Corey Heim won his second consecutive NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race, holding off his TRICON Garage teammate Kaden Honeycutt at Rockingham Speedway on Friday, April 3.
Heim now has 25 career victories to accompany his 2025 championship.
Heim led 178 laps en route to victory, but had a tire issue inside of the final five laps, allowing Honeycutt to close the gap on his lead. Heim, utilizing lapped traffic, held off Honeycutt, going right down to the line between the two.
“All of a sudden with four to go, I had to turn right down the straightway to keep it straight,” Heim told FOX Sports post-race. “Hung in there, and used a couple of lapped car picks there to hold him off.”
Honeycutt, who was side by side with Heim into turn 1 on the white flag, held on for a second-place finish.
“That was everything I had, no doubt about that. Corey was really good today,” Honeycutt told FOX Sports. “Finally got the track position to be behind him and race him at the end, but unfortunately my teammate was right there and hindered my way to the finish.”
Layne Riggs notched a top-five finish, crossing the line in third. Stewart Friesen and Grant Enfinger did the same, finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Chandler Smith crossed the line fourth but was disqualified in post-race inspection and relegated to 36th.
2025 Rockingham race winner Tyler Ankrum, Corey LaJoie, Ty Majeski, Jake Garcia and Cole Butcher rounded out the top 10 finishers after the DQ.
Under cloudy skies, the field took the initial green flag with Garcia and Tanner Gray leading the field. The two remained side by side for much of the opening lap until both trucks washed up the racetrack in turn 4. Gray was able to capitalize on the lead, while Garcia lost a few positions up out of the racing groove.
Andres Perez, who had started just outside of the top 10, caught a significant portion of the turn 1 wall on lap 2. The No. 44 bled positions rapidly before eventually hitting pit road a few laps later.
Gray led the opening portions of the race, but it was Heim whose truck came alive as the opening run went on. Utilizing the middle groove of the racetrack, Heim took the lead just after lap 20 and quickly began to open up a gap to the remainder of the field.
Heim continued his dominance of the field, winning the opening stage and nearly lapping his way inside of the top 20. Among the trucks to go a lap down early was two-time champion Ben Rhodes, who fell deep enough to miss out on the free pass at the opening caution.
The first restart of the race saw a new leader, Enfinger, who took the lead on the bottom after taking two tires on the previous pit cycle. It was short lived, as Heim regained the lead a handful of laps later with Enfinger seemingly beginning to feel the consequences of taking two tires.
Before stage two could start to settle in, the second caution would fly, this one for Adam Andretti. The 47-year-old spun down the backstretch, making significant contact with the inside wall.
Heim would not be beaten on the restart, quickly jumping back out to another sizable lead. Brenden Queen made hard contact with the outside wall quickly after the green flag flew again, but with no caution. Majeski was able to stick closer to Heim in the second stage than in the first, but was still not a match. Heim led the remaining laps in stage two after the field went back green, sweeping the stages.
The beginning of stage three did not offer much change out front. Heim took the lead on the restart over teammate Gio Ruggiero and Majeski, and again began to set sail. By the time the field paced lap 200, Heim’s lead was six seconds over second place.
In the midst of the final pit cycle of the race, the second caution for an incident flew. Michael Christopher Jr. spun after contact from Daniel Hemric, catching all but seven trucks a lap down. Multiple trucks were forced to take the wave around, setting up only nine trucks on the lead lap.
The field took the restart with 28 laps to go, and Heim again rocketed off to a quick lead. Heim was able to retain that lead until the closing laps when he reported an issue with his truck while going through lapped traffic. This allowed Honeycutt to close in rapidly with just three laps to go. Heim was able to use his teammate Gray as a pick on the white flag, narrowly holding off Honeycutt for his second consecutive series victory.
Rockingham Truck Results
The Truck Series returns next weekend, Friday, April 10, at Bristol Motor Speedway. That evening’s green flag will wave at 7:30 p.m. ET, with television coverage aired on FOX Sports 1.
Josh joined Frontstretch in 2023 and currently covers the ARCA Menards Series. Born and raised in Missouri, Josh has been watching motorsports since 2005. He currently is studying for a Mass Communication degree at Lindenwood University