{"id":52201,"date":"2025-05-23T22:50:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-24T03:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=52201"},"modified":"2025-05-24T21:51:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-25T02:51:01","slug":"corey-heim-runs-away-with-nascar-truck-series-race-at-charlotte","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/23\/corey-heim-runs-away-with-nascar-truck-series-race-at-charlotte\/","title":{"rendered":"Corey Heim runs away with NASCAR Truck Series race at Charlotte"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite\/Foster Love Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

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By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

CONCORD, N.C.\u2014This time, Corey Heim didn\u2019t just slam the door on his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series competition\u2014he nailed it shut.<\/p>\n

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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite\/Foster Love Toyota, takes the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Logan Riely\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Heim\u2019s three previous 2025 wins notwithstanding, the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota has had difficulty closing out races with a dominant truck this season.<\/p>\n

That was emphatically not the case on Friday night, when Heim led 98 of 134 laps and beat runner-up Ross Chastain to the finish line by 6.229 seconds in the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Heim\u2019s first victory at Charlotte and his fourth of the season was the 15th of his career, tying him with Matt Crafton for 10th on the career list. At age 22, he is the youngest to reach the 15-win milestone.<\/p>\n

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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite\/Foster Love Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by Logan Riely\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

It was a perfect night. Heim swept the first two stages of the race and set the fastest lap, scoring a maximum 61 points to widen his series lead to a massive 100 points over second-place Chandler Smith. His margin of victory was the largest ever in the series at Charlotte.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like we\u2019ve had the speed the last couple years here, but circumstances haven\u2019t let us get it done,\u201d said Heim, who has won five of the last nine Truck Series races on intermediate speedways.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, it was such a good truck. I had to execute on my part. The pit crew did a great job. Just a really nice clean day. \u2026 It feels great. It feels like we\u2019ve had a lot of opportunities to do that this year, really. Just can\u2019t say enough about these guys. My team gave me a great Tundra, and we just really checked all of the boxes tonight. It feels great.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite\/Foster Love Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Chastain was the best of three Neice Motorsports Chevrolet drivers in the top seven. Kaden Honeycutt ran third, and Matt Mills was seventh. But none of the Niece trucks could mount a challenge to the race winner, particularly on longer runs.<\/p>\n

\u201cBest in class,\u201d Chastain said of his own effort. \u201cThe 11 (Heim) is the best in the field right now, and none of us had anything for him. The 7 (Kyle Busch), the 38 (Smith), the 34 (Layne Riggs)\u2014it was a heck of a race (for second) back there between us, but we\u2019ve got to make it last longer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riggs and Busch came home fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Grant Enfinger, Mills, Daniel Hemric, Rajah Caruth and Brandon Jones.<\/p>\n

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Corey Heim, driver of the #11 Safelite\/Foster Love Toyota, leads Ross Chastain, driver of the #44 NC Governor’s Highway Safety Program Chevrolet, and Giovanni Ruggiero, driver of the #17 First Auto Group Toyota, during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 23, 2025 in Concord, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Smith fell victim to a Lap 71 wreck involving pole winner Gio Ruggiero, reigning series champion Ty Majeski and Connor Mosack. The winner last week at North Wilkesboro, Smith was the first driver eliminated from the race and finished 34th.<\/p>\n

There were three cautions for 20 laps, two of the yellows for stage breaks.<\/p>\n

The only negative for Heim is that there are no more 1.5-mile intermediate speedways remaining on this season\u2019s Truck Series schedule.<\/p>\n

Next up for the trucks is the Rackley Roofing 200 at Nashville Superspeedway at 8 p.m. on May 30. <\/p>\n

Interviews:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n