Corey Heim blocks KBM teammate, wins Gateway Trucks in OT

Christian Eckes led the way on the start of overtime but Heim powered quickly to the lead with a push from Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Chandler Smith.

Eckes appeared ready to take another shot at the lead but a multi-truck wreck erupted on the last-lap, which placed the race under caution and gave Heim the win at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.

It’s the second win of the season for Heim, 19, who is running a partial schedule in Trucks as well as the ARCA Menards Series.

“Yeah, I can’t believe we got the bottom (lane) right there (on the restart), that’s unbelievable,” Heim said. “It was a great push by my teammate Chandler Smith right there. I’ve put so much time and effort into trying to improve my craft.”

Participating in a recent rookie test at the track provided some much-needed confidence entering the weekend, Heim said.

“Anytime we can get the extra seat time, it’s super-important and I feel like we’re getting better every week. Everyone back at the shop has done a phenomenal job.”

Among those involved in the last-lap wreck were Tyler Hill and Carson Hocevar, who exited his No. 42 Truck but was then placed on a stretcher before being taken to the infield care center. He gave a thumbs up signal as he was being placed in the ambulance.

Hoecvar has been transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. 

Eckes ended up second, Chandler Smith third, Stewart Friesen fourth and Johnny Sauter rounded out the top-five.

Completing the top-10 were Matt DiBenedetto, Derek Kraus, Ben Rhodes, Zane Smith and Rajah Caruth, who was making his first series start.

Stage 3

Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, about half the field elected to pit but Hocevar remained on the track and inherited the lead.

On the restart on Lap 78, Hocevar led the way followed by Hailie Deegan, Heim, Zane Smith and Tanner Gray.

Zane Smith powered past Hocevar on the inside to grab the lead on Lap 81.

Kris Wright wrecked in the middle of Turns 3 and 4 on Lap 94 which brought out the sixth caution of the race.

Most of the field elected to pit under the caution but Friesen elected to stay out and inherited the lead. Hocevar was first off pit road but took fuel-only. Caruth was penalized for speeding on pit road and had to restart from the rear of the field.

The race returned to green on Lap 100 with Friesen out front followed by Hocevar and Tanner Gray.

On Lap 101, Zane Smith fell off the pace with what appeared to be a flat right-front tire. Hocevar also lost several position after making contact with Smith.

Hocevar spun off Turn 2 on Lap 108 after contact with Crafton to bring out another caution. Several drivers took the opportunity to pit which allowed Rhodes to inherit the lead.

The race returned to green on Lap 114 with Rhodes out front followed by Eckes, Kraus and Heim.

Colby Howard tagged the wall in Turn 2 and spun out on Lap 125 to bring out the eighth caution of the race.

Rhodes continued to lead the way on the restart on Lap 130 followed by Kraus and Eckes.

NASCAR displayed a caution on Lap 133 for debris on the frontstretch of the race. Rhodes remained the leader when the race returned to green on Lap 137.

On Lap 142, Kraus got around Rhodes to take the lead for the first time in the race.

With 10 laps remaining, Kraus maintained about a half-second lead over Eckes while Heim ran third.

Eckes, who took four tires on his last stop, got around Kraus, who took two tires, for the lead with six laps remaining.

Tanner Gray wrecked with one lap remaining in regulation to send the race into a two-lap overtime. Heading into the overtime, Eckes led followed by Kraus, Heim, Chandler Smith and Sauter.

Stage 2

Rhodes held off Matt Crafton in a two-lap dash to the finish to claim the Stage 2 win, his seventh stage victory of the 2022 season.

Kraus was third, Chase Purdy was fourth and Austin Wayne Self rounded out the top-five.

Following the break between Stages 1 and 2, all lead-lap trucks pit with Grant Enfinger the first off pit road.

On the restart on Lap 44, Enfinger was followed by Chandler Smith, Heim and John Hunter Nemechek.

Chandler Smith quickly powered around Enfinger on the restart to reclaim the lead.

On Lap 46, Taylor Gray was hit by Ty Majeski and Caruth was also collected in the incident off Turn 2. Gray suffered extensive damage but Caruth was able to continue on after a stop on pit road.

The race resumed on Lap 53 with Chandler Smith still in the lead.

Nemechek spun coming off in Turn 4 on Lap 54 which collected several other trucks, including Majeski, Jesse Little and Colby Howard, to bring out the caution.

The race returned to green on Lap 60 with Chandler Smith still out front followed by Enfinger and Heim.

Enfinger and Chandler Smith raced side-by-side for the lead after the restart until Enfinger got into Smith in Turn 1 on Lap 62. The incident sent Enfinger into the wall and Smith for a spin and turned the lead over to Rhodes.

Several trucks pit under the caution but Rhodes remained on the track and in the lead when the race returned to green on Lap 69.

Stage 1

Chandler Smith cruised to the Stage 1 win over Heim, his first stage victory of the 2022 season.

Nemechek was third, Zane Smith fourth and Friesen rounded out the top-five.

Heim started on the pole and took command early, running out to about a half-second lead over Chandler Smith after 15 laps.

On Lap 18, Chandler Smith went to the inside of Heim off Turn 2 to take the lead for the first time.

With five laps remaining in the stage, Chandler Smith had built a 2-second lead over Heim with Nemechek in third.