The fight for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title just got hotter. Corey Heim is the unequivocal trendsetter of the Series, clinching his season’s 8th win in Darlington. His topmost rival, Layne Riggs, suffered slow pit stops and faulty tires at the same track, finishing in 17th place. But two weeks later, the Front Row Motorsports driver rebounded with more energy and determination.

The UNOH 200 was flagged off at Bristol Motor Speedway, with a lot of hope tied to many playoff contenders. However, many of them experienced technical issues and unforeseen lack of pace, and even Corey Heim tasted a bit of the chaos. Layne Riggs, however, powered through his issues and finished at the top.

NASCAR frontrunner has an ecstatic victory

Well, Bristol is always known to be a tricky NASCAR track. The 0.533 oval short track offers consistent grip and racing characteristics that reward both raw speed and strategic positioning. These challenging features got to a few Truck drivers. For instance, Chandler Smith, an FRM driver, faced electrical issues and finished in 30th place. Stage 1 winner Jake Garcia faced power steering issues and finished in 33rd place. Meanwhile, Layne Riggs also spun out sideways on Lap 1. However, the difference between him and his rivals was that Riggs executed an enormous comeback. He wheeled the No. 34 Ford across the checkered flag by 0.759 seconds.

Corey Heim won Stage 2, but he had Layne Riggs ferociously hounding him for the final stage. Eventually, the FRM driver took advantage of a set of pit stops that shuffled the running order, taking over the lead until the end. So Riggs boldly declared in his post-victory interview: “You don’t get two mulligans in the playoffs, and I got two.” Then Riggs reflected on his brush with disaster on lap 1: “Not sure what happened in the initial start with the 7, I feel like I was there pretty good. Man, just the first lap of the race just spin out. It’s a bloated confidence for sure, but I got to thank this team, I gotta thank everybody here.”

At the end of the day, the NASCAR Truck star was pumped. He ecstatically thanked his fans: “Thank you to all the fans, by the way, y’all are great…Man, y’all are awesome. Y’all are loud, oh my gosh! …Come on, baby, let’s get it at Bristol!” What is more, Layne Riggs showered praises on his hardworking team. He said, “I think it just shows we were right there, were in contention, we could do it. And these guys right here don’t give up, I don’t give up. That’s three in a row for Bristol Motor Speedway for Front Row Motorsports. So, a big testament to these guys, we got a really good package here.” Riggs continued, “Man, I’m excited for New Hampshire. I’ve never even been there, and I already love that racetrack. Great playoffs on, bring ’em on.”

Indeed, Layne Riggs has a lot to look forward to for the rest of the playoffs. And his topmost rival, whom Riggs beat earlier at Indianapolis, is tense about the final phase.

Setting aside any distraction

Well, two stars are absolutely dominating NASCAR’s two tiers at present. Corey Heim is ruling the Truck Series with 8 wins, while Connor Zilisch is dominating Xfinity with 10 wins. Yet neither of them is content with their progress, and they are very careful about the playoffs. That is because NASCAR allows for wildcard winners in this format, and any driver can steal these two dominators’ sparkle at any time. Facing rivals like Layne Riggs, Chandler Smith, and Ty Majeski, Heim is wary about the final race. He said, “We have definitely had the best average speed of the bunch. But the playoff structure is so difficult, as far as everyone’s even at Phoenix. Whoever can bring their best stuff at Phoenix is obviously the champion.”

Both Corey Heim and Connor Zilisch are also prospective Cup Series entrants for 2026. The potential options for Heim remain in the top Toyota teams like Legacy Motor Club and 23XI Racing. But with the latter team’s ongoing lawsuit with NASCAR, next season’s plan has not been fixed yet. Nevertheless, Heim is not bothered right now, as winning his much-awaited Truck championship is the top priority. Heim said, “I’m just kind of focused on what we’ve got at hand and focused on the 2025 Truck Series championship.” He finished third in the latest Bristol race.

With Layne Riggs beating him at Bristol Motor Speedway, Corey Heim may be feeling the pressure. We can only wait and see how spectacular this rivalry becomes in the following races.