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<\/p>\nA multi-truck crash with 70 laps remaining in Bristol Motor Speedway\u2019s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 dashed Corey Heim\u2019s hopes of collecting the third leg of the Triple Truck Challenge and a bonus totaling $500,000.<\/p>\n
Heim won at Darlington, the first race in the Challenge, which paid a $50,000 bonus. He then collected $150,000 when he won at Rockingham, the second event in the bonus program. If he had claimed the victory at Bristol, he would have received $350,000 for winning all three races in the Triple Truck Challenge for a $500,000 total. Instead, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Chandler Smith, who finished second to winner Christopher Bell, received the $50,000 bonus. <\/p>\n
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Heim\u2019s victory bid in Friday night\u2019s 250-lap race ended while he and Christian Eckes were dueling for the lead on lap 180. Heim passed Eckes on the frontstretch. When Eckes moved up in turn one, he hadn\u2019t cleared Heim and he clipped the Toyota driver, spinning him up the track and into the wall backward. Heim collected victory contenders Layne Riggs and TRICON Garage teammate Kaden Honeycutt who were in the outside lane. The race was halted for 11 minutes 51 seconds while the track was cleared. <\/p>\n
After leaving the infield care center, Heim said he didn\u2019t believe Eckes turned him intentionally.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I kind of sent him in (to the turn),\u201d Heim said. \u201cI think the lead was going to be super important to win the race, just having track position and control. They had a big mix up on who was starting the race as far as the control truck. I had an issue with my transmission sticking in gears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had to pack a little bit of air in there to get him (Eckes) out of the way. I got him free. I think he was just trying to get behind me and then shipped me, which would have been totally fine, because I did it to him. He just misjudged it. I\u2019ve been racing him for a long time, and I don\u2019t think he would do that on purpose, so we are all good.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Honeycutt was not as forgiving.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwo guys history affecting everyone else\u2019s race,\u201d said an angry Honeycutt, who finished 31st. \u201cWe had 70-something laps to go, had plenty of time. We could have just raced. I know Corey (Heim) got into him a couple of times. That\u2019s just dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riggs finished 22nd, one lap down, in the 36-truck field. <\/p>\n
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