It’s a result nobody expected. Corey Heim has been grabbing headlines this year and is one of the favorites for the Truck Series championship. The Tricon Garage star has been performing like a man possessed, dominating the 2025 season with 10 wins in 23 races, along with seven poles. He even broke the single-season win record in the Truck Series recently, surpassing Greg Biffle’s mark.

And while the 23-year-old looks like a force to be reckoned with, it was not all smooth sailing at Talladega Superspeedway. Heim’s win at the Charlotte Roval may have locked him into the finale at Phoenix, but in a surprising turn of events, his rookie teammate bested him at the ‘Dega’ in the No. 17 Toyota Tundra.

Corey Heim praises his fellow driver after a fierce on-track battle

Gio Ruggiero snatched the win from Corey Heim in a dramatic fashion, but the No. 11 driver has taken the outcome in the right spirit. Reflecting on the 19-year-old’s performance, Heim said, ” I think he did everything right to be honest with you. I mean, I would have been more aggressive and probably tried to stick the side draft if he, you know, if it was anyone else but a Toyota teammate. But no, I think he did a really good job, and I also think with the damage 98 behind us didn’t really do us any favors with, you know, not having as much help as what you’d normally get.”

It is no easy feat to hold off a playoff driver, especially one as formidable as Corey Heim. After securing back-to-back top-five finishes, Ruggiero managed to finally get a breakthrough at Talladega, securing his first-ever Truck Series win after 23 appearances. It all started on Friday when Ruggiero, a non-playoff driver, managed to grab the pole position. Driving like a seasoned veteran, the teenager finished ninth in Stage 1 and won Stage 2, leading 37 laps at the 2.66-mile track.

But what made the win even sweeter was Gio Ruggiero’s wheel-to-wheel battle with his teammate. Corey Heim, who started the Love’s RV Stop 225 from third, had led six laps of the race, but it wasn’t enough. As the laps ticked on, the two Toyota drivers split the lanes on a late restart, but each time there was a burst of momentum from other drivers in the inside lane, it shuffled them back into a tight battle.

The overtime restart on lap 85 was the climax. Both opted for the inside lane, inches apart from each other. Corey gave up second place and lined up behind Ruggerio on the course, allowing them to help each other on the bottom lane. However, coming off turn 4, Heim tried to take the lead by making a move to the inside, but the 19-year-old blocked him successfully and edged him out for a win he’ll never forget.

Reflecting on his race, Gio Ruggiero had the biggest smile on his face after the checkered flag was waved. He said, ” Super thankful for all the guys on this No. 17 truck. They worked their ass off, and they definitely brought the best piece today. We showed it in qualifying and there throughout the race. Thanks to everybody at Toyota and everybody who supports me. It’s great to win a race with my mom and dad here as well.”

A huge victory for Ruggiero shakes up the playoff scenario. As things stand, Heim remains the only driver locked into Phoenix, while the rest of the contenders were aiming for today’s win to ease the pressure heading into Martinsville. With rumors circulating about Heim being left seatless, Tricon Garage’s dominance at Talladega proved that Toyota is still the manufacturer to beat in the Truck series.

What are the playoff implications after Talladega?

True to Talladega’s unpredictable nature, several playoff contenders were eliminated early by wrecks, leaving them in a precarious position heading into the final race before the championship 4.

Grant Enfinger, last year’s Truck Series winner at Talladega, was collected in a crash on lap four of Friday’s playoff race after receiving a misjudged push from Chandler Smith exiting turn four. The driver’s bad streak, which started at the Roval, has continued at the ‘Dega’.  The contact sent Grant spinning, effectively ending his run for the Championship 4 for the second straight season. Now, he finds himself 40 points below the cut line.

Ty Majeski also suffered left front damage when Grant Enfinger’s No. 9 Chevy slid in front of the No. 98 Ford, which veered through the grass to avoid the multi-wreck incident. However, Majeski’s playoff scenario looks a lot better, as he is just five points below the cut line. Before the green flag dropped at Love’s RV Stop 225, Enfinger was four points below the cutline, with Majeski just two points shy. The race didn’t play out like either driver wanted, with Enfinger being forced to retire early and being credited with a last-place finish.

As for Layne Riggs, he was involved in a separate crash on lap 10, but managed to continue despite the damage. However, things look different for Daniel Hemrick, who is -32 points below the cut line, just ahead of Enginer. With the race at Martinsville Speedway on the horizon, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been, and drivers will put the pedal to the metal for a spot in the Championship 4.