NASCAR’s destination for this weekend is tricky. Watkins Glen International, a seven-turn road course nestled in the Finger Lakes, is known for its ‘Bus Stop’. A heavy braking zone on the backstretch of the track, the Bus Stop presents challenges to drivers to bounce through its large curbs. That is why Corey Heim had a bit of apprehension heading into the Craftsman Truck Series race on Friday. However, we all know exactly how resilient the 23-year-old driver can be.

Corey Heim has been riding a fever pitch of glory this season. The Tricon Garage driver clinched trophies in five races and occupied first place in the championship standings. Watkins Glen posed a challenge to this remarkable streak, but Heim overcame it.

Corey Heim wipes off his sweat in joy

It was a grueling endeavor indeed. But it was all worth it, as Corey Heim was ready from the start. During qualifying for the Mission 176 race, Heim captured his 11th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole, posting a blazing lap time of 70.953 seconds (124.308mph). That set the stage for a fascinating race – but it was hardly devoid of trouble for Heim. He took early control of the race, but had to go through crash-riddled restarts. Rivals like Christopher Bell, Gio Ruggiero, and Ross Chastain put up fierce battles for the lead. At the start of Stage 3, however, Heim ran into a serious problem. His No. 11 Toyota truck struggled with brake issues, and he even blew the Bus Stop. “F—— brake pads, man. You’ve got to fix this s—. I went into the bus stop with no brakes,” he exclaimed on the radio.

Soon after, however, three overtime restarts ensued with three smoking wrecks. Those allowed Corey Heim to build up his winning lead once again. He held off a hard-charging Daniel Hemric to snatch his season’s 6th Craftsman Truck Series victory. In the post-race interview, the smiling Marietta, Georgia native reflected on winning his struggles: “Never give up. I got behind in that last stage. I was scratching and clawing, trying to get back through the field. I had my brakes pretty much go out on me when I was beating them up, trying to get back through the field. I blew the bus stop, made a lot of mistakes.”

Indeed, Corey Heim was not alone in the plethora of mistakes that unfolded in the race. Several of his Truck Series rivals suffered mechanical issues. For example, Kyle Busch finished last after suffering a broken steering box. Kaden Honeycutt, driving for Young’s Motorsports this weekend after leaving Niece Motorsports, also fell out of the race early with an issue. The afflicted drivers in the last three wrecks involved Toni Breidinger, whose truck went up in flames. There were also Tanner Gray, who slammed into the barrier, and Ben Rhodes, who lost a left-rear wheel.

Clearly, Corey Heim crossed heaven and hell to achieve the Watkins Glen victory. Now, we look forward to a fierce competition for NASCAR’s premier level as well.

Looking at the prime drivers

On Sunday, fans will watch their favorite Cup Series drivers in action. The Go Bowling At The Glen will be flagged off at 2 PM ET, the first of the three races, until the 16-race postseason field is finalized. That is why the excitement is higher. Some easy names pop up when considering the winner’s field for the road course event. Shane van Gisbergen is the obvious favorite, going into Watkins Glen with three road course wins already in his pocket. He also has a goal to redeem last year’s failure against Chris Buescher. The RFK Racing driver had outsmarted the Kiwi star in the final lap of the 2024 race, and the sting of that heartbreak still feels fresh for SVG.

Among solid rivals for SVG, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger is an underdog favorite. With a 10.8 average finish, The Glen is statistically Allmendinger’s best track on the circuit, the number placing him third amongst active drivers and ninth all-time. Then, 2023 Indy road course winner Michael McDowell is always a threat on road courses. Besides, the heaviest favorites according to Racing Insights already occupy the highest spots in the championship standings. Hendrick Motorsports giants William Byron, Chase Elliott, and Kyle Larson have combined to win five of the last six races at the 2.45-mile road course.

The upcoming Cup Series race will be spicy indeed, with so many rivals locking horns. Let us wait and see who will follow after Corey Heim’s hard-earned victory!