“We Were So Due”- Zane Smith’s Worsening NASCAR’s Luck Hands Corey Heim Ultimate Kansas Bragging Rights

The 2024 Truck Series season just keeps getting better for the 21-year-old rising star, Corey Heim. In a campaign that parallels Denny Hamlin‘s win rate, Heim has taken the #11 Toyota Tundra to the top five on multiple occasions this season for Tricon Garage. Like the #11 JGR driver, the #11 Tricon Garage driver also brings home stellar results each time the pit crew and TRD do their part with the setup. And that’s exactly what Corey Heim delivered in the Heart of America 200.

Corey Heim makes the most of Tricon Garage’s gift at Kansas

After finishing at the top for the last 22 races, Corey Heim aimed to increase that tally at Kansas. However, a starting position of 33rd spelled major trouble for Tricon Garage, that is, until the end of the Heart of America 200. Heim was on great pace throughout the race, slowly inching towards front-runners Zane Smith and Christian Eckes.

Despite Eckes having solid form and leading 11 laps as well, it was Corey Heims’ #33 who slotted into the lead after besting Zane Smith. As the white flag fell, Heim had already pulled a one-second gap, and the rest was history. This is when veteran reporter Jamie Howe highlighted that, similar to his last win, Tricon Garage had rolled up to Kansas with an all-new intermediate package.

This is when Heim shared optimistic news for Tricon fans. “I can’t say enough about these guys at Tricon Garage man! Just top to bottom, we executed so well today. The pit crew, and everyone back at the shop at Tricon Garage, just what a truck. Definitely struggled with being free for most of the race so I can’t say it’s easy, but even with the balance I had, this truck has so much more potential to get better.” 

Heim highlighted just how important this win was for the team that had put together such a package. He stated, “Everyone back at TRD just really really wanted this one today, and drove our butt off for it.” But that wasn’t all. In a move that showcased great confidence, Corey Heim highlighted his end-of-the-season goals for 2024.

He concluded, “I feel like we were so due in this place (Kansas), I really wanted this win today, so I knew were gonna be capable of winning today. It is about putting some more consistency together for the rest of the year and going after that championship.” 

While it’s safe to say Corey Heim and Tricon Garage show no signs of slowing down, his biggest rival for the 2024 crown isn’t going to back down either.

Christian Eckes is confident that he could take the fight to Heim at Charlotte

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As the 2024 Truck Series season continues to unfold, two drivers are arguably best-placed for the championship. After the Heart of America 200, both Christian Eckes and Corey Heim are tied for most wins this season. But for those Eckes fans who might be demotivated by Corey Heim’s revelation of their intermediate package, it’s worth mentioning that McAnally-Hilgemann Racing is no slouch either.

Although Eckes and the #19 Chevrolet Silverado may have lost out to Corey Heim and Zane Smith, the 23-year-old revealed the team’s true intentions. Before heading to Charlotte, which is also an intermediate track, Eckes and MHR have been fine-tuning their package to rival that of Tricon Garage.

Eckes shared post-race with FrontStretch,  “We brought a different truck this race really to try and learn something. This is more of an older style build and a different setup just to figure out where we’re at as a company and trying to figure out how to get better.” According to the Middletown native, MHR has a better package ready for the coming races.

If not for experimenting with the older-style package, Eckes may just have upset Corey Heim dominantly. Even though Eckes may not have gotten the top honors at Kansas, he aims to do so at Charlotte with great resolve. He concluded, “I feel like our newer trucks are more capable now for sure, so I feel like that would help us a little bit tonight as well. So looking at Charlotte, I feel comfortable with where we’re headed.”

After taking a look at the intense battle shaping up between Christian Eckes and Corey Heim which rivals the one we’re witnessing between Denny Hamlin and William Byron, do you think the 2024 season truly marks the comeback of NASCAR’s glory days?