Corey Heim earned his second career pole for Saturday’s 67-lap event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during Friday’s qualifying session. Heim’s qualifying effort marked his sixth consecutive start within the top-five and fourth start on the front row this season.
Heim led the first three laps of the O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 before eventually settling into third during the opening stage. The talented wheelman never wavered outside of the top-five throughout the first two stages and earned 15 stage points for the No. 51 team by finishing the opening two stages in fourth and third, respectively.
The Georgia-native continued his impressive run into the final stage and was competing for the lead with just eight laps to go before his No. 51 JBL Tundra lost power and came to an eventual stop on the 2.258-mile road course. Heim communicated that it was a transmission issue that would end their day with seven laps remaining and relegate them to a 26th-place finish.
Stage One Recap:
- Heim earned the pole for Saturday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 after putting down a lap time of 117.500 seconds at 69.181 mph in Friday’s rain shortened qualifying session.
- As the field went green, Heim was able to hold off the No. 75 of Parker Kligerman for the first three laps of the race before forfeiting the lead and falling back into second.
- The second caution of the day came out on lap 18 when Heim was running in second. He reported that his JBL Tundra TRD Pro was “tight in the tighter corners but good in the wide turns”.
- The caution set up a one-lap dash to the end of the stage where Heim found himself in a three-way battle for second as the field raced back to the stripe.
- Heim was shuffled back throughout the 13-turn road course and took the green-and-white checkered flag in fourth to end the opening stanza.
Stage Two Recap:
- The Georgia native brought his JBL Tundra down pit road at the stage break for a controlled pit stop where the No. 51 team executed a four tire and fuel stop with a wedge adjustment.
- Heim and his KBM teammate John Hunter Nemechek battled for third throughout much of the second stage until Heim was able to capitalize on a mistake by Nemechek to take over the third position.
- When the green-and-white checkered flag came out to end stage two, Heim was still scored in third, picking up an additional eight stage points for the No. 51 team.
Final Stage Recap:
- The No. 51 team executed another controlled pit stop at the stage break and got Heim ready to restart the final stage in third.
- Heim continued to run in third during the final stage and found himself just one second back of the leader with 30 laps to go.
- The sixth caution of the day came out on lap 56 and set up Heim to restart on the inside of the second row with eight laps remaining. The field went back green and set up a three-way battle for the lead with Heim, Kligerman, and Zane Smith.
- Heim was running in second and on the bumper of the No. 38 of Zane Smith with seven laps remaining when his JBL Tundra TRD Pro started to lose power and slowed down on the track. The No. 51 eventually came to a complete stop on the track, bringing out the seventh caution of the day.
- Heim reported that it was a transmission issue that would force the No. 51 team to the garage on lap 60 and relegated them to a 26th-place finish.
O’Reilly Auto Parts 150 Race Recap:
- Parker Kligerman earned his third career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar, Stewart Friesen, and Christian Eckes rounded out the top-five finishes.
- There were seven cautions for 15 laps and five lead changes among three drivers, including Heim who led once for three laps.
How Heim’s KBM Teammates Fared:
- Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished sixth.
- John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished 28th.
Camping World Trucks Owner’s Championship Standings:
The No. 51 team fell back one spot to ninth in the Owner’s Championship standings following Mid-Ohio. They now sit 122 points behind the No. 38 Front Row Motorsports team in first.
Next Race:
Corey Heim and the No. 51 team will have a week to regroup before heading to Pocono (Pa.) Raceway on July 23. Live coverage of the CRC Brakleen 150 will be on FS1, Motor Racing Network, and SiriusXM at 12 p.m. ET.
