Corey Heim beats out Cup Series talent for Tyson 250 pole award
Despite having a stacked field full of NASCAR Cup Series talent, Corey Heim wouldn’t let the big boys come in and mess up his qualifying run. The No. 11 TRICON Garage driver had a scorching hot lap. His truck was so tuned up for this run, he didn’t even use his second lap in qualifying.
This one was long. Qualifying was full of trucks and drivers from all kinds of backgrounds. Corey Heim has a win this season and sits third overall in the Truck Series point standings. Heim has now picked up four pole awards in his career and he’s planning on finishing the job this afternoon.
Let me just once again remind you who Heim and the other Truck Series drivers had to go up against. Kyle Larson, William Byron, Bubba Wallace, Christopher Bell, and Ross Chastain were all competing. These Truck Series regulars were able to put on a show.
Parker Kligerman, Josh Reaume, and Norm Benning were all DNQs after the session.
After Carson Hocebar’s fast lap, I was sure that we’d see Hocevar on the pole. Corey Heim came in and said, how about I push the envelope a bit? With a 20.072 on lap one, I think Heim could have made a run at the 20-second mark if he had gone another time around.
Corey Heim looking for another win
What is awesome about the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race is that it is a points-paying event. This is the real deal. Not an All-Star event, not an exhibition, it isn’t just for fun. This has real consequences. Not only that, you have to think about the historic implications as well. Who can be the first driver to win a NASCAR points race at North Wilkesboro since the revival?
Drivers like Corey Heim will try to keep that speed going. We will see a lot of trucks get lapped, lots of trucks move up through the field, and likely more than a few cautions. Watch for Zane Smith who is starting in the rear after failing tech a few times. He will have to fight his way to the front.
I’m interested to see how Hailie Deegan performs. Drivers like Matt Crafton and even Ben Rhodes. Single-lap qualifying can tell you one thing or another, but long runs are what will win this race. Practice showed us a few things, but not much.
Corey Heim showed out and put together a mean lap in qualifying. Let’s see if his Toyota Tundra is tuned up for the long haul as well.