It has been a while (about a month) since the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series took the track. Well, after an extensive vacation, they’re back this weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park. This was a great opportunity for many drivers to reset. Corey Heim was the overwhelming favorite heading into tonight’s race. The No. 11 Tricon Toyota has been the class of the field all season long. The only time they don’t win is when they experience some truly freakish luck. Well, with this much time off, were they able to keep up the momentum? Or did it cool off a little as a result?
There were a number of youngsters from the ARCA Series in tonight’s race. For starters, ARCA points leader, Brenden Queen, was in the Spire No. 07 Truck. And his ARCA rival, the winner of today’s ARCA race, Brent Crews, was driving the Tricon Garage No. 1 entry. Meanwhile, we had a veteran in Ross Chastain entering today’s race for Niece Motorsports. He was hoping to play spoiler.
So, how did all of these heavy hitters do? Let’s break it down. Here’s everything that happened in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at IRP!
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Following the stage break, a handful of drivers opted to stay out. However, with a majority of the drivers pitting, their old tires were no match for the fresher Goodyear rubber. The exception to that rule was veteran Stewart Freisen. He was able to save enough tires to stay in the second position as we got inside 10 laps to go. That said, Layne Riggs was the class of the field and Corey Heim was noticeably off.
Once back in the lead, Layne Rigg made like the first couple of stages and never looked back. He went on to win his second win of the year in dominant fashion.
Corey Heim struggled in the opening laps of this race. As the run went on, Heim fell to the bottom half of the top 5. Meanwhile, the Front Row entries of Layne Riggs and Chandler Smith marched towards the front. Also fast was their fellow Ford teammate, Ty Majeski. Halfway through the stage, it was clear in the snapshot of the race that Riggs had the best truck, at least prior to full nighttime conditions. Layne went on to win the stage. It was his fifth stage win of the year. Majeski finished the stage in second, Majeski third, Enfinger fourth, and Heim rounded out the top 5.
Layne Riggs didn’t pull away from the field in the opening laps of this stage like he did the first. Ty Majeski, after making adjustments to his truck, was able to hang with the No. 34 car. Just shy of halfway, the caution came out for Josh Reaume. Reaume, who was serving as a relief driver for Alan Waller, blew a tire and hit the wall. This stacked the field back up for a shootout to end stage 2.
The finish of the second stage was wildly contested, with drivers with newer tires battling hard against drivers with older tires. Still, it wasn’t enough to dethrone Riggs. Layne Riggs swept the stages.
Corey Heim might have missed the setup in his No. 11 Tricon Toyota. But he did not walk away empty-handed. Heim was awarded the Xfinity Fastest Lap with a time of 23.34. He also managed to clinch the regular-season title.
The following are the unofficial results following the conclusion of the 200-lap race at IRP. This list will be updated once tech inspection is completed and the results become official.
UPDATE: Post-race inspection has been completed. The No. 52 truck was found to be too low. Stewart Freisen has been disqualified.
*Alan Waller was pulled from the truck at the end of the first stage and replaced with team owner Josh Reaume.
The following drivers are currently locked into the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs due to securing wins in the regular season.
*Note: Corey Heim’s name is depicted in BOLD because he clinched the regular season championship.
These drivers are currently in the Truck Series postseason via points.
The following drivers are on the outside looking in.
That does it for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at IRP! What did you think of this race, Daily Downforce readers? Were you surprised that Heim missed the setup this weekend? What about Layne Riggs’ second win of the year? Let us know what you think! And be sure to tune back in here at DailyDownforce.com as we shift over to the big track for NASCAR Xfinity Series actions!
Two NASCAR Cup Series crew members for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team were suspended following the race at Circuit of the Americas
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On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
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Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
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