Corey Heim finally put together the complete package he’s been searching for all season. After struggling to close out races despite having dominant trucks, the 22-year-old driver delivered an emphatic statement at Charlotte Motor Speedway, leading 98 of 134 laps to capture the North Carolina Education Lottery 200 by a commanding 6.229 seconds over Ross Chastain.

The victory was historic on multiple levels. Not only did it mark Heim’s first triumph at Charlotte and his fourth win of the 2025 season, but it also represented his 15th career NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series victory, tying him with Matt Crafton for 10th on the all-time list. At just 22 years old, Heim becomes the youngest driver ever to reach the 15-win milestone in series history.

Friday night’s performance was nothing short of flawless for the driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota. Heim swept both stages, set the fastest lap of the race, and scored a maximum 61 points to extend his championship lead to a massive 100 points over second-place Chandler Smith.

The margin of victory was also record-setting, representing the largest winning gap in Truck Series history at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the kind of dominant performance that had been eluding Heim despite having championship-caliber equipment throughout the season.

“I felt like we’ve had the speed the last couple years here, but circumstances haven’t let us get it done,” Heim reflected after the race. “Obviously, it was such a good truck. I had to execute on my part. The pit crew did a great job. Just a really nice clean day.”

The victory was particularly satisfying for Heim, who had experienced the frustration of having fast trucks that couldn’t quite seal the deal in previous races this season. Despite his three earlier wins in 2025, the young driver had been searching for a wire-to-wire dominant performance that would showcase his true potential.

“It feels great. It feels like we’ve had a lot of opportunities to do that this year, really,” Heim said. “Just can’t say enough about these guys. My team gave me a great Tundra, and we just really checked all of the boxes tonight. It feels great.”

The performance continued Heim’s excellence on intermediate speedways, where he has now won five of the last nine Truck Series races. His mastery of the 1.5-mile tracks has become a defining characteristic of his racing resume.

While no one could challenge Heim’s supremacy on Friday night, Ross Chastain delivered a solid runner-up finish for Niece Motorsports. The organization placed three Chevrolets in the top seven, with Kaden Honeycutt finishing third and Matt Mills taking seventh.

Despite the strong showing, Chastain was candid about the gap between his team and the race winner, particularly on longer runs where Heim’s advantage became most pronounced.

“Best in class,” Chastain said of his own performance. “The No. 11 (Heim) is the best in the field right now, and none of us had anything for him. The No. 7 (Kyle Busch), the No. 38 (Smith), the No. 34 (Layne Riggs) – it was a heck of a race (for second) back there between us, but we’ve got to make it last longer.”

The victory had significant championship ramifications, particularly for Chandler Smith, who saw his title hopes take a major hit. Smith, who had won the previous week at North Wilkesboro, became the first driver eliminated from the Charlotte race following a lap 71 incident involving pole winner Gio Ruggiero, reigning series champion Ty Majeski, and Connor Mosack.

Smith’s 34th-place finish, combined with Heim’s maximum points haul, pushed the championship gap to triple digits with plenty of racing still remaining in the season.

The remainder of the top ten was filled out by Layne Riggs in fourth, Kyle Busch in fifth, Grant Enfinger in sixth, followed by Mills, Daniel Hemric, Rajah Caruth, and Brandon Jones.

The race ran relatively clean, with only three cautions for 20 laps, two of which were for stage breaks. The limited interruptions allowed Heim to showcase his car’s superiority on longer runs, where the gap to the field became most apparent.

For Heim, there’s one small downside to his intermediate speedway dominance: there are no more 1.5-mile tracks remaining on the 2025 Truck Series schedule. His next opportunity to add to his win total will come at Nashville Superspeedway in the Rackley Roofing 200 on May 30.

Friday night’s performance at Charlotte represented more than just another win for Corey Heim. It was a statement that when everything comes together for the young driver and his TRICON Garage team, they are capable of absolute dominance in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.

With his championship lead now at 100 points and his confidence at an all-time high, Heim appears to be in control of both his immediate racing future and his pursuit of what would be his first series championship. At 22, he’s already making history, and if Charlotte is any indication, there’s much more to come from this rising NASCAR star.

Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images