to deliver when everything is on the line.
Heim has shown maturity beyond his years all season long. Every time he straps into that truck, you get the feeling he’s going to be up front. That kind of consistency and speed doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of talent, hard work, and a team that’s firing on all cylinders week after week.
A Dramatic Finish Decides the Final Playoff Spot
While Heim was celebrating his dominant victory, the real drama unfolded behind him. Kaden Honeycutt crossed the line in second place, and that finish meant everything. He advanced to the Championship 4 on a tiebreaker over Layne Riggs, who came home third. Talk about cutting it close, that’s the kind of finish that makes your heart race.
Riggs had to be devastated. He did everything he could, finishing third and giving it his all, but sometimes that’s just how racing goes. A tiebreaker is the cruelest way to miss out on a championship opportunity, but that’s the format we’ve got. You can’t fault Riggs for his effort. He left it all on the track.
Brent Crews finished fourth, with Corey LaJoie rounding out the top five. Chandler Smith, Majeski, Tanner Gray, Ankrum, and Brendan Queen completed the top 10. All solid runs, but on this night, the focus was squarely on who would advance and who would be left wondering what might have been.
Championship Hopes Dashed for Several Contenders
Not everyone had a night to remember. Grant Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, and Rajah Caruth all saw their championship dreams come to an end at the paperclip-shaped half-mile track. The most heartbreaking moment came at Lap 73 when Rajah Caruth and Kaden Honeycutt made incidental contact exiting Turn 4. The contact cut Caruth’s left-rear tire, sending him spinning into Turn 1.
The damage was significant. Both ends of his truck were torn up, and his night was over just like that. Caruth had entered the race with a 14-point cushion above the cutline, but in racing, comfort zones can disappear in an instant. One moment you’re in control of your destiny, the next you’re watching your championship hopes evaporate because of a flat tire.
That’s the thing about playoff racing. There’s no margin for error. You can do everything right for weeks, but one bad break at the wrong time, and it’s all over. Caruth will have plenty of time to replay that moment in his mind during the offseason. Enfinger managed a 12th-place finish, respectable but not enough to advance.
Hemric had it even worse, finishing 31st after early damage ended his day before it really got started. When you’re racing for a championship, you need everything to go right. For Enfinger and Hemric, things just didn’t line up when it mattered most.
The Championship 4 is Set
So here we are. Corey Heim, Tyler Ankrum, Ty Majeski, and Kaden Honeycutt will head to Phoenix Raceway next Friday at 7:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with a legitimate shot at the championship. Four drivers, one race, winner takes all. It’s the format that divides fans’ opinions, but you can’t deny the excitement it creates.
Heim enters as the favorite after the season he’s had, but championships aren’t won on paper. Ankrum, Majeski, and Honeycutt all have the speed and talent to win it. Phoenix is a completely different animal from Martinsville, and anything can happen under those desert lights.
One thing’s for sure, we’re in for one heck of a race next Friday night. The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion will be crowned, and whoever hoists that trophy will have earned every bit of it.
