It’s Heim Time at Watkins Glen, as Corey Heim from Marietta, Georgia won his 17th race NASCAR Truck Series. – Motorsport America Photo
Please enjoy these exclusive photos from the Mission 176 at the Glen by Motorsport America photographers Fred Hanyon and Joe Proiette!
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship leader Corey Heim scored his fourth consecutive road course victory – the sixth of the season – in a dramatic triple overtime finish as nightfall approached in Friday’s Mission 176 at The Glen at the historic Watkins Glen International. It is Heim’s 17th series win and he is the youngest driver in series history to claim that total. This is the second time this season he’s won from pole position.
The race on the 2.45-mile historic venue in upstate New York was relatively calm and clean early on, with only a single extra caution in addition to the first two stage breaks. But a steady barrage of incidents forced six more caution periods and the three overtimes – the race only finishing within a couple minutes of when NASCAR had pre-determined to call it official because of darkness.
“Just never give up,’’ said Heim, who led a race best 44 laps but had to rally from 11th place on a Lap 43 restart. “I got behind in that last stage and was scratching and clawing trying to get back through the field.
“I had my brakes pretty much go out on me completely on that long green flag run, was beating them up trying to get back through the field – blew the bus stop chicane between turns four and five – and made a lot of mistakes myself. I’ve had a lot of them get away from us this year by cautions or whatever else, finally had one go our way.”
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series moves to Richmond Raceway next Friday, August 15th for the eero 250 at 7:30pm on FS1 and the MRN.