The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series has long been the place where future stars cut their teeth, and 2025 is no different. While Corey Heim continues to dominate headlines, a new wave of drivers is beginning to make a noise in the garage, each trying to carve out a place in one of the sport’s most competitive proving grounds. And that is exactly what the last regular-season race at Richmond looked like.

With all drivers having their eyes set on the playoffs, the energy was unmatched. However, one incident disrupted the day for NASCAR’s budding young talent. This ended his chances of a seat in the playoffs completely.

Dawson Sutton’s strong race at Richmond comes to an end amid a mechanical mishap

Friday’s eero 250 at Richmond Raceway, the 18th and final race of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular season, unfolded under the lights over 250 laps on the 0.75-mile quad-oval. Corey Heim proved dominant once again, capturing his seventh end of the year, solidifying his pole position by edging out Ty Majeski by less than a second. Majeski, Layne Riggs, Sammy Smith, and Corey LaJoie filled out the top five in a tightly contested finish. Lucky Giovanni Ruggiero impressed with the sixth-place run as the highest-finishing newcomer, while Jake Garcia’s seventh-place finish locked up the final playoff berth on points.

From the outset, competition was fierce. In practice, Luke Fenhaus posted the fastest lap, clocking 23.332 seconds at 115.721 mph, outpacing Corey LaJoie and Christian Eckes. Meanwhile, in qualifying, Heim laid down a stunning lap from pole, marking his fifth pole of the season. Notably, Sutton stood out among rookies, qualifying 12th as the fastest rookie entry.

However, in contrast to the high-speed battles upfront, Dawson Sutton’s night ended on a harrowing, unexpected note. The young rookie reported an interior fire, likely of electrical origin, emerging near his feet. “I’m not really sure there. I had to look down in the interior when it was on fire. Um, just unfortunate there. Really, uh, just a bad way to end an IFO. There was, uh, electrical fire. I just looked down by my feet. Really just had to get out of there quickly. But, move on,” Sutton recounted, visibly shaken but relieved to be safe.

Despite a solid long-run performance before the incident, his night and his chance to finish the race were cut unexpectedly short. Dawson Sutton started his race with a strong 12th-place position, but the electrical mishap caused him to finish much lower at 31st and ended his race on lap 223.

Dawson Sutton’s path has been measured and earned. From a standout grassroots career to the podium in his debut, he has had quite a journey. At only 19, with the NASCAR spotlight beginning to turn his way, 2025 is shaping up to be his potential breakout season.

Now running a full-time Truck Series schedule, he is steadily building seat time and gaining experience. At the recent Rackley Roofing 200, he delivered an amazing result of the year with an 11th-place finish. He currently sits just outside the top 20 in the standings, competing alongside emerging names like Spencer Boyd and Luke Fenhaus.

For him, racing is more than a profession; it is personal. As the son of Curtis Sutton, co-owner of Rackley WAR, he carries not only family ties but also an insider’s knowledge of how the team operates from the ground up. However, certain 2025 NASCAR Truck Series campaigns look difficult.

Currently sitting 20th, way outside the playoff cut line, Dawson has managed to get one top 10 in 18 starts and only 297 points with two DNFs. He has an average start of 18.94 and an average finish of 20.2. So, having kissed his playoff hopes goodbye, another driver seems to have made a clutch top 10 finish that blocked the last playoff spot. With Corey Heim’s dominant win, Jake Garcia is a happy man today.

Jake Garcia tops off playoff spot with stunning 7th-place finish

Jake Garcia has weathered a rollercoaster of a regular season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Midyear flashes of speed, including a pole run, hinted at his potential, but crashes and poor finishes at Pocono, Lime Rock, and Indianapolis Raceway Park left his playoff hopes in doubt. In fact, Garcia found himself on the outside looking in until Stewart Friesen’s injury and subsequent loss of playoff eligibility opened the door.

That door stayed open Friday night at Richmond Raceway until Garcia finally had a reason to breathe easier. On pit road after the race, Garcia said, “We’re in now, so that’s all that matters. There were some points in the season where we were sixth or seventh in points. But either way, we’re in and we’ll have a shot to compete for a championship.”

Garcia’s seventh-place finish in the eero 250 secured the final playoff berth by a 19-point margin over ThorSport Racing teammate Ben Rhodes, a two-time Truck Series champion. The 20-year-old, meanwhile, kept his focus on the bigger picture. With ninth and second-place stage finishes padding his margin, he knew his job was to stay smart and avoid disaster.

Garcia went on to explain, “I was paying attention to that, especially after we had two good first stages and built a cushion. At that point, it was just a matter of managing our gap and just making sure there was no possible way we could crash. And so, you know, I think we did a good job at that. I tried my best to run a smart race after we had a little bit of a cushion, and just get this thing in the playoffs.” 

Rhodes had entered Richmond trailing by 11 points and lined up 17th. But his night unraveled early after overshooting his pit stall during the stage 1 break. A gamble on fresh tires put him back in the mix, but caution failed to fall his way. He entered the night in eighth, just behind Garcia, a result that sealed his teammate’s playoff ticket while shutting the door on his own.