Heim had built a more than 8-second lead before a bizarre incident – Marco Andretti lost the entire rear-end housing off his truck – brought out a late-race caution and brief red flag.
Heim and his Tricon Garage teammate Taylor Gray were running first and second and both were close on fuel. Both elected to remain on the track rather than pit.
Heim cleared Gray quickly through Turn 1 for the lead on the overtime restart and held on to take a 1.625-second win. The victory is his first of the 2024 season, sixth of his career and second on a road course.
Tell ‘em what time it is, @CoreyHeim_. @TRICONGarage | #XPEL225 | @COTA pic.twitter.com/Pd5TZXdGwN
— NASCAR at COTA (@NASCARatCOTA) March 23, 2024
Ty Majeski ended up third, pole-winner Connor Zilisch overcame a wreck and two penalties to finish fourth in his debut while Ross Chastain was fifth.
Completing the top 10 were IMSA regular Jack Hawksworth in his debut, Ben Rhodes, Christian Eckes, Dean Thompson and Tanner Gray.
Stage 1
Nick Sanchez elected not to pit and held off Majeski by 2.133-seconds to win an eventful Stage 1, his first stage victory of the 2024 season. Tanner Gray was third, Tyler Ankrum fourth and Eckes rounded out the top five.
On the opening lap, Zilisch ran off the course in Turn 1 and flat-spotted his tires and Taylor Gray, who inherited the lead, was black-flagged for short-cutting the course in Turn 3.
A lesson to be learned for @ConnorZilisch in the first turn. pic.twitter.com/ccQDcoBGvn
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) March 23, 2024
Stage 2
Heim passed Rhodes with one lap to go and held off Majeski by 2.164 seconds to claim the Stage 2 win. Hawksworth was third, Rhodes ended up fourth and Taylor Gray fifth.
Stage 3
Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, a handful of trucks elected to pit, but Heim remained on the track and in the lead when the race resumed with 14 laps to go.
Zilisch, who had fallen at one point a lap down, moved into second with 12 laps remaining but made contact with Majeski, which left Zilisch’s No. 7 Chevrolet with a tire rub.
Move @ConnorZilisch to second but there maybe a problem! #XPEL225 pic.twitter.com/aaCaPdFupy
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) March 23, 2024
With nine laps remaining, Majeski made his way back around Zilisch to take the runner-up position but trailed Heim by more than eight seconds.
Zilisch was assessed a pass-through penalty by NASCAR with six laps remaining after short cutting the course.
Lawless Alan’s No. 33 truck stalled on the track on lap 38 which forced NASCAR to put the race under caution. Zilisch and a handful of others used the opportunity to pit for tires. Heim remained in the lead on the restart with three laps to go.
Just before Heim took the white flag, the rear-end housing – both wheels and the suspension parts included – came detached from Andretti’s No. 04 truck and rolled across the track to bring out a caution and sent the race into overtime.
Think Marco Andretti is going to need that. pic.twitter.com/0b4pySYpU6
— Xfinity Racing (@XfinityRacing) March 23, 2024
Heim, despite being close on fuel, elected to remain on the track and led Majeski, Sanchez, Chastain and Hawksworth when the two-lap overtime went green.
| CLA | DRIVER | # | MANUFACTURER | LAPS | TIME | INTERVAL | PITS | POINTS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
C. HeimTRICON GARAGE
|
11 | Toyota | 46 |
2:15'25.834 |
4 | 50 | ||
| 2 |
T. GrayTRICON GARAGE
|
17 | Toyota | 46 |
+1.625 2:15'27.459 |
1.625 | 11 | 41 | |
| 3 | T. MajeskiTHORSPORT RACING | 98 | Ford | 46 |
+2.931 2:15'28.765 |
1.306 | 9 | 52 | |
| 4 |
C. ZilischSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
7 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+3.042 2:15'28.876 |
0.111 | 14 | 38 | |
| 5 | R. ChastainNIECE MOTORSPORTS | 45 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+5.887 2:15'31.721 |
2.845 | 9 | ||
| 6 | J. HawksworthTRICON GARAGE | 1 | Toyota | 46 |
+6.758 2:15'32.592 |
0.871 | 5 | ||
| 7 | B. RhodesTHORSPORT RACING | 99 | Ford | 46 |
+11.284 2:15'37.118 |
4.526 | 8 | 42 | |
| 8 | C. EckesMCANALLY HILGEMANN RACING | 19 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+11.662 2:15'37.496 |
0.378 | 8 | 35 | |
| 9 |
D. ThompsonTRICON GARAGE
|
5 | Toyota | 46 |
+11.835 2:15'37.669 |
0.173 | 5 | 30 | |
| 10 | T. GrayTRICON GARAGE | 15 | Toyota | 46 |
+12.214 2:15'38.048 |
0.379 | 7 | 35 | |
| 11 | T. DillonRACKLEY W.A.R. | 25 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+12.642 2:15'38.476 |
0.428 | 6 | 27 | |
| 12 | G. EnfingerCR7 MOTORSPORTS | 9 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+13.056 2:15'38.890 |
0.414 | 6 | 25 | |
| 13 |
J. WoodMCANALLY HILGEMANN RACING
|
91 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+13.402 2:15'39.236 |
0.346 | 6 | 26 | |
| 14 |
J. GarciaTHORSPORT RACING
|
13 | Ford | 46 |
+14.557 2:15'40.391 |
1.155 | 7 | 23 | |
| 15 |
R. CaruthSPIRE MOTORSPORTS
|
71 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+18.335 2:15'44.169 |
3.778 | 5 | 26 | |
| 16 | B. CurreyNIECE MOTORSPORTS | 41 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+18.579 2:15'44.413 |
0.244 | 12 | 21 | |
| 17 | T. HillHILL MOTORSPORTS | 56 | Toyota | 46 |
+18.686 2:15'44.520 |
0.107 | 7 | 20 | |
| 18 |
N. SanchezREV RACING
|
2 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+18.722 2:15'44.556 |
0.036 | 6 | 29 | |
| 19 |
S. ParsonsHENDERSON MOTORSPORTS
|
75 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+19.206 2:15'45.040 |
0.484 | 7 | 18 | |
| 20 | S. FriesenHALMAR FRIESEN RACING | 52 | Toyota | 46 |
+20.316 2:15'46.150 |
1.110 | 5 | 17 | |
| 21 |
C. FartuchREAUME BROTHERS RACING
|
22 | Ford | 46 |
+20.900 2:15'46.734 |
0.584 | 8 | 16 | |
| 22 | C. PurdySPIRE MOTORSPORTS | 77 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+28.788 2:15'54.622 |
7.888 | 7 | 19 | |
| 23 | M. CraftonTHORSPORT RACING | 88 | Ford | 46 |
+39.766 2:16'05.600 |
10.978 | 7 | 18 | |
| 24 | T. AnkrumMCANALLY HILGEMANN RACING | 18 | Chevrolet | 46 |
+1'15.226 2:16'41.060 |
35.460 | 7 | 23 | |
| 25 | M. MillsNIECE MOTORSPORTS | 42 | Chevrolet | 45 |
+1 Lap 2:16'11.178 |
1 Lap | 7 | 12 | |
| 26 | D. QuarterleyYOUNG'S MOTORSPORTS | 12 | Toyota | 45 |
+1 Lap 2:15'33.071 |
10 | 11 | ||
| 27 |
L. RiggsFRONT ROW MOTORSPORTS
|
38 | Ford | 43 |
+3 Laps 2:15'49.038 |
2 Laps | 15 | 10 | |
| 28 |
D. DyeMCANALLY HILGEMANN RACING
|
43 | Chevrolet | 42 |
+4 Laps 2:15'39.988 |
1 Lap | 8 | 9 | |
| 29 |
B. HolmesBRET HOLMES RACING
|
32 | Chevrolet | 42 |
+4 Laps 2:15'40.618 |
0.630 | 7 | 8 | |
| 30 | S. BoydFREEDOM RACING ENTERPRISES | 76 | Chevrolet | 42 |
+4 Laps 2:15'47.227 |
6.609 | 9 | 7 | |
| 31 | M. AndrettiROPER RACING | 04 | Chevrolet | 40 |
+6 Laps 1:55'01.148 |
2 Laps | 8 | 6 | |
| 32 | T. MoffittFACTION MOTORSPORTS | 46 | Chevrolet | 39 |
+7 Laps 2:15'52.273 |
1 Lap | 7 | 5 | |
| 33 |
A. LawlessREAUME BROTHERS RACING
|
33 | Ford | 34 |
+12 Laps 1:42'30.411 |
5 Laps | 6 | 4 | |
| 34 |
V. SalasYOUNG'S MOTORSPORTS
|
20 | Chevrolet | 33 |
+13 Laps 1:36'34.290 |
1 Lap | 5 | 3 | |
| 35 |
M. MasseyYOUNG'S MOTORSPORTS
|
02 | Chevrolet | 32 |
+14 Laps 1:35'28.377 |
1 Lap | 6 | 2 |
