Two wins in three starts. A top-five in the other. And now, the leader in points. By every measurable metric, Corey Heim has been the most efficient driver in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series this season. Yet, despite leading the standings, he is not eligible to compete for the 2026 championship.
Driving for TRICON Garage, 23-year-old Corey has already won Truck Series races at Darlington Raceway and Rockingham Speedway, while finishing fifth at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Despite competing in only three of the first five races, following his win at Rockingham, Heim now leads the Craftsman Truck Series standings, in a tie with his TRICON teammate Kaden Honeycutt at 190 points.
In effect, that sequence of results has created a rare statistical scenario: a driver leading the championship despite missing multiple events.
Historically, this is almost unheard of. Even Mark Martin, during his partial 2007 Truck Series campaign, lost the points lead once he began skipping races. Heim, however, has maintained enough performance efficiency to stay on top.
Nonetheless, the reigning Truck Series Champion likely won’t have a shot at the 2026 title.
Under NASCAR’s current Chase system, drivers must compete full-time to be eligible to make the Chase. And Heim, owing to his multi-series part-time status, including limited Cup Series starts with 23XI Racing and part-time Truck Series starts with TRICON, has not, and will not, compete in all Truck Series races.
As a result, the sanctioning body’s rules deem Heim ineligible for the playoffs and will not grant a waiver. The system requires drivers to attempt every race unless they have an approved reason, typically tied to medical or extraordinary circumstances.
This situation has a chance to create a scenario where the best driver and points leader cannot race for the championship.
For fans, the issue is straightforward: the current format does not reward performance alone. Heim’s numbers would normally place him among title favorites. Instead, they exist entirely outside the playoff structure, even if he wins the regular season title.
That disconnect between results and eligibility is why the situation has drawn criticism, raising broader questions about how NASCAR defines championship contenders in the playoff era.
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