Tracking the Trucks: Kyle Larson, Layne Riggs, Corey Heim Put On Homestead Thriller

In A Nutshell

The best way to describe the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ trip to Homestead-Miami Speedway?

A classic.

Kyle Larson, running triple-duty this weekend, took home the checkered flag in the Baptist Health 200 on Friday night (March 21), holding off two of the fastest trucks of the night in Layne Riggs and Corey Heim.

That is the literal nutshell of what happened. Keep reading to find out just how hard Larson had to work (and how lucky he had to get) to earn just his fourth career Truck victory and second straight (he won his last start at North Wilkesboro Speedway in 2023 while substituting for Alex Bowman).

The Top Truckers at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Winner: Kyle Larson
Polesitter, Stage 1 & 2 Winner, Most Laps Led (78 of 134 laps): Corey Heim
Fastest Lap: Ross Chastain (32.543 seconds, 165.934 mph)
Biggest Mover: Jake Garcia (started 20th, finished seventh)
Rookie of the Race: Corey Day

The Winning Move

To understand just how impressive Larson’s winning move is, we need to go back to lap 91, when contact between Riggs and Larson sent the latter spinning in turn 2.

After pitting for new tires, Larson was mired deep in the field, restarting 22nd. Meanwhile, Heim, the dominant truck of the night, started encountering some issues of his own — the engine would “hard cut” (in Heim’s words) on him and he had to cycle the motor if he wanted to get any power in his No. 11.

With his issues seemingly resolved, Heim took off with the lead once again on the ensuing (and final) restart, and re-took it after the first time his engine shut off. Elsewhere, Larson went to work, running his signature higher-than-high line, borderline scraping the outside wall — and made up insane time, as he always does, on the leaders.

But with a handful of laps left, it looked as if he would only be able to make his way up to second or third. A win was just out of his grasp.

Until …

Heim loses power again!

Riggs to the front!

Larson is chasing!

Three laps to go at @HomesteadMiami!

— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) March 22, 2025

Heim’s one-plus-second lead over Riggs was gone, and the No. 34 went to the front.

But remember what I said earlier? How the No. 07 was only going to get to probably second? Heim’s misfortune was just what Larson needed.

Larson was quickly on the tail of Riggs and made quick work of him inside of two laps to go. Heim was able to get his truck re-fired and stayed in the fight. However Larson was just too fast and pulled away to an easy Miami victory. Heim couldn’t even pass Riggs back and had to settle for perhaps the most disappointing third-place finish of his career.

For Larson, part one of a potential weekend sweep is complete. Larson could become just the second driver (behind Kyle Busch, who did it twice) to complete a full-weekend sweep across Truck, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Cup Series competition.

Championship Rundown

Due to Larson’s status as a Cup driver, nobody new locks in to the playoffs. Heim remains the lone Truck regular to be locked into the playoffs by virtue of a victory, of which he has two. However, Larson’s win locks Spire Motorsports’ No. 07 into the owners playoffs, joining Spire’s No. 7 (via Busch’s Atlanta Motor Speedway win) and TRICON Garage’s No. 11 (via Heim twice).

Rookie Report

With Gio Ruggiero running into trouble on the opening corner of the race, it opened up the opportunity for another rookie to take home Rookie of the Race honors for the first time this season. This week, it was Corey Day, fresh off of winning his first career pole at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, taking home this week’s honors. Day led the rookie charge with a respectable 15th-place finish.

No. 02 — Nathan Byrd (27th)
No. 2 — Stephen Mallozzi (34th)
No. 5 — Toni Breidinger* (26th)
No. 7 — Corey Day (15th)
No. 17 — Gio Ruggiero* (29th)
No. 26 — Dawson Sutton* (23rd)
No. 33 — Frankie Muniz* (24th)
No. 66 — Luke Fenhaus* (20th)
No. 67 — Michel Disdier (31st)
No. 77 — Andres Perez* (25th)
No. 81 — Connor Mosack* (19th)

*Denotes Rookie of the Year contender

One Big Takeaway From This Race

Fourth time is the charm for Larson at Homestead.

Friday night was only Larson’s 16th Truck race. However, four of those starts have now come at Homestead. His first, in a part-time effort as a still largely unknown driver in 2012, did not reflect well on him. He was overaggressive and ignited a crash with under five laps to go that ended the championship hopes of Ty Dillon and practically gift wrapped the 2012 title to James Buescher.

Two years later, Larson returned to the Truck race at Homestead for redemption — and he was looking like he was going to get it, too. He qualified on the pole and led a race-high 96 laps. However he came up just short, finishing second to Bubba Wallace in Wallace’s final race as a Kyle Busch Motorsports driver.

Larson again led the most laps in 2017, pacing the field for 76 laps. However he fell short yet again, this time coming home fourth, while now-Hendrick Motorsports Cup teammate William Byron (who will drive the No. 07 next week at Martinsville Speedway) took home his seventh win of the 2017 season.

Now, on the fourth try, nearly eight years after his last Homestead Truck attempt, Larson is finally a winner.

As the FOX broadcast said shortly after taking the checkered flag, Larson has given up a lot of victories to perfect his ability to race Homestead faster than nearly everybody else.

And now he finally gets to reap the benefits of doing so.

Talkin’ Truckers

Larson on the win; Riggs (second) and Daniel Hemric (fifth) also break down their nights:

Heim (third) discusses the engine issues that led to the loss:

Kaden Honeycutt and Ty Majeski (10th and 11th) discuss their evenings:

Paint Scheme of the Race

That’s one hot truck. Almost like it came off of a grill.

King of the Grill 👑 pic.twitter.com/gF3yBLQzgn

— TRICON (@TRICONGarage) March 19, 2025

Brandon Jones made his first of seven scheduled starts with TRICON at Homestead, and his No. 1 team came out swinging as far as paint schemes go. With sponsorship from Kingsford, Jones’ truck was engulfed in blue flames against a white base, complete with a fiery red top and number.

This might be an early contender for paint schemes of the year in the Truck Series. Jones took this hot rod (pun intended) to a 12th-place finish.

Next Stop

Let’s go get a hot dog.

The Truck Series heads to Martinsville for its first of two races this season at the Paperclip. Christian Eckes won both races last year but will not defend his race win, as he is now a full-time Xfinity driver.

Coverage for the Long John Silvers 200 will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 28. Television coverage again shifts to FOX Sports 1, while the all-new NASCAR Racing Network continues its season-long exclusive radio coverage of the Truck Series.