HEIM CONTINUES STRONG PERFORMANCE, LEADS TOYOTA IN NASHVILLE
The Toyota Development Driver earns ninth podium finish in 13 races this season
NASHVILLE (June 28, 2024) – Corey Heim finished third to lead Toyota in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Nashville Superspeedway on Friday evening. Heim, who has locked his spot in the NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs, has now finished top-three in nine of the 13 races this season.
Tanner Gray battled back multiple issues throughout the day, including contact with the wall in qualifying and being involved in a lap two incident. His TRICON Garage team battled back, and Gray was able to move up to finish 14th and hold onto the final spot in the provisional Playoff field. Gray continued his streak of finishing every race this season inside the top-20.
Stewart Friesen started from the pole for the first time aboard a Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. He ran most of the race inside the top-10 before a late-race pit stop to address a loose wheel. The Canadian was able to drive back through the field to finish 11th and leave just 17 points out of a Playoff berth, with three races to go in the regular season.
Toyota Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series
Nashville Superspeedway
Race 13 of 23 – 150 Laps, 199.5 Miles
TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS
1st, Christian Eckes*
2nd, Daniel Dye*
3rd, COREY HEIM
4th, Rajah Caruth*
5th, Tyler Ankrum*
11th, STEWART FRIESEN
14th, TANNER GRAY
19th, BRENDEN QUEEN
27th, TIMMY HILL
28th, DEAN THOMPSON
34th, TAYLOR GRAY
*non-Toyota driver
TOYOTA QUOTES
COREY HEIM, No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 3rd
Can you describe your race tonight?
“Yeah, kind of screwed that one up. I don’t know if we were better than the 19 (Christian Eckes), but it’s hard to tell when he never got into dirty air. This is by the far the worst I’ve felt in dirty air in a while in a truck race, just feel like the 43 (Daniel Dye) was in the way. We’re a lot better than them, just couldn’t pass at all, the groove never widened out. Definitely disappointing. Proud of TRICON Garage, Toyota Racing, Safelite for bringing a fast truck again. Just couldn’t go anywhere. Put the 19 back a spot or two, think we could’ve raced for it, but at the end of the day, finished third and that’s that.”
TAYLOR GRAY, No. 17 Caden Ingram Foundation Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage
Finishing Position: 34th
What are your thoughts on the incident?
“Yeah, it is what it is right? We can’t do anything about it now. I don’t know. I’m sure we will have a conversation and it will all work itself out.”
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the U.S. for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our nearly 1,500 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 49,000 people in the U.S. who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of more than 34 million cars and trucks at our nine manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 10th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 28 electrified options.
Through its Driving Possibilities initiative, the Toyota USA Foundation has committed to creating innovative educational programs within, and in partnership with, historically underserved and diverse communities near the company’s U.S. operating sites.
For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.
