For Corey Heim, luck isn’t just bad—it’s downright vindictive it seems. Two weeks, two heartbreaks, two wins snatched from his grasp in the dying laps of a NASCAR Truck Series race.
Last week at Homestead, Heim had it in the bag. He controlled the night, looked like a sure thing. Then, his Toyota decided it had other plans. An engine hiccup—just enough to let Kyle Larson swoop in and steal the glory, leaving Heim in third and probably questioning every life choice that led him to that moment.
And then came Friday night. Another race, another gut punch. Heim once again played the leading role in Class of the Field, a dominant force in the first two stages. Stage 2 was practically a nap-inducing green flag run, with Heim casually crossing the line a full second ahead. It was all going so well.
And then? Chaos. Of course.
The final stage was a demolition derby in waiting, with six cautions turning what should’ve been a victory lap into a minefield. Heim got swept up in the mess on a lap 165 restart, tangling with Kaden Honeycutt and Ty Majeski. The result? A cut left-rear tire, a date with the outside wall, and yet another win slipping through his fingers.
Even leading came with its own hazards. Honeycutt inherited the top spot but only held it until 12 laps to go before Majeski sent him spinning. That crash was caution number 10—because at this point, why not?
When the dust settled, it was Daniel Hemric who emerged from the wreckage to claim his first career Truck Series win. Heim, to his credit, fought back to finish sixth. But once again, he left the track with nothing but frustration.
“I don’t think he intended to cut my left rear tire down,” Heim said of Honeycutt. “It wasn’t anything malicious.
“It doesn’t stop me from being pretty frustrated.”
Two weeks, two heartbreaks, and a reminder that in racing, dominance doesn’t always mean a damn thing.
https://x.com/NASCAR_Trucks/status/1905793492846047276
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.