Tonight, the regular season for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series came to a close. And though Corey Heim clinched the regular season title a couple of weeks back, there were still a lot of stories to follow and a lot to watch on this classic short track Friday night. That’s right! Tonight, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returned to its beating and banging short track roots under the lights of Richmond Raceway. While a handful of drivers were locked into the postseason, a few others’ playoff hopes were still alive. And they were willing to do whatever it took to keep their title hopes alive.
Who was able to get in and who was left on the outside looking in? Was Ben Rhodes able to get it done? Was Matt Crafton able to complete that Hail Mary pass? Let’s break it down. Here’s everything that went down in the 2025 eero 250 at Richmond Raceway.
When the race restarted to kick off the final stage, Corey Heim once again assumed the lead from the outside. However, Majeski being the class of the field, that No. 11 Toyota wasn’t out front long before the defending champ once again overtook him. This was the first time this year that it appeared as though Heim really didn’t have anything for the Majeski. As they ran, different strategies started to come into play. With Majeski only having one set of tires left, the idea was for him to split the stage evenly and pit around 50 laps to go. Meanwhile, Corey Heim and number of other heavy hitters pitted earlier with an extra set of tires in their pit stall.
However, before Majeski was able to make his pit stop, his teammate Matt Crafton slipped in some oil and slid up the track. He tagged Majeski and the two got into the wall. The caution came out and Majeski pitted. On the restart, the field got the jump on the No. 98 truck. The 17 of Rio Ruggiero was very aggressive, getting into Majeski a number of times. In the chaos, Sammy Smith in the Spire No. 7 Chevy took the race lead. Corey Heim slid into 2nd and Majeski into 3rd. Majeski set his sights on the leaders.
Perhaps the damage to Majeski’s car was too much to overcome. Or maybe the adjustments to Corey Heim’s ill-handling car finally kicked in. Whatever the case, in the closing laps of the race, Ty Majeski, despite being the dominant truck all night long, couldn’t keep up with the No. 11 of Corey Heim. The Regular Season Champ went on to win tonight’s race at Richmond, closing out the regular season with his seventh win of the season.
Corey Heim started tonight’s race from the pole. But, with an ill-handling truck, he was able to keep it there in the opening stint. After leading the first few laps, he fell prey to Ty Majeski, who, by all accounts in the garage, was the truck to watch tonight. Majeski certainly had the best truck early on. He went on to win the opening stage as Heim fell to 3rd behind Layne Riggs.
We went green to start the second stage, and Corey Heim reclaimed the lead. But nipping at his heels was Stage 1 winner, Ty Majeski. The defending champ was hungry for a win heading into this race. Despite a number of cautions which shook up strategy, Majeski regained the lead and slowed the pace of the race down, saving as much of his Goodyear Eagle tires as he could. He went on to sweep the stages, earning max points through the first two stages.
The following are the unofficial results following the conclusion of the 250-lap race at Richmond Raceway. This list will be updated once tech inspection is completed and the results become official.
Corey Heim clinched the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Regular Season Championship a couple of races early at Indianapolis Raceway Park. With the crown of regular season champ, he collected 15 additional playoff points, which provides him with a nice cushion heading into the postseason.
The 2025 Playoff Grid is now officially set. Bumped were Ben Rhodes, Gio Ruggiero, and Tanner Gray. The race is now on to make the Round of 8. The top 8 drivers listed below are currently in position to advance with three races to go until the cut off.
These two drivers can rest easy tonight as they made the NASCAR postseason. However, in a couple of weeks at Darlington, they’ll be the ones on the outside looking into the Round of 8.
***Note: Corey Heim’s name is depicted in BOLD because he is the 2025 regular-season champion. Also, Stewart Friesen did not apply for a medical waiver and will miss the rest of the season. This opened up a playoff spot. Kaden Honeycutt will compete for the driver’s championship in his No. 52 Toyota.
That does it for us, NASCAR fans. What did you think of this race? Do you feel bad for Ty Majeski? What about Corey Heim’s performance? Are you surprised as to who made the Playoffs and who didn’t? Let us know what you think! And be sure to tune back in here at DailyDownforce.com tomorrow night as we gear up to cover Cup Series action from Richmond.
