Truck Series: Corey Heim saves to win in triple overtime at Watkins Glen

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images

Corey Heim takes his sixth win of the season after stretching his fuel for three overtime restarts!

As it unfolded

Heim secured his fourth pole of the season with Christopher Bell right behind him.

When the green flag dropped, Heim immediately took the lead, and Bell slotted in behind him. Some drivers went three and four wide into the first couple of corners before getting in a line. 

Rajah Caruth had a rear axle issue and pitted before the start. Grant Enfinger also suffered an axle issue during practice, but was able to adjust for the start.

By Lap 4, Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Kaden Honeycutt had moved up eight places.

Heim has led every lap so far, and he is only the second driver in history, after Christian Eckes, to lead in each of the first 17 races of a season.

Daniel Hemric has a moment on Lap 10 at the bus stop from 18th, but continues.

On Lap 12, Will Lambrose stalls on track from 29th. Many drivers dive into the pits under the caution. 

Giovanni Ruggiero takes the lead, followed by Ben Rhodes and Hemric. Heim comes off pit road first with Layne Riggs, Ross Chastain and Connor Zilisch making up the most places.

Kyle Busch suffered brake and steering issues and retired the car under the caution.

Ruggiero and Rhodes led the way on Lap 15, and Heim jumped up ahead of Hemric and Ruggiero, slotting into second. Chastain also moves up to third. Heim retakes the lead from Rhodes on Lap 17.

Right as the stage was ending, Rhodes went a little wide, but brought it back to finish the stage while Heim scored his 15th stage win of the season.

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) 

2. No. 44 - Ross Chastain (Niece Motorsports) 

3. No. 52 - Christopher Bell (Halmar Friesen Racing)

4. No. 45 - Connor Zilisch (Niece Motorsports)

5. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) 

6. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage)

7. No. 1 - William Sawalich (TRICON Garage)

8. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

9. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports)

10. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

Since most of the drivers pitted under the last caution, Rhodes and Ruggiero pit under this stage caution.

Heim and Chastain took the field back to green on Lap 25, and the two stayed side by side through the first corner. Chastain went wide, but was able to take the lead from Heim in the esses.

Heim came back against Chastain later in the lap, and the two swapped at the front as Bell and Zilisch joined the battle. 

Heim is able to pull away on Lap 27.

On Lap 32, Honeycutt went down pit road with a power steering issue and was forced to retire the car. Lambros also spun in Turn 5, but continued.

Jack Wood crashed in Turn 2 on Lap 36, bringing out a caution.

Eight drivers stayed out while everyone else pitted. Zilisch made it off pit road ahead of Heim while Bell had an issue changing the left front tyre and fell to eighth. Chastain also changed a fuel pump, and Ruggiero was penalized for driving through too many pit boxes.

Hemric and S. Smith lead the way on Lap 40 for a one-lap shootout to end Stage 2. Immediately, they go three wide with Rhodes, Rhodes coming out on top.

Further back, Riggs spun after contact with Frankie Muniz and collected Enfinger and Timmy Hill.

In Turn 6, Zilisch spun after contact with Jake Garcia, who also spun. Zilisch got stuck in the sand trap while Rhodes went on to win Stage 2.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) 

2. No. 7 - Sammy Smith (Spire Motorsports) 

3. No. 1 - William Sawalich (TRICON Garage) 

4. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) 

5. No. 52 - Christopher Bell (Halmar Friesen Racing)

6. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage)

7. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

8. No. 75 - Parker Kligerman (Henderson Motorsports)

9. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

10. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

Another cycle of pit stops, Bell is in the lead with Tyler Ankrum alongside him. They kept it clean for the restart on Lap 45 with Bell in the front.

Andrés Pérez moved up to second and began chasing down Bell on lap 46.

Kligerman suffered a flat left rear tyre on Lap 48 and made it to pit road just as Bell passed him.

Chastain slowed down at the bus stop on Lap 53, but was able to keep crawling toward pit road.

On Lap 54, Matt Crafton goes around after contact with Hemric, but keeps clear of the wall.

Heim missed the bus stop on Lap 57 and had to come to a complete stop before continuing. Heim said he had a brake issue.

The fifth caution came out on Lap 60 as Toni Breidinger’s truck was briefly on fire. She made it back to pit road.

A few drivers opt to pit under the caution, but the top 10 stayed out. Ben Rhodes had a slow stop with an issue. Hill was also penalized for having his crew over the wall too soon.

Bell leads the way on Lap 64 and easily clears Pérez for the lead. Sawalich moved up to third.

Tanner Gray goes around on Lap 65 after Majeski could not get out of the way quickly enough. Gray was okay and able to drive back to pit road.

Once again, Bell and Pérez lined up, but this time, Sawalich and Heim were right behind them for the restart on Lap 69. Bell got ahead clearly as Sawalich looked to make a move on Pérez. 

Pérez and Sawalich made contact, and Heim got passed the two of them.

Rhodes hits the wall after his left rear tyre came off on Lap 70 and brings out another caution, sending the race into overtime. 

Bell and Heim led the way in the first overtime, and they went door to door into Turn 1. Heim had the edge and took the lead.

Another caution came out as Connor Mosack, Dawson Sutton, and Pérez all spun in different instances.

Bell was forced to pit after not having enough fuel to do a second overtime. Ankrum also pitted from second. 

Heim and Hemric take the front row while Riggerio and Majeski line up on row two. They lead the way for the second overtime, and Heim immediately pulls ahead. 

Mosack and Garcia go around at the bus stop for another caution to come out.

Heim and Hemric lead the way, but Heim had a strong restart. Hemric came back, and the two touched briefly, but Heim stayed ahead. 

Hemric challenged Heim for the lead into the bus stop, but Corey Heim hung on to take his sixth win of the year in Watkins Glen and his fourth straight road course win!

Provisional Results

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) 

2. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

3. No. 17 - Giovanni Ruggiero (TRICON Garage)

4. No. 52 - Christopher Bell (Halmar Friesen Racing)

5. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

6. No. 7 - Sammy Smith (Spire Motorsports) 

7. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing)

8. No. 45 - Connor Zilisch (Niece Motorsports) 

9. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports)

10. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) 

11. No. 1 - William Sawalich (TRICON Garage) 

12. No. 62 - Wesley Slimp (Halmar Friesen Racing)

13. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) 

14. No. 26 - Dawson Sutton (Rackley W.A.R.) 

15. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing) 

16. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) 

17. No. 70 - Brent Crews (Brent Crews Racing)

18. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises) 

19. No. 69 - Derek White (Motorsports Business Management)

20. No. 56 - Timmy Hill (Hill Motorsports)

21. No. 77 - Andrés Pérez (Spire Motorsports) [FL]

22. No. 66 - Chris Buescher (ThorSport Racing) +3 lap

23. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports) +4 lap

24. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports) [DNF]

25. No. 22 - Gian Buffomante (Reaume Brothers Racing) +6 laps

26. No. 99 - Ben Rhodes (ThorSport Racing) [DNF]

27. No. 33 - Frankie Muniz (Reaume Brothers Racing) +15 laps

28. No. 15 - Tanner Gray (TRICON Garage) [DNF]

29. No. 5 -  Toni Breidinger (TRICON Garage) [DNF] 

30. No. 44 - Ross Chastain (Niece Motorsports) [DNF]

31. No. 75 - Parker Kligerman (Henderson Motorsports) [DNF]

32. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) +30 laps 

33. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [DNF]

34. No. 02 - Kaden Honeycutt (Young's Motorsports) [DNF]

35. No. 2 - William Lambros (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF] 

36. No. 07 - Kyle Busch (Spire Motorsports) [DNF]

For the last race of the regular season, the Craftsman Truck Series heads to Richmond. Tune in on Friday, August 15, at 18:30 EST (23:30 BST) for the epic conclusion.