Corey Heim does what Corey Heim does best: winning both stages and the race and stamping his ticket into the Championship 4. But when it comes to the title question, Heim doesn’t jump the gun. Late in 2023, he kept his answer really simple: “Just do what we’ve been doing—not put ourselves in bad positions,” not wanting to overcomplicate things. But that elusive title never came. However, 2025 looks different.

As things stand, Heim has been busy making history by claiming his 10th victory at the Charlotte Roval, and now with the 11th at Martinsville in the bag, the talks are only intensifying. But the Georgia native doesn’t want to jinx his shot at claiming the 2025 Truck championship.

Corey Heim wants to keep up the momentum heading into the finale

Speaking post-race, the 23-year-old understands that nothing is set in stone: “I don’t want to jump to any conclusions yet, man. We got a big race next week, and like we talked about, I wanted the momentum going to Phoenix. Keep all our guys with heads held high, and you know what they’re working on going into Phoenix. And you know, I feel like it was, you know, definitely a rocky racer getting behind a track position, but we wanted to capitalize on our day and make the most of it.”

It’s nearly impossible to be against Corey Heim for the 2025 NASCAR Truck Series title. The TRICON Garage driver heads into the season finale with a remarkable 11 wins in 24 races, a historic run capped off by another victory at Martinsville. Despite Heim’s dominance, the spotlight shifted to the fierce fight for a spot in the Championship 4.

Despite starting fourth, Heim once again proved why he has been the dominant force in the Truck Series. He took control early and captured the Stage 1 win over Ty Majeski, Grant Enfinger, and Tyler Ankrum. Heim maintained his rhythm through Stage 2, leading comfortably over Majeski and Layne Riggs to secure another stage victory.

His execution on pit road was flawless; he led the field in for service at lap 106 and maintained the lead on exit, setting himself up perfectly for the final stretch. Having led 77 laps, this victory at ‘The Paperclip’ also marks his 22nd win in 88 truck starts. Each restart seemed to fall in his favor, as he consistently chose the inside line and controlled the tempo of the race, even with the occasional caution breaking his momentum.

As the laps wound down, Heim found himself battling with Layne Riggs and Kaden Honeycutt, who derailed fellow playoff contender Rajah Caruth’s day, while Brent Crews briefly took the lead after a late-race surge. Despite Crews pulling ahead in the final 50 laps, Heim patiently waited for opportunities, reclaiming the top spot during a series of cautions and restarts. His ability to keep the truck clean amid multiple wrecks, including incidents involving Majeski, Jones, and Sutton, highlighted the composure that has defined his season.

In the end, Corey crossed the finish line 1st, earning his 11th win of the season and punching his ticket at the finale in Phoenix. It is also his second victory and fifth top 10 finish in six races at Martinsville Speedway. But as the remaining 3 spots get filled out, Heim will be battling one of the best drivers. Let’s take a look at the championship contenders.

Championship 4 drivers locked in after Martinsville showdown

Four drivers have been eliminated, leaving the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship 4 set for Phoenix. Kaden Honeycutt claimed the final transfer spot over Layne Riggs via a tiebreaker, securing his spot at Phoenix with a second-place finish in overtime.

Corey Heim, already locked into the final round by capturing his win, added to a historically dominant series season. Defending champion Ty Majeski advanced with a seventh-place finish, while Tyler Ankrum secured the final spot with ninth place, rounding out the title contenders for next Friday at Phoenix Raceway.

The other drivers eliminated alongside Riggs were Grant Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, and Rajah Caruth. The 23-year-old’s championship ended on lap 73 after contact with Honeycutt exiting Turn 4, which caused a left-rear tire failure on his No. 71 Chevrolet. He spun into the Turn 1 wall, ultimately finishing 34th.

Martinsville‘s round of 8 finale showcases the intensity of the playoff, with narrow margins, a tiebreaker, and late-race drama shaping the field for the championship showdown. And with none of the four ready to back down without a fight, all eyes are set on Phoenix, which will crown the 2025 champion.