Corey Heim wins a wet, wild and then dry Truck race at Mid-Ohio

Heim and his No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota had shown themselves to be fast in practice and won the pole on Friday – but both were in the heat of a sunny day.

Saturday’s race was delayed about an hour due to heavy rain and lightning. Once it began, Heim managed to hang on to the lead for four laps until turning it over to Ty Majeski.

By the start of the final stage, the sun was back out and the track dr. Heim went to the outside of Majeski through the esses on lap 42 and was able to complete the pass to reclaim the lead.

The 21-year-old native of Marietta, Ga., then held off repeated challengers on four restarts in the final 21 laps. He finally edged Smith by 0.947 seconds at the finish to claim the victory.

The win is Heim’s second of the season and fourth of his career. He leads the series standings with two races remaining in the regular season despite missing one event due to illness.

“This is unbelievable,” Heim said. “We came here with high expectations from what I thought I did a good job last year just staying up front. But I put in the work to go from a third-place truck to a winning truck.

“This thing was good ever since we unloaded. We were the fastest truck in practice, qualified on the pole of course and then came here and won the race. Just unreal.

“Zane and Christian (Eckes) – I knew they’d race me clean like usual but huge thanks to them.”

Eckes ended up third, Stewart Friesen started in the race in the rear of the field and finished fourth while Ben Rhodes was fifth.

Completing the top-10 were Matt Crafton, Majeski, Matt DiBenedetto, Nick Sanchez and Tyler Ankrum, who won Friday’s ARCA Menards race at the 2.26-mile, 13-turn course.

Former IndyCar race winner Marco Andretti finished 19th in his series debut after he was caught up in a mid-race accident. Andretti will compete in the SRX Series for the third consecutive season beginning next week.

Stage 1

Rhodes claimed the Stage 1 win over Majeski when a late caution was displayed when Conner Jones and Spencer Boyd wrecked, and both got stuck in the gravel trap in Turn 10.

The race got under way following about an hour delay due to thunderstorms with drivers required to begin on wet weather tires.

Majeski powered around Heim on lap 5 to take over the lead as multiple trucks spun off course under the still-wet conditions but were able to return to the track and continue the race.

Stage 2

Majeski held off a fast-approaching Heim by 1.804 seconds to take the Stage 2 win. Rhodes was third, Smith fourth and Eckes rounded out the top five.

During the break between Stages 1 and 2, most teams moved from wet weather to slick tires as the bad weather had passed and the sun came out. Crafton did not pit and inherited the lead.

Rhodes quickly got around Crafton to reclaim the lead at the start of stage as several trucks went off course, including Andretti and Will Rodgers.

With less than 10 laps to go in the stage, Rhodes remained out front, but Majeski and Smith closed fast with Majeski reclaiming the lead on lap 32 following a side-by-side battle with Rhodes.

Stage 3

Following the mandatory caution break between Stages 2 and 3, the lead-lap trucks all pit and Majeski led the way when the race returned to green on lap 41.

Heim went to the outside of Majeski through the esses and was able to complete the pass to reclaim the lead.

On lap 43, Majeski got into his teammate Rhodes and sent both off the track. Majeski was forced to pit for a flat tire, while Rhodes blended back on to the track in 26th.

Bret Holmes went off in the gravel in Turn 9 to bring out a caution which set up a restart with 15 laps remaining. Heim successfully held off Smith and Eckes on the restart to remain out front.

Austin Wayne Self ran Rodgers off the track in Turn 13 on lap 56 which sent both trucks into in the frontstretch gravel pit and brought out the ninth caution of the race.

Eckes got around Smith on the restart to move to into second before another caution was displayed for a truck stuck in a gravel pit.

Heim led Eckes, Smith and Crafton when the race returned to green with five laps to go.