So close, yet so far. Ty Majeski looked very confident heading into Friday’s championship race. Despite Corey Heim’s dominance, he even led the grid towards the end of the race, determined to retain his Truck Series crown at Phoenix Raceway. He even said during a media availability, “It’d be great. I mean, social media would just explode, and I’m here for all of it. I love stirring the pot a little bit. And, yeah, I’d love to be the guy that did that.” 

But a second title wasn’t in his cards. Instead, Heim ousted the 31-year-old driver to clinch his first-ever title. The Tricon Garage star has been unstoppable and unbeatable this season, and now, with the new Truck Series champion being crowned, Majeski accepted defeat in true sportsmanship spirit.

Ty Majeski expresses his pride in the team despite heartbreak

Speaking post-race, the Seymour native said, “Yeah, really just proud of the whole season that this group put together. We had a pretty rough stretch in the April-May-June months, and a pretty strong meeting with ourselves, looked in the mirror, and today we’re champions. We can turn this thing around and, and we did. We’re on, you know, a streak of 12 races in a row in the top ten, nine of them top fives, and thought we were poised to do something very special tonight, and obviously just a little bit short.”

And Majeski did look very strong at certain parts. He really put on a strong fight at Phoenix. But the performance didn’t stand a chance. In the final laps, it appeared that the overwhelming title favorite, Heim, might once again see victory slip away after dropping to 10th during a late-race pit stop under caution. But the 22-year-old wasn’t done yet.

On the ensuing restart, he made a spectacular move, diving below along the inside wall as the field fanned out seven wide into Turn 1. Heim searched from 10th to 2nd in one breathtaking maneuver when the field went 7-wide while chaos erupted behind him, bringing out another caution and sending the race into overtime.

With four fresh tires compared to Ty Majeski’s two, Heim had the upper hand. On the overtime restart, he powered past the 31-year-old to claim both the race factory and his first-ever championship. And Majeski, who raced cleanly to the end, settled for second, while Kaden Honeycutt capped off a season of resilience and team changes with a third-place finish in both the race and the championship standings.

Reflecting on his battle with Corey Heim’s No. 11 truck, he said, “Yeah, very close tonight at portions of the run to the 11. I thought at times we’re actually better than him, but overall he was just too strong and I couldn’t get a good enough restart to take advantage of where when in the run my truck was better.”  

But this underscores the confidence with which Majeski entered Phoenix to defend his title; meanwhile, Corey Heim can kick up his feet after such an incredible 2025 season.

Corey Heim sets a historical run at Phoenix by claiming his first title

Winning 12 races and a championship is no easy feat, but Corey Heim glided through and made it look so easy. The 23-year-old began the race from sixth, and after an early caution, he wasted no time charging through the field and captured the lead by Lap 22, a position he held onto for most of the race.

The TRICON garage driver dominated both stages with calm precision, although his immediate rival, Ty Majeski, lurked close behind, waiting for his moment to strike. And that moment arrived when a caution flew with just three laps remaining.

Heim made the decision to pit for four fresh tires, a move that initially seemed risky, dropping him outside the top five and putting his title hopes in jeopardy. Yet, in true champion fashion, Heim clawed back to 2nd while Majeski seized the lead. Reflecting on his race, Heim shared his mindset through the seven wide moves he took. He said, “Yeah, I don’t care if I was on 100-lap tires, nobody was gonna beat me tonight, it wasn’t gonna happen.” 

During the night, which began with uncertainty, Heim praised his crew for executing a flawless strategy when it mattered the most. Corey added, “We struggled all weekend and in practice. We had some issues in qualifying – we missed it a little bit. But we can always trust Scott up on the box. He did everything he could to put me in a position to win the race. Just drove it in deep until I couldn’t anymore…just insane.”

For Heim, the victory marked the end of a long and emotional road. After his 2023 Championship 4 bid was derailed by a fierce clash with Carson Hocevar and a runner-up finish to Majeski in 2024, the third time was finally the charm. This time, it was Majeski finishing behind him. And one overwhelmed Heim was more than happy, saying, “Toyota took a chance on me years ago…just insane.” And now, it can be said with utmost certainty that the TRICON Garage is going to be celebrating the win loud and clear.