Corey Heim has one other dominant NASCAR Truck Sequence win at Lime Rock debut on Saturday afternoon within the LiUNA 150.
Corey Heim’s victory within the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Sequence’ debut at Lime Rock Park wasn’t only a case of domination. It was an eyelash away from perfection.
Corey Heim: One other Win
Heim led 99 of 100 laps on the 1.478-mile highway course in bucolic Lakeville, Connecticut, to win the LiUNA! 150—his fifth victory of the season and the sixteenth of his profession.
The one lap Heim failed to guide got here on a restart with 5 laps left, after Matt Mills ran off beam and stalled close to the primary activate lap 90. Layne Riggs beat Heim to the beginning/end line on lap 96 however drove onerous into the primary nook and stacked up the sector behind him, scrambling positions two via 5.
Apart from the one lap he didn’t lead, Heim’s efficiency was the mannequin of constant excellence. The driving force of the No. 11 TRICON Storage Toyota posted the quickest lap of the race on his second circuit (54.941 seconds), swept each phases, and posted dramatic margins over his closest pursuers in every of the primary two segments.
Heim is the primary driver in Truck Sequence historical past to win three-straight road-course races, having triumphed at Mid-Ohio in 2023 and Circuit of the Americas final yr.
“Yeah, that was nothing in need of unimaginable,” Heim acknowledged. “These highway programs—I actually stay up for them, pre-event and whatnot, and I actually put together for them, so to see all that repay with (sponsor) Safelite, TRICON, Toyota, it’s tremendous particular.
“Clearly, the truck was so good at this time. I can’t complain one bit about that. A flawless day and we are going to take that and transfer ahead and attempt to gather some wins that we must always have had this yr.”
Reigning collection champion Ty Majeski was the beneficiary of Riggs’ aggressive cost into the primary activate the ultimate restart. Majeski inherited the runner-up spot and crossed the end line 1.381 seconds behind Heim.
“Truthfully, we struggled with the truck slightly bit to fireside off,” Majeski mentioned. “We stored getting it higher progressively every run. So, bought it shut on the finish, had a shot at Corey and possibly bought slightly over-zealous in flip 4, hit the curb and type of ruined my shot to make him a least slightly nervous and attempt to pressure him right into a mistake.
“From there, he simply bought an excessive amount of respiratory room and was type of capable of do his factor. General, actually good day. That is the purpose after I need to flip our season round—going to IRP (Lucas Oil Indianapolis raceway Park), Watkins Glen and Richmond subsequent. Three actually good tracks for us, so I’m excited for this Playoff stretch.”
Rookie Giovanni Ruggiero ran third, adopted by Ben Rhodes and Australian Cam Waters, as ThorSport Racing put three drivers within the high 5 (Majeski, Rhodes and Waters).
Riggs fell to twelfth through the first flip melee and completed thirteenth. Street course ace Jordan Taylor completed third within the first two phases. However he dropped to twentieth on the end.
Stage Recaps
Heim began from the pole and led all 35 laps in Stage 1, constructing a bonus of seven.065 seconds over second-place Riggs on the first inexperienced/checkered flag. Third-place Taylor, a star within the sportscar ranks, was 14.051 seconds in arrears on the first stage break.
After lap 37, the race vehicles got here to pit highway for a managed cease underneath red-flag circumstances. The restart on lap 40 introduced no adjustments on the entrance of the sector. Heim cleared Riggs via the primary two corners and rapidly expanded his benefit over the second-place truck
The second stage mirrored the primary. Heim beat Riggs to the end line by 7.281 seconds, with Taylor in third trailing by 14.286 seconds. The 2 stage wins have been the thirteenth and 14th for Heim this season.
Corey Heim extends his result in 144 factors over Chandler Smith in second. Layne Riggs, Daniel Hemric, and Kaden Honeycutt spherical out the highest 5. Stewart Friesen and Rajah Caruth have one win every however are under the reduce line. So, they displace Jake Garcia and Giovanni Ruggiero, who’ve zero wins, from ninth and tenth within the playoff image at this level. Three races stay within the common season earlier than the playoff begins.
Up Subsequent
The NASCAR Truck Sequence is on break till July twenty fifth after they race at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. The TSport begins at 8 pm ET on FS1, NRN, and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The 2024 champion, Ty Majeski is the defending winner.
