The NASCAR Truck Series returned after one off-week for its 8th event of the season. The race started on the scheduled time, despite having practice and qualifying cancelled due to weather. The starting lineup was set via formula.
Corey Heim dominated the show, leading 96 of the 174 laps, besides winning the second stage. Amidst the chaos, penalties, and multiple overtime attempts, Heim took home the victory after an intense final lap battle with Hemric, Caruth, and Ben Rhodes.
This is Heim’s 3rd win of the season, the most in the Truck Series field. It’s also his 14th career win, which ties him with Johnny Benson and Kevin Harvick for 11th all-time.
Jake Garcia made a tremendous save early in the race. His truck got loose through turns 1 and 2, but he kept it going, avoiding a wreck that would’ve certainly been race-ending. A competition caution came out on lap 20.
On lap 31, a massive crash occurred when the No. 17 of Ruggiero hit the grass and went back up on the racetrack with a destroyed left front. He then bounced off the outside wall and took out Kaden Honeycutt, Brandon Jones, and Stewart Friesen.
The caution timing caused split strategies, with most drivers pitting, and some staying out for the stage points. Tyler Ankrum, who had dominated the first stage, had a slow pit stop, restarting outside the top 20, while Grant Enfinger stayed out to win the stage.
1st. Grand Enfinger #9
2nd. Matt Mills #42
3rd. Matt Crafton #88
4th. Daniel Hemric #19
5th. Corey Heim #11
6th. Ty Majeski #98
7th. Tanner Gray #15
8th. Carson Hocevar #7
9th. Chandler Smith #38
10th. Layne Riggs #34
Stage two was caution-filled. Layne Riggs spun while battling for position, bringing out the caution while the leaders, Corey Heim and Grant Enfinger, were side by side. On the restart, the No. 77 of Andres Perez de Lara spun out, crashing off of turn 1, ending his day. Right after that, Layne Riggs spun again, but he hit the grass this time, and his truck was destroyed.
Once Corey Heim took the race lead, he pulled away with it, winning stage 2 at Texas.
1st. Corey Heim #11
2nd. Chandler Smith #38
3rd. Grant Enfinger #9
4th. Daniel Hemric #19
5th. Stewart Friesen #52
6th. Ben Rhodes #99
7th. Jake Garcia #13
8th. Tyler Ankrum #18
9th. Ty Majeski #98
10th. Rajah Caruth #71
The front of the pack was shuffled with different strategies, and Ty Majeski led until Corey Heim got by him a few laps after the restart.
On lap 113, Ty Majeski had a huge moment entering turn three. While trying to block, he was sent straight into the outside wall, but he was able to correct it and just barely tap the wall. His right rear was damaged, and he lost performance significantly, but he avoided major damage and a caution.
Corey Heim had a six-second lead on second-place runner Carson Hocevar, 11 seconds to 3rd, before pit cycles began on lap 120. On lap 142, Carson Hocevar had a tire issue while running second and went down pit road, where, coming off his pit box, he made contact with Toni Breidinger, but neither received significant damage from it.
Heim had a 17-second lead over Chandler Smith, having lapped all but six Trucks, when Frankie Muniz’s tire went down, and he wrecked, bringing out a caution that changed the race’s complexion. After the restart, Stewart Friesen got loose underneath Grant Enfinger while battling for second place, wrecking multiple cars inside the top five. NASCAR threw the red flag for cleanup.
After multiple overtime attempts, Corey Heim was challenged but prevailed in a battle that included a 3-wide fight between himself, Hemric, and Rhodes on the final lap. Heim won his first-ever race at Texas Motor Speedway.
1st. Corey Heim #11
2nd. Daniel Hemric #19
3rd. Rajah Caruth #71
4th. Tyler Ankrum #18
5th. Tanner Gray #15
6th. Ben Rhodes #99
7th. Matt Crafton #88
8th. Bayley Currey #44
9th. Dawson Sutton #26
10th. Ty Majeski #98
11th. Jack Wood #91
12th. Stefan Parsons #20
13th. Nick Sanchez #07
14th. Nathan Byrd #02
15th. Spencer Boyd #76
16th. Chandler Smith #38
17th. Carson Hocevar #7
18th. Josh Reaume #22
19th. Cody Dennison #2
20th. Matt Mills #42
21st. Jake Garcia #13
22nd. Connor Mosack #81
23rd. Grant Enfinger #9
24th. Stewart Friesen #52
25th. Frankie Muniz #33
26th. Toni Breidinger #5
27th. Luke Fenhaus #66
28th. Layne Riggs #34
29th. Andres Perez de Lara #77
30th. Brandon Jones #1
31st. Giovanni Ruggiero #17
32nd. Kayden Honeycutt #45
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