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Motorsport
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Jim Utter

Corey Heim snags Bristol Truck win, advances to title race

Eckes, fresh off a playoff victory last weekend at Kansas, started on pole Friday night at Bristol, won both stages and led 150 of the 200 laps.

With five laps to go, Eckes exited off Turn 2 alongside the lapped truck of Tanner Gray and Heim nosed to the inside to make it three-wide and came away with the lead.

Heim took the checkered flag by 0.218 seconds to claim the win, which makes him the first driver who is locked in the Championship 4 and will race for the 2023 title.

The win is the third of the season for Heim and fifth of his career.

“This is insane,” Heim said. “I feel like I’ve given so many away this year that to win that way is so special.

“I was in zone trying to catch (Eckes). I just focused forward. Just to know we’re going to race (for the championship) at Phoenix, that’s awesome.”

Grant Enfinger finished third, Carson Hocevar was fourth and Taylor Green rounded out the top five.

Completing the top-10 were Rajah Caruth, Ben Rhodes, Chase Purdy, Nick Sanchez and Matt DiBenedetto.

With two races remaining in the semifinal round of the playoffs, Zane Smith, Rhodes, Ty Majeski and Sanchez are lowest in points without a win and in danger of being eliminated from title contention.

Stage 1

Eckes led all 55 laps and held off Hocevar by 0.394 seconds to take the Stage 1 win. Majeski was third, Purdy fourth and Smith was fifth.

Jack Wood spun and wrecked and collected Dean Thompson, which knocked both drivers out of the race after 15 laps.

Stage 2

Eckes ran down Smith with six of 55 laps remaining and held on to claim the Stage 2 win. Sanchez was third, Heim was fourth and Enfinger rounded out the top five.

Smith got the lead by electing to pit after Stage 1 and led every green-flag lap. Majeski fell off the pace with a flat tire in the final laps, but it remained intact until the break.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, only a handful of trucks elected to pit and Eckes remained on the track and in the lead when the race resumed with 80 laps remaining.

Smith had to restart from the rear of the field after he pit outside his box while making a stop for new tires and fuel during the break.

With less than 50 laps remaining, Eckes maintained a steady advantage over Heim as Enfinger ran third, more than three seconds behind the leader.

Heim had reached Eckes’ rear bumper with 30 laps to go but was having a difficult time attempting a pass for the lead as both drivers battled through lapped traffic.

Cla Driver # Manufacturer Laps Time Interval Pits Points
1
C. HEIMTRICON Garage
11 Toyota 200 1:16'05.499   3 50
2 United StatesC. ECKESMcAnally Hilgemann Racing 19 Chevrolet 200 +0.218 0.218 5 55
3 United StatesG. ENFINGERGMS Racing 23 Chevrolet 200 +3.367 3.149 5 40
4
C. HOCEVARNiece Motorsports
42 Chevrolet 200 +3.610 0.243 5 46
5
T. GRAYTRICON Garage
17 Toyota 200 +3.816 0.206 5 41
6
R. CARUTHGMS Racing
24 Chevrolet 200 +4.125 0.309 5 38
7 United StatesB. RHODESThorSport Racing 99 Ford 200 +4.615 0.490 5 32
8 United StatesC. PURDYKyle Busch Motorsports 4 Chevrolet 200 +6.374 1.759 5 36
9
N. SANCHEZRev Racing
2 Chevrolet 200 +8.111 1.737 6 36
10 United StatesM. DIBENEDETTORackley W.A.R. 25 Chevrolet 200 +9.283 1.172 5 27
11
J. GARCIAMcAnally Hilgemann Racing
35 Chevrolet 200 +9.472 0.189 5 26
12
C. KVAPILSpire Motorsports
7 Chevrolet 200 +9.645 0.173 5  
13 United StatesB. CURREYNiece Motorsports 41 Chevrolet 200 +10.975 1.330 5 24
14 United StatesS. FRIESENHalmar Friesen Racing 52 Toyota 200 +11.061 0.086 5 23
15
C. JONESThorSport Racing
66 Ford 200 +11.176 0.115 6 22
16 United StatesM. CRAFTONThorSport Racing 88 Ford 200 +14.297 3.121 5 21
17 United StatesH. DEEGANThorSport Racing 13 Ford 200 +14.466 0.169 6 20
18 United StatesP. KLIGERMANHenderson Motorsports 75 Chevrolet 200 +16.017 1.551 7  
19 United StatesT. MAJESKIThorSport Racing 98 Ford 200 +16.242 0.225 7 26
20
J. DREWHattori Racing Enterprises
61 Toyota 200 +16.301 0.059 5 17
21
D. DYEGMS Racing
43 Chevrolet 199 +1 Lap 1 Lap 5 16
22
C. HOWARDCR7 Motorsports
9 Chevrolet 199 +1 Lap 0.814 6 15
23 United StatesT. ANKRUMHattori Racing Enterprises 16 Toyota 199 +1 Lap 0.635 7 14
24
Z. SMITHFront Row Motorsports
38 Ford 199 +1 Lap 0.544 5 28
25
K. HONEYCUTTYoung's Motorsports
02 Chevrolet 199 +1 Lap 3.874 5 12
26 United StatesT. HILLHill Motorsports 56 Toyota 199 +1 Lap 0.698 6 11
27
B. HOLMESBret Holmes Racing
32 Chevrolet 199 +1 Lap 0.305 7 10
28
A. LAWLESSNiece Motorsports
45 Chevrolet 199 +1 Lap 4.544 6 9
29 United StatesT. GRAYTRICON Garage 15 Toyota 198 +2 Laps 1 Lap 7 10
30
W. SAWALICHTRICON Garage
1 Toyota 197 +3 Laps 1 Lap 6 7
31 United StatesS. BOYDYoung's Motorsports 12 Chevrolet 196 +4 Laps 1 Lap 7 6
32
S. MALLOZZIAM Racing
22 Ford 192 +8 Laps 4 Laps 6 5
33
M. VILLARREALReaume Brothers Racing
33 Ford 191 +9 Laps 1 Lap 8 4
34
G. VANYoung's Motorsports
20 Chevrolet 140 +60 Laps 51 Laps 8 3
35
D. THOMPSONTRICON Garage
5 Toyota 14 +186 Laps 126 Laps 3 2
36
J. WOODKyle Busch Motorsports
51 Chevrolet 13 +187 Laps 1 Lap 3 1
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