Despite missing Gateway due to illness, TRICON Garage‘s Corey Heim continues to have a strong year as he holds onto the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver standings lead with only one race left in the regular season. The 20-year-old is currently 42 points up on reigning CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion, Zane Smith heading into Richmond Raceway. Heim is looking to become the seventh different driver to win the Regular Season Championship; joining Christopher Bell (2017), Johnny Sauter (2018), Grant Enfinger (2019), Austin Hill (2020), John H. Nemechek (2021) and Zane Smith (2022).
The Regular Season Championship can be clinched by the following drivers this weekend at Richmond Raceway:
Corey Heim: Would clinch with 19 pointsZane Smith: Could only clinch with helpGrant Enfinger: Could only clinch with helpBen Rhodes: Could only clinch with helpTy Majeski: Could only clinch with help
Heim‘s points lead began after a compelling finish at North Wilkesboro — winning Stage 1 and finishing sixth overall — gaining him a total of 48 points to jump from third in the standings over Ty Majeski and Zane Smith. He has continued to be dominant since. The Georgia native has accumulated two wins (Martinsville, Mid-Ohio), seven top-five and 12 top-10 finishes, as well as leading 399 laps on the season.
The driver of the No. 11 Toyota will clinch the Regular Season Championship if he can accumulate 19 points in Richmond. Heim finished fifth at Richmond last year.
Front Row Motorsports‘ Zane Smith (-42 point back from the points leader) continues to stay close to the top spot. Although Smith had a tough stretch from Darlington to Gateway, he managed to bounce back in Nashville, as well as Mid-Ohio, finishing second at each track.
The 24-year-old, who swept the Regular Season and Postseason Championship in 2022, has accumulated two wins, seven top-five and seven top-10 finishes this season. Smith finished ninth at the 0.75-mile D-shaped track last year.
— NASCAR —
