Greg Biffle Reluctantly Concedes to Truck Series Phenom Despite His Record on Line

It was business as usual at Darlington Raceway. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series playoff opener kicked off at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval, with a lot of drivers betting their chances. But eventually, the ‘Lady in Black’ chose only one of them as her dance partner – Corey Heim. The 23-year-old TRICON Garage driver has been a trailblazer this Craftsman Truck Series season. So much so that one of the series’ finest veterans is also compelled to choose Heim as a frontrunner.

Once upon a time, Greg Biffle was in the same dazzling position as Corey Heim. The veteran clinched 17 Truck trophies at his prime, while also grabbing the 2000 Truck Series championship. But what stands out to him is a golden achievement of 1999, which Heim is keen on robbing.

Corey Heim receives a salute from a legend

The No. 11 Toyota driver had solid competition last Saturday. Layne Riggs led for 71 laps compared to Corey Heim’s 67. However, the latter got ahead as fortune intervened – Riggs suffered in the final caution when he slammed into the wall. Heim defeated his biggest rival already, and now he looks poised to defeat an all-time record holder in the Truck Series. Back in 1999, Greg Biffle left a dazzling trail of wins in Jack Roush’s No. 50 Truck. From Memphis Motorsports Park to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Biffle snatched 9 trophies – and nobody has been able to match this streak. But Heim fetched his season’s 8th victory in Darlington, with 6 races left on the schedule.

Hence, Corey Heim is just one win away from snapping Greg Biffle’s record. The Athletic reporter Jeff Gluck foresaw it a few weeks ago, and now Biffle himself is aware of the possibility. When asked if he will be sad to see his record slip away, he replied, “Oh, I will. I really will. It’s something that I’m really proud of, you know, winning nine wins in the second year in the Truck series.” Nevertheless, Biffle tipped his hat to Heim’s prowess with a smile, “But I get it. You know, he’s done a great job, the team’s done a great job, and he’s got a little ways to go. So he has a solid chance of beating that record. I hope he doesn’t. I don’t wish bad on anyone, but you know, it looks like he’s gonna get it.”

With his win at Darlington Raceway, Corey Heim gained an automatic advance into the Round of 8. It did not come easily for Heim, as he felt a tire losing air shortly before the end of the second stage. But he survived the stage in second place and brought the No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota to pit road before the tire went flat. The championship contender reflected on this close shave with disaster: “Lucky it wasn’t a complete blowout — otherwise we would have been in trouble. I could make a little bit of speed on the wall, but it was such a high-risk play if you scrubbed it. You saw so many people have those right-front issues.”

Corey Heim has hogged the 2025 Truck Series storyline for himself. As the rest of the season may also unfold as his playground, Heim’s future looks a little uncertain.

Seats in three places?

With the level of glory as Corey Heim’s, you would think a Cup Series seat is more than assured. Although the Toyota driver stands in high regard across NASCAR circles, his future seat is still up for debate. In August, NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass reported that “he will likely have to wait until 2027 to be in a Cup car full-time. Whether he’s in an Xfinity car full-time in 2026 is still TBD.” Initially, 23XI Racing was a good option, given Michael Jordan’s solid presence in the Cup Series. However, after the team lost its charter in the NASCAR lawsuit, this no longer feels viable. Hence, for 2026, Heim may be shifting seats across different teams.

That is what Jordan Bianchi reported recently: “The likely plan for Heim, according to industry sources, is a combination schedule where he runs select races in all three national series — in the Cup Series for 23XI Racing, in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for Sam Hunt Racing, and in the Truck Series for Tricon.” Bianchi continued, “This is not necessarily what Heim deserves, as most everyone within the Cup Series garage acknowledges he is ready for a full-time ride now, but a combination of no open seats in Cup and a lack of sponsorship means he’ll have to wait until 2027 before advancing to Cup full-time, which is expected to happen. And if the right funding can be secured, Heim racing full-time in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next year is still on the table.”

Although Corey Heim may not have the exact blueprint yet, his future plan will undoubtedly be secure. We can only wait and see which teams flood him with offers, given his brilliant streak.