A good and competitive Truck Series race at Watkins Glen took several ugly turns in the closing laps, even through all the carnage and fuel mileage questions. The Series’s best driver, Corey Heim, scored his 17th career Truck Series victory. Further cementing his place as one of the best Truck racers in recent memory.
Truck Series at Watkins Glen Turns into Wreck Fest, While Heim Time Reigns Supreme
Road course racing can be as unpredictable as superspeedway racing, especially at Watkins Glen. The Truck Series returned to the New York-based track for the first time in four years on Friday. Despite a very respectable entry list, full of Cup Series regulars, and Connor Zilisch. The day once again belonged to Corey Heim.
A Race of Attrition
The biggest story of the day was the fact that so many trucks had mechanical failures throughout the race. Spire Motorsports had a rough day at the office, as Rajah Caruth, who is locked into the playoffs, didn’t even get to start the race, as he had brake issues as soon as the green flag waved. He wasn’t alone, as Kyle Busch, whose Truck Series record speaks for itself, was out of the race himself 13 laps into the race. He had a steering issue.
The issues didn’t end there, as four other drivers suffered mechanical issues throughout the Mission 176 at the Glen. Ross Chastain bowed out with a fuel pump issue. Kaden Honeycutt has had a crazy couple of weeks, from losing his full-time ride with Niece Motorsports. Honeycutt is fighting to make the playoffs. His race at Watkins Glen was very rough as he had to make a start in the No. 02 Truck for Young Motorsports. He fell out of the race with a drivetrain issue 29 laps in.
Read More: Honeycutt’s Big Move, Legend’s Sound Off On NextGen Car: NASCAR News Flash
Luckily, he will be behind the wheel of the Halmar No. 52 for the rest of the season, and he’s got a pretty good cushion on a playoff spot heading to Richmond for the final race of the regular season.
The final big mechanical issue befell Toni Breidinger on lap 58 of the race. She was keeping her nose clean throughout the race, but her engine let go. It was quite a sight to see her Dave & Busters Toyota on fire as she tried to get to the pits.
The yellow is out for debris late in the final stage as the No. 5 truck has issues. pic.twitter.com/2UX8LUeU81
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 8, 2025
Heim Delivers Even With Way Too Many Restarts
From there, the race quickly started to turn into a caution fest. Christopher Bell thought he had control in the No. 52, driving for the injured Stewart Friesen. Or a while it looked like he was going to succeed on Friday. But even as he tried to save fuel, cautions bred cautions. The bus-stop turn was causing all kinds of issues. It started with contact between Tanner Gray and Ty Majeski on lap 64.
Four laps later, Ben Rhodes went flying into the wall heading into turn seven, after a tire came off his truck. The contact he made was quite significant. This ended up forcing the race into overtime.
A loose wheel sends the No. 99 of Ben Rhodes spinning into the wall. pic.twitter.com/glgZKFUhXp
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) August 8, 2025
Thus, the trucks short on fuel started having to give up their spots at the front. This allowed Corey Heim to cycle back to the lead. He didn’t look back as his No. 11 had to not only hold off the likes of Daniel Hemric, but he had to survive triple overtime. It was Heim taking it to his competition on Friday. But all of the wrecks late in the race probably made a case for why the Truck Series has only raced at Watkins Glen twice since 2000.
Read Next: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoff Outlook: Bubble Has Gotten Interesting
Main Photo: Sean Gardner, Getty Images
Recording Date: 8/8/2025
