The 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has already delivered more storylines in its opening stretch. Between hard-fought finishes and a dramatic increase in young talent, it has been a mix of chaos and competition. But one driver has been making headlines very frequently for the past few weeks — Layne Riggs, driving for Front Row Motorsports. The second-generation driver has had a stable season so far, with four top-5 finishes, and has earned the respect of veterans and rookies alike. But, he almost bit more than he could chew last weekend.

At North Wilkesboro, tensions flared between Riggs and Corey Heim. Riggs spun the latter, who dominated the race, leading 162 of the 255 laps, out during the final lap in Turn 2, which resulted in Heim finishing 17th and Chandler Smith, Riggs’ teammate, taking the win. Post-race, Heim confronted Riggs on pit road, giving an implicit warning, saying, “Calm down or else someone’s going to take care of you.” The matter did not calm down, as Riggs rubbed his hands clean after the incident.

“I really only care about me and my team.” And, it felt like he had a target on his back heading into the Charlotte race weekend. Fortunately, none of the drivers lost their cool on the track. Although Riggs got wiped out in the race by yet another performance by Heim, he was glad that his rival was back to being normal and not holding a grudge, thanks to his win.

In the post-race interview, Riggs spoke highly of Heim’s commendable performance and the fight that he put up in the race, but also gave soft criticism from the previous race. “I mean, he usually is on these mile-and-a-half tracks, and congrats to them,” said Riggs. “I know that after last weekend, things didn’t quite work out for him, and hate that all went down. So glad he got to rebound here. Hopefully, he feels a little bit better now and can breathe.” 

Now, Corey Heim’s win at Charlotte wasn’t unchecked. Leading 98 of 134 laps, he had to battle against Ross Chastain. But a good pit stop strategy put the Tricon Garage driver ahead late in the race, and he was able to create a gap between him and Chastain. 6.229 seconds was the margin of victory for Heim, marking his first win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. At 22, he’s the youngest driver to reach the 15-win milestone in the Truck Series. Although the fans weren’t treated to a Heim vs Riggs battle at Charlotte, there is a possibility we might see this rivalry intensify later in the season.

In the 2024 UNOH 200 race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Layne Riggs overtook Corey Heim on Lap 121 and led the remaining 80 laps to secure his second career Truck Series victory. In the recent 2025 Baptist Health 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway, both were competing fiercely against each other but ultimately settled for the 2nd and 3rd positions as Kyle Larson took the lead. But despite this long-standing rivalry, Riggs expressed the mutual respect that both drivers have for each other.

“I know he’s always had a lot of talent, and, I think we both have a mutual respect for each other,” said Riggs. “I know that we’re good race car drivers. So, yeah, it’s good to see guys that I race with kind of moving through the ranks with me. I mean, I’d say me, him, the 11, and a couple others are definitely the best guys in the series besides when the guys come in and show us a couple things.” And, indeed, with their consistent results, they’ve shown how entertaining and challenging it can be to fight for the top position. But it won’t be a surprise if Corey Heim returns a favor for the NWS loss.

This was evident from his post-race interview. “Honestly, just nice to be far enough away to where someone can’t clean me out, to be honest with you. … I feel like we’ve had the speed the last couple of years here, just circumstantial, haven’t been able to get it done,” Heim said to Todd Bodine after the race. Even if it was meant to be implicit, everyone is sure about who is being mentioned here. But apart from truck racing, the Tricon Garage driver has big plans, which might see him racing at the top level.

Will Chevy or Ford Cup teams steal Corey Heim from Toyota?

Heim looks Cup-ready, and he’s showcased that he can produce results rubbing shoulders with the best. Having served as the reserve driver for Legacy Motor Club, he has now joined 23XI Racing as a development driver. But let’s just say his P13 finish was enough to make a case that he is better suited for a full-time role. The problem is that none of the teams backed by Toyota have empty seats.

Joe Gibbs Racing recently had a big shuffle and brought in Chase Briscoe, LMC, with their two charters, has Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek, and 23XI Racing added Riley Herbst to the third charter they bought. So, apart from a part-time opportunity, he is unlikely to be in a Cup ride until next year or even 2027. So, this opens the door for Chevy and Ford teams to come and steal Toyota’s most promising talent.

But Heim set the record state when he was asked about the situation. “I don’t know if I’m ready to be a full-time Cup driver, that is what I’m learning as I go. I certainly feel like I am, but it’s going out and proving that. I’m really happy with the opportunities that Toyota and 23XI have given me the past couple of years… I think I have a lot of things going for me in the right direction, and I’m very happy with my opportunities.” 

So, the good news for Toyota is that Heim is focused on his racing and commitments and not the outside noise. Who knows, a championship in the Truck Series could free up space for a full-time ride next year.