NASCAR News: Corey Heim Claims 2025 Truck Series Crown in Thrilling Phoenix Thriller

In a season for the ages, 23-year-old Corey Heim (pictured) sealed the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship Friday night at Phoenix Raceway, delivering what may stand as the most dominant performance in series history.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Piloting the No. 11 Toyota for Tricon Garage, Heim outdueled Championship 4 rivals Ty Majeski, Tyler Ankrum, and Kaden Honeycutt to cap a year of unprecedented excellence. He shattered Greg Biffle’s single-season record with nine victories en route to the title, then added a 10th at Phoenix—his 12th win in just 25 starts—for an astonishing 48% triumph rate.

The finale was pure drama, unfolding in NASCAR Overtime and etching Heim’s name deeper into lore. He dominated early, snaring the first two stages, but a flurry of late cautions tested his resolve. A wreck with two laps left triggered a pivotal pit stop: While the field opted for two tires, Heim’s crew gambled on all four. The slower service dropped the race leader to 10th for the green-white-checker restart.

What followed was vintage Heim. The Georgia standout launched like a rocket, diving low to ignite a seven-wide melee that rocketed him to second behind pacesetter Majeski. Chaos erupted behind them—a multi-car tangle that red-flagged the action before the white flag flew.

On the decisive restart, Heim’s fresh rubber proved unbeatable. He slingshotted past Majeski into the lead and held firm to the checkers, clinching the title in heart-stopping fashion.

“I don’t care if I was on 100-lap tires—nobody was beating me tonight,” Heim exulted from atop his truck. “It wasn’t going to happen. We struggled in practice and qualifying all weekend, but you can always trust Scott [Zipadelli] in the war wagon to put me in position. That’s exactly what he did. Drove it in deep until I couldn’t anymore, then drove away with it. Just insane. I’m so grateful for everyone who’s gotten me here—a laundry list of people who let me execute. So thankful to be standing in this spot.”

Majeski settled for second in his repeat bid, Honeycutt charged to third, and Ankrum—plagued by a weekend of inconsistencies—faded to 14th.

Now in his third full Truck Series campaign, Heim’s championship journey has been a redemption arc. His 2023 Championship 4 debut ended in heartbreak: Spun by Carson Hocevar while leading, he retaliated with contact that sidelined them both. Last year, he rebounded to runner-up, one spot shy of Majeski’s crown. This time, he left no doubt.

The numbers tell the story of “Heim Time”: 12 wins (a single-season record), 23 stage victories (all-time high), 19 top-fives (unmatched), and 1,627 laps led (the most ever). Friday’s triumph marked his 23rd career win, vaulting him past Todd Bodine into sixth on the all-time list.

As 2026 looms, questions swirl: Will Heim defend his throne in Trucks, or ascend to the Xfinity Series (formerly O’Reilly Auto Parts) or Cup? As a prized 23XI Racing development driver, he’s already teased the big leagues. This year, amid his Truck dominance, he notched a sixth-place run in Cup’s Bristol Night Race (No. 67 23XI Toyota) and an eighth in Xfinity’s spring Bristol dash (No. 24 Sam Hunt Racing Toyota).

Whatever path he chooses, Heim’s 2025 masterclass—a symphony of speed, strategy, and sheer will—will echo as one of NASCAR’s all-time great seasons.

“I just am so grateful to be where I’m at. So thankful for the TRICON Garage, Toyota taking a chance on me years ago, Safelite, Mobil 1, Yahoo, Celsius, for every bit of their support. I was so stressed out ever since we went to the ROVAL. I’ve been, like, so terrible to talk to as a person, so stressed out. This is just such a relief, to say the least. So thankful for everybody. There’s so many names I could go through, Trevor (Bayne, Competition Mentor, TRD) and Blake (Koch, Competition Mentor, TRD) for all my prep work, 23XI for everything they do for me on the development side. There’s such a long list. Thankful for everybody involved.“

FAST FACTS

• Heim’s 12 victories came at Daytona International Speedway (February), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March), Texas Motor Speedway (May), Charlotte Motor Speedway (May), Lime Rock Park (June), Watkins Glen International (August), Richmond Raceway (August), Darlington Raceway (August), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (September), the Charlotte ROVAL (October), Martinsville Speedway (October) and Phoenix Raceway (October).
• Heim had a stretch in the late summer and early fall where he won three consecutive races, as well as seven wins in 10 races, and was responsible for all but two of Toyota’s Truck Series wins this season.
• Heim earned 19 top-fives, 21 top-10s and seven pole positions, and set Truck Series records for stage points in a regular season (65) and stage wins over the course of a full season (23).
• With his win at Phoenix Raceway this evening, Heim now has 23 Truck Series victories – which places him second all-time in Toyota’s history (Kyle Busch – 56).
• Heim led more than 1,500 laps throughout the season, setting a new single-season Truck Series record.
• Heim made his third consecutive Championship 4 appearance this season.
• 2025 was Heim’s fifth season competing in the Truck Series, and third full-time campaign with TRICON Garage. Last season, Heim captured six wins en-route to a Championship 4 appearance, where he finished second in the points standings. In 2023, Heim won the regular season championship off three wins and advanced to the Championship 4. In 2022, he won Rookie of the Year honors after a two-win season in 16 starts.
• Heim also continued his development deal with 23XI Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, where he made four starts on the season, now at seven in his young career. His last appearance came at Bristol Motor Speedway where he captured his first career top-10 result in the famed Bristol night race, finishing in the sixth position.
• Heim also started three Xfinity Series races with Toyota and Sam Hunt Racing this season, now at 20 overall in his career. His best finish of the season came at Bristol Motor Speedway (eighth).
• The 23-year-old Georgia native is the eighth Tundra driver to win a championship. He joins the likes of Ben Rhodes (2021), Brett Moffitt (2018), Christopher Bell (2017), Erik Jones (2015), Matt Crafton (2013 and 2014), Todd Bodine (2006 and 2010) and Johnny Benson (2008), who have also captured Truck Series titles for Toyota.
• Toyota has scored a total of 248 victories since joining NCTS competition in 2004. It also captured its 14th Truck Series Manufacturers’ Championship this season.

Phoenix Truck Series Season Finale Race Results