2023 NASCAR Truck Championship 4 grid set

Corey Heim may have been the only driver entering this race already locked into the Championship 4, but that doesn't mean he wasn't going for it. He looked to have the fastest truck in the field but after  winning both Stage 1 and Stage 2, he fell back.

A plethora of tire strategies played out throughout the final run of the race. Ben Rhodes pitted under the final yellow in order to get slightly fresher tires than the rest of the field. He then charged forward, and ran extremely long to the finish in an aggressive move to narrowly escape elimination.

While Hocevar took the win, reigning Truck champ Zane Smith finished second and was knocked out of the playoffs. Rhodes held on for third, advancing by just one point over Nick Sanchez.

Grant Enfinger will join Heim, Hocevar, and Rhodes in the fight for the crown at Phoenix.

Along with Sanchez and Smith, Ty Majeski and Christian Eckes were also eliminated. Eckes appeared to be in a strong position, but a speeding penalty during the final stop derailed his efforts. Sanchez also lost several positions during the final pit sequence after colliding with another truck at pit entry.

UPDATE: After the race, NASCAR announced Smith's No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford had been disqualified for violating NASCAR Rule Book number 14.4.7.I Windshield Support. The truck will be taken back to the R&D Center in Concord, N.C. The disqualification does not change the playoff results.

Front Row Motorsports released the following statement: “We are disappointed in the disqualification from today’s NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series event. We will continue to work and discuss with NASCAR officials back at the NACAR R&D Center in Concord, N.C. before making any further comment.”

Advancing into the Championship 4

Corey Heim - No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota

Best Points Result: 14th in 2022

Corey Heim, TRICON Garage, Safelite Toyota Tundra in victory lane (Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images)

Carson Hocevar - No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet

Best Points Result: 10th in 2021 and 2022

Race winner Carson Hocevar, Niece Motorsports, Worldwide Express Chevrolet Silverado (Photo by: Lesley Ann Miller / Motorsport Images)

Grant Enfinger - No. 23 GMS Racing Chevrolet

Best Points Result: 4th in 2020

Grant Enfinger, GMS Racing, Champion Power Equipment Chevrolet Silverado, Craftsman Hat (Photo by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images)

Ben Rhodes - No. 99 ThorSport Racing Ford

Best Points Result: 1st in 2021

Race winner Ben Rhodes, ThorSport Racing, Ford F-150 (Photo by: Ben Earp / NKP / Motorsport Images)

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