“Texas — it’s a challenging race track. There’s a lot of room for where you can go. But there’s probably about six inches of that racetrack that feels really good. And that’s the groove that you want to be in, and stay in, in order to get that grip.” Kyle Busch once said, cracking the code of a complicated racetrack. Everything’s bigger here-including the drama under the Friday night lights at Texas Motor Speedway. The 1.5-mile quad-oval in Fort Worth is famous for its high speeds, wild finishes, and unpredictable twists, making it a must-see stop on the NASCAR Truck Series calendar. With a $782,900 prize pool and a packed entry list, tonight’s SpeedyCash.com 250 was set to deliver fireworks as the eighth round of the 2025 season.

But as drivers suited up and fans tuned in across the country (and the world), no one could have predicted just how rowdy and historic this Texas showdown would become. From overtime chaos to a record number of DNFs, the night had it all. And at the center of the storm? A young driver by the name of Corey Heim, who is rewriting the record books with every lap.

Overtime chaos and a record night for Corey Heim at Texas

The 2025 NASCAR Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway was anything but ordinary. Chaos erupted in the final laps, and history was being made at every turn. With just 13 laps to go, the night took a dramatic turn when Stewart Friesen, Grant Enfinger, and Chandler Smith were swept up in a major incident right behind the leaders. This forced NASCAR to throw the red flag for an extensive cleanup.

The tension in the air was palpable. Teams scrambled to assess damage and strategize for what was shaping up to be a wild finish. As the field regrouped, another caution flew, with just five laps remaining after Connor Mosack and Jake Garcia tangled, bunching up the pack for a high-stakes restart. The stage was set for overtime, and the Texas crowd braced for the kind of unpredictable showdown that only this track can deliver.

The overtime situation marked the first time in over a year that a Truck Series event had been extended. The last time an overtime happened in the Truck Series was 22 races earlier at North Wilkesboro in May 2024. The race would ultimately go into a rare second overtime. Corey Heim, already a rising star, seized the moment. Navigating the wreckage and restarts with poise, he powered his way to the front and held off Daniel Hemric (+0.297 seconds) and Rajah Caruth (+0.412 seconds) in a thrilling three-wide finish.

Corey Heim’s victory secured his 14th career win in 73 career starts. However, this Texas win is extra special. It makes Heim the youngest driver ever to reach that milestone at just 22 years old. Heim’s last few laps perfectly underscore his knack for thriving in high-pressure situations. But the night was also marred by attrition.

11 trucks failed to finish. The last seven races before this in the 2025 season saw a combined DNFs of just 10. The Texas race single-handedly managed to beat the record. Something that Texas shouldn’t gloat about and shouldn’t be a sign of the upcoming Xfinity and Cup series races. In the end, for some, Texas was a night of shattered hopes and battered sheet metal. For Corey Heim, it was another golden chapter in a career that’s only just getting started.

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Can Corey Heim seal the 2025 Truck Series championship?

Corey Heim’s rapid rise in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has been nothing short of remarkable. After a stellar 2024 campaign where he notched six wins-including a clutch playoff victory at Kansas Speedway-Heim made the Championship 4 for the second consecutive year, ultimately finishing a career-best second in points. That runner-up finish left him hungry for more, heading into 2025.

This season, Heim has picked up right where he left off. His Texas triumph marked his third win of 2025. He’s already closing in on his personal best for wins in a single season (He won six times in 2024). Heim’s consistency is equally impressive: He sits comfortably atop the driver’s standings, 46 points clear of the nearest rival, Chandler Smith. His average start and finish this season? An impressive 8.4 and 6.4, respectively. The icing on the cake – he’s yet to record a DNF, which is a testament to both speed and reliability.

Heim’s dominance isn’t limited to the Truck Series. In April 2024, the Georgia native made his NASCAR Cup Series debut, filling in for the injured Erik Jones at Legacy Motor Club. That experience at the sport’s highest level has only sharpened his race craft, giving him added confidence and poise in late-race battles and high-pressure moments. It won’t be long before we see Heim driving full-time either in the Xfinity Series or forgoing it altogether for his first full-time Cup Series season.

As the Truck Series season heads into its summer stretch, the question isn’t whether Corey Heim will be a title contender. It’s whether anyone can stop him from finally claiming the championship that slipped away last fall. With momentum, experience, and a winning pedigree, Heim is firmly in the driver’s seat for 2025’s biggest prize.