The O-Reilly Auto Parts 150 at Mid-Ohio did not disappoint. We saw rain racing, crashes, and Corey Heim getting his second win of 2023. Here are five takeaways from Mid-Ohio:
Mid-Ohio gives us wet-weather racing
A large storm hit the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course just before the race was set to begin. With a large amount of elevation change, the track needed extra help getting some of the standing water off the track. Race control elected to run a long series of pace laps before the green flag flew, to allow for the track safety crew to remove the standing water. Race control also decided to make the start a single-file start.
When Corey Heim took the green flag, he had not even reached the keyhole before the caution was waived. The visibility was next to nothing due to the spray coming off the back tires of the trucks.
Lap four would see the race resume until Tanner Gray got his truck stuck in China Beach on lap 8. As the first stage wound down, the sunshine came out and the track started to dry, but the slick grass and wet gravel traps proved perilous for spinning trucks.
At the conclusion of the stage, teams could pit and replace the worn-out rain tires with Goodyear slick tires. Even though the track was drying and the sun was out, the race was still a wreck fest. We saw an average green flag run of four laps, 23 of the 67 laps were caution laps. Rain racing and the Truck Series always make for an exciting time.
Corey Heim outruns Zane Smith
Earning the pole at Mid-Ohio for the second year in a row, Heim was the only Toyota in the top five in qualifying, surrounded by Fords and Chevrolets. When the race began, Heim was no match for the Fords of Ben Rhodes and Ty Majeski. Rhodes took the stage one win, with Heim finishing fourth.
Heim regained his speed when the track dried and fresh Goodyear slick tires went on the trucks. With two laps to go, Heim was in third behind Rhodes. The two trucks battled through the “Esses” with Heim taking the second spot, earning valuable stage points.
The beginning of stage three saw the return of double wide restarts, with Majeski and Heim lining up next to each other. Heim took the lead of the race coming out of the Keyhole and now had to defend against both Thorsport trucks and a charging Zane Smith.
On lap 42, in turn five, the Thorsport Fords of Majeski and Rhodes made contact and both went off the track, giving Zane Smith the second position and a chance to fight for a win.
One restart after another, Heim and Smith battled for the lead, until finally Heim got out front and gained a one-second lead over the #38. Heim led 30 laps on his way to win number two of 2023.
WINNERS at Mid-Ohio! Thank you @TRICONGarage @ToyotaRacing @safelite #TeamToyota pic.twitter.com/MmDCVUsjIT
— Corey Heim (@CoreyHeim_) July 8, 2023
Zane Smith gets second, second-place finish in a row at Mid-Ohio:
Consistent as ever, Zane Smith has finished second place again. First, he ran second to Carson Hocevar at Nashville Superspeedway. Last race, he ran second to Corey Heim, overcoming a great deal of adversity to get there.
Smith and the #38 team got into the second round of qualifying, but with minutes left in the final session, the transmission broke in the truck. Replacing the transmission for the race, Zane was sent to the rear of the field.
Avoiding the chaos of the rain racing, Zane Smith worked his way up to seventh at the end of stage one. He slowly gained positions on the leaders. He worked his way to fourth at the end of stage two.
Smith got the second position when the #98 and #99 Fords made contact and went off track. He made it from last to first but just could not get around the #11 of Heim. He would finish second and set the fastest lap trying to get around Heim on the last lap.
Smith is an experienced road course racer with two wins at COTA in two years, and his talent was displayed at Mid-Ohio.
The @NASCAR_Trucks #FastestLap at @Mid_Ohio was on the final lap by @ZaneSmith to secure a 2nd place finish. pic.twitter.com/ZwKTyDSa8r
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) July 9, 2023
Andretti and Daly finish 18th and 19th:
IndyCar stars Marco Andretti and Conor Daly earned top twenty finishes at Mid-Ohio. Daly drove for Niece Motorsports in the #41 Chevrolet while Andretti was in the #7 for Spire Motorsports. Daly suffered power steering problems in qualifying, and he would start from the rear of the field. Andretti made the second round of qualifying, earning a seventh-place start.
Both drivers had some difficulty in the wet weather. Andretti slid off the track coming out of the keyhole and almost got the truck stuck in the wet grass. Daly, whose power steering was intermittent throughout the race said it was “One of the most difficult races of his life.” Even with the power steering issues, he finished ahead of Andretti, in 18th.
Andretti would suffer his own issues. He dealt with front suspension issues and was sent to the rear of the field frequently. Like Daly, even with his issues, he brought the truck to the finish in 19th.
Welp. That was messy. Got sent to the back about 6 times. Ended the last quarter of the race with front damage. Salvaged 19th. Our potential was way better than that. Fun experience. Thanks to all involved!! Maybe we will try out some other types of tracks? 👀🏁 pic.twitter.com/Dg9yCzV3OJ
— Marco Andretti (@MarcoAndretti) July 8, 2023
One race left until the Playoffs:
With Mid-Ohio finished, and Pocono set for the final race before the playoffs begin, let us look at the drivers locked into the playoffs and those looking to run for the championship. Currently, the drivers who are locked in with wins are:
- Corey Heim: 2 wins
- Zane Smith: 2 wins
- Grant Enfinger: 2 wins
- Christian Eckes: 2 wins
- Carson Hocevar: 2 wins
- Ben Rhodes: 1 win
The first driver not locked in is Ty Majeski, with 479 points. With his speed and points, he is a lock for making the playoffs. The drivers currently in 8th through 11th are separated by only five points. They are:
- Matt DiBenedetto: 389 Points
- Nick Sanchez: 386 points
- Matt Crafton: 385 points
- Stewart Friesen: 384 points, currently 11th in points
Keep an eye on these four drivers as they fight to make the playoffs and maybe a championship.
