Truck Series: Corey Heim swept New Hampshire

Written by Bailey Defoor

Credit: Jonathan Bachman

Core Heim, from pole to the finish line, wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and ties Greg Biffle's record of nine wins in a season.

As it unfolded

Playoff contenders Corey Heim and Chandler Smith started off the front row and led at the start of the race. At turn one of lap one, Tanner Gray went sideways from sixth and collected Connor Mosack, bringing out the first race caution. Brent Crews and Ben Rhodes were also involved. The restart came on lap 5, and Heim cleared for the lead.

Jayson Alexander and Caleb Costner made contact while running four wide with Damiel Hemirc and Rajah Caruth on Lap 34 and brought out a second caution. Hemric and Caruth both hit the outside wall. For the restart on Lap 42, Ty Majeski had a slow restart, and Heim and Smith moved up.

Connor Jones and Christian Eckes spun into the wall at the end of the restart lap and brought out the third caution. Heim and Majeski led the way on the restart on Lap 49, and Heim cleared for the lead once again while Majeski and Smith battled for second. The fourth caution came out on Lap 50 as Derek White crashed into turn three from 29th, ending the stage. 

Stage 1 Results:

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS]

2. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

3. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

4. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

5. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

6. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

7. No. 44 - Andrés Pérez (Niece Motorsports)

8. No. 1 - Brent Crews (TRICON Garage) 

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

10. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

Andrés Pérez and Brent Crews cycled to the front after a cycle of pit stops, and Kaden Honeycutt made it off pit road first after only taking two tyres. For the restart on Lap 61, Pérez got the lead while teammates Crews and Gio Ruggiero fought for second. Crews started falling back as Ruggiero completed the pass on Lap 69, and Dawson Sutton moved up on Lap 71. Eckes, Heim, Hemric, Smith, and Layne Riggs were also able to pass Crews easily. 

By Lap 80, Ruggiero was battling with Pérez for the lead. Ruggiero also got to the inside of Pérez on Lap 89. The two stayed door-to-door through Lap 102 when Patrick Emerling spun at turn one from 11th. Under caution, all lead lap cars, except Caruth, jumped onto pit road. Pérez and Heim came off pit road first.

Stage two ended in a three-lap shootout as Caruth fell back immediately, Pérez tried to stay at the front, but Heim moved up to the lead. Heim won stage two.

Stage 2 Results:

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS]

2. No. 44 - Andrés Pérez (Niece Motorsports)

3. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

4. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

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

6. No. 77 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports) 

7. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

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

9. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

10. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

Heim and Smith led the way for the final stage on Lap 119, and Heim cleared for the lead. Riggs and Ruggiero scrapped for third during the opening laps. On Lap 127, the seventh caution came out as Spencer Boyd and Tyler Tomassi made contact between turns one and two. 

Heim and Ruggiero led the field side by side at the restart on Lap 133, and Heim moved into the lead with Ruggiero slotting into second. On the restart lap, Rhodes, Toni Breidinger, and Matt Crafton all crashed at turn three while running around 22nd to bring out the eighth caution.

Heim and Ruggiero, once again, led the way on Lap 143. Heim went up to the lead as Smith moved up to second. As the stage closed, Smith started closing in on Heim, but Corey Heim won and tied the most wins in a season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway!

Provisional Results

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim (TRICON Garage) [PLAYOFFS] [FL]

2. No. 38 - Chandler Smith (Front Row Motorsports)  [ELIMINATED]

3. No. 34 - Layne Riggs (Front Row Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

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

5. No. 98 - Ty Majeski (ThorSport Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

6. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger (CR7 Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

7. No. 52 - Kaden Honeycutt (Halmar Friesen Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

8. No. 77 - Corey LaJoie (Spire Motorsports)

9. No. 19 - Christian Eckes (McAnally Hilgemann Racing)

10. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth (Spire Motorsports) [PLAYOFFS]

11. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS]

12. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [PLAYOFFS] 

13. No. 62 - Michael Christopher Jr. (Halmar Friesen Racing)

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

15. No. 44 - Andrés Pérez (Niece Motorsports)

16. No. 13 - Jake Garcia (ThorSport Racing) [ELIMINATED]

17. No. 1 - Brent Crews (TRICON Garage) 

18. No. 45 - Bayley Currey (Niece Motorsports) +1 lap

19. No. 20 - Mason Massey (Young's Motorsports) +1 lap

20. No. 22 - Blake Lothian (Reaume Brothers Racing) +1 lap

21. No. 76 - Spencer Boyd (Freedom Racing Enterprises) +1 lap

22. No. 91 - Jack Wood (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) +2 laps

23. No. 42 - Matt Mills (Niece Motorsports) +5 laps

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

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

26. No. 88 - Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing) [DNF]

27. No. 33 - Tyler Tomassi (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF]

28. No. 7 - Patrick Emerling (Spire Motorsports) [DNF]

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

30. No. 69 - Derek White (Motorsports Business Management) [DNF]

31. No. 41 - Connor Jones (Niece Motorsports) [DNF]

32. No. 02 - Jayson Alexander (Young's Motorsports) [DNF]

33. No. 74 - Caleb Costner (Mike Harmon Racing) [DNF]

34. No. 6 - Norm Benning (Norm Benning Racing) [DNF]

35. No. 2 - Stephen Mallozzi (Reaume Brothers Racing) [DNF] 

36. No. 81 - Connor Mosack (McAnally Hilgemann Racing) [DNF]

The Craftsman Truck Series will be back in a couple of weeks for the Charlotte Roval. Tune in on Friday, October 3, at 15:30 EST (20:30 BST). Be there or be square.

Provisional Playoff Picture

1. No. 11 - Corey Heim: +77

2. No. 34 - Layne Riggs: +30

3. No. 19 - Daniel Hemric: +9

4. No. 18 - Tyler Ankrum: +8

5. No. 98 - Ty Majeski: +8

6. No. 9 - Grant Enfinger: +2

Playoff Cut Line

1. No. 71 - Rajah Caruth: -2

2. No. 02 - Kaden Honeycutt: -4