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Toyota GAZOO Racing – NCS Charlotte ROVAL Quotes – Erik Jones – 10.04.25

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Official Release
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Toyota GAZOO Racing – Erik Jones
NASCAR Cup Series Quotes

CONCORD, N.C. (October 4, 2025) – LEGACY MOTOR CLUB driver Erik Jones was made available to the media on Saturday prior to practice for the NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.

ERIK JONES, No. 43 TriState Vacuum & Rental, LLC Toyota Camry XSE, LEGACY MOTOR CLUB

Can you give us an update on the program you are doing with the Erik Jones Foundation this weekend?

“Yeah, I’m sure you guys have seen over the last handful of years – the pink window nets have been kind of a thing that has happened every year annually with the window nets on the cars on Sunday, and we’ve been grateful take this program over for the third year now with the Erik Jones Foundation, and obviously raising money for breast cancer awareness. We have three charities that we’re going to donate to this year with the proceeds from this program. A couple of just cool things real quick. Almost every team this year purchased their window nets – that’s already raised $11,000 for the program before the auction even began. The auction opened on Wednesday. And we’re bidding these window nets up, so excited about that. We also added these pull tabs this year, which are on the inside the race cars as well, to help open the window nets, and we’re selling those for $20 apiece on the website to also help raise money, that’ll go towards the funds as well. So pretty fun and been fun to expand it.”

Did I hear correctly that you had Jack Hawksworth come up for some road course prep?

Yeah, we’ve had Jack (Hawksworth, Lexus Factory Driver) help, maybe not every road course this year – Mexico, we did some prep, and with him, then here. Jack’s been helping us a little bit. We were just kind of trying to – our road course program has frankly been pretty weak at our company for the last few years, so just trying to get better, trying to get the cars better, get us better. Obviously, Jack has a ton of road course experience. He has drove the Cup car at some tests and so we had him up on Wednesday going over some stuff with him.”

What are some of the things or questions you have asked him based on his background versus yours?

“Yeah, I just ask him a lot of questions on, honestly, I get a lot out of watching him drive and the way he approaches the course on the sim and kind of what he focuses on. So, a lot of my questions are kind of centered around why he’s doing certain things, because I’m just not a road course guy by nature. So, he does things a little bit different sometimes, and I’m curious as to why and figuring those parts and pieces out. I felt like this year, Watkins Glen was when things kind of finally started to click for me in the Next Gen car a little bit on the road courses and what it wanted and needed. And a lot of that was from Jack (Hawksworth, Lexus Factory Driver) and what we’ve kind of went through this year. So, yeah, most of my questions are just centered, you know, I’ve been to all of these road courses, so kind of know how to get around them, but the technique and the little things are where I’m trying to get better and watching him and figuring out why and asking him why has been the biggest part.”

How do you race the Playoff drivers as a non-Playoff driver?

“I’ve always, obviously there’s a couple of ways I look at it, I guess. You know, number one, if it’s a day where we’re in contention to win and running really well, I’m going to do everything I can to win. If it’s a day, you know, we’re running 18th, and you got a guy battling through the field and he’s trying to make his way above the cut line. It’s going to be a bit different. You know, I think they’ve earned that respect, right? They raced all year to be in the playoffs, and they’ve worked hard and now be in the Round of 12 and having an opportunity to go to the Round of 8. So, in my opinion, I think it’s fairly disrespectful if you didn’t give them that service a little bit, I would hope to have that returned, in the future, hopefully, when we’re a playoff team and in that spot. I think it’s pretty reciprocal. I think, you know, like I said, they’ve earned that right, so it’s just what you really should be doing.”

What have the ups-and-downs of this season been like as a new father?

“Yeah, I think you are forced to get over things quicker. I feel like I’ve always done pretty good of kind of separating, racing and home and I’ve always been a guy that I loved to race, but racing isn’t my life. It’s what I do, right? That’s how I make the living, and it’s what I do. I’ve always been able to kind of separate that from home. But I think it’s made that easier, you know, a day, that’s not gone well. If David’s (Jones’ son) at the track, you get back to the motorhome and as frustrated as maybe you are, he’s smiling and laughing just because you’re back and reaching for you and wanting to hang out, so it’s kind of hard to be mad at that point or even be thinking about the race anymore. I think it’s probably made my approach better, my focus better. I think, you know, for me, I want to be able to one day sit with him and look back and just tell him how I did things and why I did things this way and show him that. So just leading, I guess, by example a little bit has probably been more encouraged just by having him around. But I think it’s made the bad days easier. I think just quicker to get over. It’s made the good days more fun in some ways. So, it’s definitely kind of a balance from before.”

How does having a child help you move forward from a bad day?

“Yeah, I would say, you know, this year, I would say this year what’s how I kind of thought it would go. I think maybe there was a bit higher expectation from the company, for our program this year. I felt like this year’s is, like I said, I think it’s how I expected. I wish it would have been, you know, more successful. I think we’ve had times that we’ve had cars that we’re capable of running or contending for wins. I would say definitely Indy and Darlington are two that standout, but it’s extremely hard in this current day and age to say, okay, we had two races, we had race winning speed. Your odds of winning two times out of 38 are pretty low, you know, you’ve got to be in a position where you’re constantly running up there, constantly contention in the top-five, because when you get in those days and you’re not always up there, it puts a lot of pressure on the pit crew, puts a lot of pressure on the driver, the crew chief, everybody to make good calls and good decisions.

So, you’ve got to get settled in that. You’ve got to be settled and running up front and contending for wins. Everybody’s got to be comfortable with it, and we’re just not at that point. There are just parts of our program that aren’t where they need to be, our road course stuff, short track stuff hasn’t been there. Our mile-and-a-half stuff has been pretty good for the most part. So, we’re just still building, you know, I think it’s kind of went along the line of where I I see it. I think this was the first year we had good funding, and we’ve had good people and data and it’s just this was a good base building year for us to get a notebook into next year and hopefully it just kind of step up from that.”

How do you balance for racing for wins versus preparing for 2026?

“I guess it’s a bit track dependent. This weekend, tomorrow, , you know, working on definitely improving for ‘26, just with our road course stuff hasn’t been where we’ve wanted. The 42 team had a test at Kershaw (Carolina Motorsports Park), a little while back, hopefully we learned some stuff that we’re trying. It’s a way different package we have here this weekend than what we’ve had on the other road courses, so we’re hoping to learn from that. Looking forward to Talladega, obviously going for the win. Hope we can grab one there. Martinsville, Phoenix, I would say, probably tougher to contend. Phoenix would be really tough to contend with the championship guys. Martinsville will be tough, just with where our program is at. So, you know, Talladega would be a good shot to win, and the rest, I would say, will be continuing to build that notebook now for us.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

ARCA Menards Series Announces 2026 Schedule; All 20 Races Live on FOX Sports

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Official Release
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TEMPERANCE, Mich. – (October 4, 2025) – The ARCA Menards Series has announced its 2026 schedule and will again feature 20 races at 19 tracks, including the return to two familiar fan favorites.

The 2026 season will open at Daytona International Speedway and, for the first time since 2021, the championship will be decided at Kansas Speedway. The series will also make its much-anticipated return to Pocono Raceway in June and Chicagoland Speedway in July.

“The 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule will see long-term relationships with NASCAR national series tracks like Daytona International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Kansas Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway continue,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “We’ll also return to traditional short track venues like Toledo Speedway, Elko Speedway, Berlin Raceway and Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, in addition to the road courses at Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen International and the two dirt tracks at the Illinois State Fairgrounds and the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds. It’s a great mix of tracks across the country that will provide our teams and our fans one of the most diverse schedules in American motorsports.”

The highlights:

  • The series will race at Daytona for the 63rd consecutive year dating to 1964; as it has for the last seven years, the race will be the opener of a same-day doubleheader with the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series the day before the DAYTONA 500.
  • FOX will broadcast the Daytona ARCA 200 for the second consecutive year; 13 races will air on FS1 and six on FS2.
  • The series finale will return to Kansas Speedway for the first time since 2021; the track will be the only venue to host two series races, the first in May and the championship round in September.
  • Chicagoland Speedway returns for the first time since 2019 in July and Pocono Raceway for the first time since 2023 in June; both races will be in combination with the NASCAR Cup Series.
  • Toledo Speedway will return to its traditional May date, with other stand-alone short track races at Berlin Raceway and Elko Speedway in June, Madison International Speedway in August, and Salem Speedway in September.
  • The two dirt miles at the Illinois State Fair and DuQuoin State Fair both return on their traditional weekends.
  • Two road course races are on the schedule, with Watkins Glen International moving to May and a return to Lime Rock Park for the second consecutive season in July.
  • Additional conjunction races with NASCAR national series will also be held at Phoenix Raceway in March, Talladega Superspeedway in April, Michigan International Speedway in June, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in July, Iowa Speedway in August, and Bristol Motor Speedway in September.

The race at Phoenix Raceway in March will be a combination race with the ARCA Menards Series West, while races at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Iowa Speedway, and Bristol Motor Speedway will be combination races with the ARCA Menards Series East; a fourth combination race will be announced when the ARCA Menards Series East schedule is released.

The complete 2026 ARCA Menards Series schedule (all times are Eastern):

DateTrack, LocationTime (ET)TV
Sat., Feb. 14Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Fla.12:00 PMFOX
Thurs., March 5Phoenix Raceway, Avondale, Ariz.6:00 PMFS1
Sat., April 18Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.12:30 PMFS1
Sat., April 25Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala.12:30 PMFS1
Fri., May 8Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, NY1:30 PMFS2
Sat., May 16Toledo Speedway, Toledo, Oh.7:00 PMFS1
Fri., June 5Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.5:00 PMFS2
Fri., June 12Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Penn.3:00 PMFS1
Sat., June 20Berlin Raceway, Marne, Mich.7:00 PMFS2
Sat., June 27Elko Speedway, Elko, Minn.9:00 PMFS2
Fri., July 3Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.8:00 PMFS1
Sat., July 11Lime Rock Park, Lime Rock, Conn.4:00 PMFS2
Fri., July 24Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park, Brownsburg, Ind.5:00 PMFS1
Fri., Aug. 7Iowa Speedway, Newton, Ia.7:00 PMFS1
Sun., Aug. 23Illinois State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill.2:00 PMFS1
Fri., Aug. 28Madison International Speedway, Oregon, Wi.9:00 PMFS1
Sun., Sept. 6DuQuoin State Fairgrounds, DuQuoin, Ill.8:30 PMFS1
Sat., Sept. 12Salem Speedway, Salem, Ind.6:00 PMFS2
Thurs., Sept. 17Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.5:30 PMFS1
Fri., Sept. 25Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kan.8:00 PMFS1

All dates are tentative and subject to change.

Schedules for the ARCA Menards Series East and West will be released at a later date.

For further information please visit ARCARacing.com; for up-to-the-minute updates follow @ARCA_Racing on Twitter.

About ARCA

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA), founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum in Toledo, Ohio, and acquired by NASCAR in April 2018, is the leading grassroots stock car sanctioning body in the United States. Bridging the gap between NASCAR’s top three national touring series and weekly and regional tour racing all across the country, the organization sanctions over 100 races per year in the ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East, ARCA Menards Series West, ASA STARS National Tour, ASA CRA Super Series, ASA Midwest Tour, ASA Southern Super Series plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways. For more information about ARCA visit www.arcaracing.com, or follow ARCA on Facebook (@ARCARacing) and Twitter (@ARCA_Racing). 

About Menards

A family-owned and run company started in 1958, Menards is recognized as the retail home center leader of the Midwest with 341 stores in 15 states.  Menards is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home improvement needs featuring a full-service lumberyard and everything you need to plan a renovation or build a home, garage, cabin, shed, deck, fence or post frame building.  You’ll find a large selection of lumber, roofing, siding, construction blocks, trusses, doors and windows, plus cabinets, appliances, countertops, flooring, lighting, paint, plumbing supplies and more.  To complete the job, Menards has quality hand tools, power tools, fasteners, electrical tools plus storage options and supplies for everyone from the weekend warrior to the pro!

Menards has what you need to complete your outdoor projects and keep your yard in tip-top shape including mowers, trimmers, blowers, pressure washers and more, plus a beautiful garden center stocked with plants, shrubs, trees, landscaping tools, grass seed, fertilizer options, outdoor décor and patio furniture.  Menards also has everyday essentials like health & beauty products, housewares, pet and wildlife supplies, automotive items and even groceries.  And at Christmas, an Enchanted Forest display area with impressive trees, lighting, decorations, ornaments, inflatables and more. 

Menards is known for friendly Customer Service and as the place to “Save Big Money” with low prices every day, and sales too!  For more information, please visit Menards.com to learn about our store locations, offerings and services.

Heim Rally Caps Off A Record-Breaking Ecosave 250 Victory

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Official Release
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Corey Heim celebrates his 10th NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series win of 2025 in Friday's Ecosave 250 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. (HHP/Harold Hinson photo)

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 3, 2025) – Not all Corey Heim wins are created equal. Friday’s Ecosave 250, for instance, saw Heim pull off a record-breaking drive from the tail of the field to the front on the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL™.

Heim won the pole and dropped to last after a first-lap foray into the Turn 1 barrier. Undeterred, the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points leader spent the remainder of his afternoon reminding his contemporaries why “Heim Time” is a scheduled occurrence. The driver of the No. 11 TRICON Garage Toyota carved his way through the field, assumed the lead by staying out after a caution with three laps to go and held the point to the checkered flag to post his Truck Series-record 10th win of the season.

Rookie driver Brent Crews — Heim’s TRICON teammate — led a race-high 56 laps before he surrendered the lead to pit for tires and fuel under the final yellow flag period. Crews’ bid for his first Truck Series triumph fell one position short of being a reality after he restarted seventh and dodged enough chaos on the final two circuits to score the best finish of the 17-year-old driver’s career.

Gio Ruggiero’s third-place result completed a 1-2-3 finish for Toyota and the first 1-2-3 finish for TRICON Garage.

Rajah Caruth was fourth with Connor Zilisch fifth, Josh Bilicki sixth and Grant Enfinger seventh. Ty Majeski, Tyler Ankrum and Connor Mosack completed the top 10.

Kaden Honeycutt won Stages 1 and 2 before ending up 14th at the checkered flag. Heim’s six laps led tied for the second fewest in his 21 career Truck Series victories.

COREY HEIM, NO. 11 TRICON GARAGE TOYOTA (RACE WINNER): “It’s been a crazy year so far and a crazy day. We fired off with so much speed in practice, and I thought we were going to be competitive. Qualifying on the pole set us up to have a great day, but it unraveled quickly. I’ve never had a race like that where I came back to win. We had an opportunity at the end with older tires. I also ran out of fuel a bit, but it stacked up enough behind us that I could still hold them off. We’ve actually had a lot of ups and downs this season even though it looks like maybe we haven’t. To come as far as we have and endure the tough races we’ve had, to come back and have the streak we’ve had is awesome. Hats off to my TRICON guys and to Toyota for all their support.”

BRENT CREWS, NO. 1 TRICON GARAGE TOYOTA (RUNNER-UP): “There are definitely a lot of emotions. Racing is a cruel and amazing sport. I hate it for my team that we weren’t able to go to Victory Lane today. We definitely had the winning [truck] for sure. It sucks to run second but thank the good Lord for keeping us safe. I’m grateful to have these shots at it, because otherwise I wouldn’t have these emotions.”

GIO RUGGIERO, NO. 17 TRICON GARAGE TOYOTA (THIRD-PLACE FINISHER): “It was an exciting race. It’s definitely a tough road course. It’s different from any that we go to. The tire fall-off played a role for me for sure. One thing here that was pretty unique was the turtles and the curbs were pretty aggressive. I thought that made it pretty disciplined.”

TICKETS:

Bank of America ROVAL™ 400 tickets are available at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Kids 12 and under get in all weekend for just $10.

MORE INFO:

Fans can connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway and get the latest news by following on X and Instagram, becoming a Facebook fan or downloading the Charlotte Motor Speedway mobile app.

Niece Motorsports NCTS Race Recap: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL

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Official Release
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NIECE MOTORSPORTS
NCTS RACE RECAP: CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY ROVAL
Event: Ecosave 250 (67 laps / 152.76 miles)
Round: 22 of 25 (Playoffs Round of 8)
Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Location: Concord, North Carolina
Date & Time: Friday, October 3 | 3:30 PM ET

No. 41 Circle B Diecast Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Josh Bilicki | Crew Chief: Mike Shiplett

Start: 10th
Stage 1: 12th
Stage 2: 10th
Finish: 6th
Driver Points: N/A
Owner Points: 36th

  • Key Takeaway: Josh Bilicki and the No. 41 team put their pace and determination on display at the Charlotte ROVAL. Bilicki qualified inside the top-10 and held his track position throughout the event. By virtue of great strategy calls, the team found themselves near the front of the pack on several occasions. Late in the final stage, contact from behind sent Bilicki spinning backwards resulting in a massive loss of time. As the driver began to make up the lost ground, an overtime restart fell perfectly into place. Bilicki was able to navigate through chaos to earn his best-career NASCAR finish in sixth-place.
  • Josh Bilicki’s Post-Race Thoughts: “We had an up-and-down day, but we had top-five speed all race, honestly. I restarted there in fourth and got spun while running fourth in stage three. We came back to 12th before the caution. I felt like that would have been an okay finish, but that caution really saved us and [we] drove back to sixth. 12th to sixth on the last restart was good, but I’m a little disappointed not being able to get a top-five. I’ve made 230-plus NASCAR starts across the top-three series and I still don’t have a top-five.

That was close, and we had the truck to do it, but I just honestly ran out of time. There were a couple of spins over here that I got checked up in, and it worked out for us because we gained some spots, but it also set us back time-wise compared to the top-five. That was a great day and it’s hard to be disappointed. I’m not disappointed, as I’m very thankful for the opportunity too, but I really wanted a top-five.”

About Circle B Diecast: Circle B Diecast, originally known as Plan B Sales, was founded in 2010 and started as a Lionel die-cast and Chase Authentics apparel wholesale distributor. The Concord, N.C. based company has grown into the largest independent racing collectibles distributor in the United States. Circle B Diecast offers both retail and wholesale customers a vast array of products through their website, www.circlebdiecast.com.

No. 42 Utilitra Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Matt Mills | Crew Chief: Landon Polinski

Start: 17th
Stage 1: 30th
Stage 2: 9th
Finish: 17th
Driver Points: 17th
Owner Points: 22nd

  • Key Takeaway: Matt Mills and the No. 42 team experienced a lot at the Charlotte ROVAL, but had considerable speed throughout the 70-lap event. Mills started the race in 17th, but had an early setback on the first pit stop after making contact with a teammate on pit road. The team made repairs to the toe on Mills’ truck, and elected to stay out to pick up a couple of points by finishing ninth in stage two. Mills battled hard with his teammates and got faster in each run. On the last stop of the day, however, Mills had to serve a speeding penalty, but was ultimately able to recover for a 17th-place result.
  • Matt Mills’ Post-Race Thoughts: “Today was definitely a big learning experience; I made a lot of mistakes that I can learn from. In stage one, it was going pretty well until I went off-track. It kind of looked like we were going to have a three-wide situation and I took a safe bet by giving room. We kind of had to crawl back all day from mistakes I made. We ran into our teammate on pit road, and that was a big hassle. It knocked our toe out and we were just fighting the truck the rest of the day.

We had to just take what opportunities we could, and we did just that. Then, I made another mistake on pit road by speeding. With two to go, we had to restart dead last, and worked our way back up to 17th. Just a lot of aggression out there today, but we can load it back onto the hauler on all fours and take what we can get. Thank you to Utilitra and all of my guys for the hard work.”

About Utilitra: Utilitra is a woman-owned firm specializing in utility and technology solutions with a diverse team of specialized professionals. Utilitra is committed to solving their client’s unique challenges, whether one expert or a team of experts is needed. By adapting to the needs of their respective industries, Utilitra has built a range of services for their utility and technology partners. See how Utilitra is powering businesses at www.utilitra.com.

About J.F. Electric: J.F. Electric is an electrical contractor that provides engineering expertise, backed by construction and installation know-how in a diverse range of service offerings, from utilities and commercial projects, to industrial and telecommunications customers. When having a long family history in an industry, a company not only builds on its knowledge and experience, it takes pride in cultivating a solid understanding of client needs, all the while nurturing strong relationships with its employees. Evolving through five generations of the Fowler family, J.F. Electric has matured into a well-managed and thoughtfully diversified electrical contractor which is poised to continue its growth and expansion into the future. Connect with J.F. Electric’s services at www.jfelectric.com.

No. 44 Telcel Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Andrés Pérez de Lara | Crew Chief: Wally Rogers

Start: 13th
Stage 1: 16th
Stage 2: 33rd
Finish: 32nd
Driver Points: 15th
Owner Points: 16th

  • Key Takeaway: Andrés Pérez de Lara and the No. 44 team had potential for a great run at the Charlotte ROVAL, but were plagued with a mechanical failure which essentially ended their race. Pérez de Lara began the race in 13th, but quickly advanced into the top-10 after the initial start. A nice strategy call set the rookie up for an opportunity to gain track position in stage two, but disaster struck shortly after the restart. While initially believed to be a transmission issue, the Telcel team later discovered a sheared left rear axle to be the culprit. After replacing the broken component in the garage area, the team got the truck back in the race several laps down. Pérez de Lara came home in 32nd.
  • Andrés Pérez de Lara’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Obviously, that was a bit of a frustrating day for us to finish like that when we had such high expectations. It’s always hard when stuff like that happens, but in the end, we had the speed and we just kept getting better. One day it’s going to fall our way, and I’m sure we’re going to have a really good result. We’ll come back stronger on the next one, so thank you very much to Chevrolet, Telcel, and everyone on the No. 44 team.”

About Telcel: Telcel is Mexico’s leading telecommunications company, providing nationwide coverage, cutting-edge mobile connectivity, and high-speed internet services to millions of users. With over 30 years of experience, Telcel continues to innovate in digital communication, offering solutions that keep people connected anytime, anywhere.

No. 45 DQS Solutions & Staffing Chevrolet Silverado RST
Driver: Bayley Currey | Crew Chief: Phil Gould

Start: 12th
Stage 1: 15th
Stage 2: 13th
Finish: 12th
Driver Points: 22nd
Owner Points: 11th

  • Key Takeaway: Bayley Currey and the No. 45 team overcame several moments of adversity throughout the day at the Charlotte ROVAL to come away with a respectable finish. Currey’s issues began in qualifying, where a spin led to hard contact with the SAFER barrier. The crew made significant repairs to the truck prior to the race, and had to start from the rear of the field after qualifying 12th. Once the race began, Currey maneuvered his way into the top-15 with ease until colliding with his teammate on pit road in stage one. Not to be deterred, the team marched forward again and battled back with plenty of contact made along the way. The battered truck crossed the line in 12th-place.
  • Bayley Currey’s Post-Race Thoughts: “Man, that was an up-and-down day to say the least. I made a mistake in qualifying; we lost fuel pressure and I looked down at the dash and went right off-track and into the wall. I messed up, knocked the back of the truck off, and made a lot of work for our guys. I’m super proud of the effort they put in and the work they did to get that truck back as good as it was when we started the race. I think we gained 10-12 spots in the first two laps. We had a really, really good truck.

Unfortunately, in stage one, we short pitted and made some contact with our teammate on pit road. That knocked the toe out, and we just weren’t the same for the rest of the day. We still had a really fast truck, but had to work a lot harder to keep it up there. On the second-to-last caution, I got drove through on the restart and ended up knocking the nose off our truck and taking another one of our teammates out since I was getting pushed from behind in the hairpin. That set us back even more, so we fell down through the field, but that late caution helped us out.

We came back to 12th, but I’m really, really proud of this group today for everything they put in. We brought a really fast truck, and even though we had to overcome adversity, we just kept fighting. Huge thanks to them, DQS Solutions & Staffing, J.F. Electric, Precision Vehicle Logistics, and everyone that works so hard on our team.”

About DQS Solutions & Staffing: Guided by a mission to achieve excellence and adaptability, DQS partners with clients to create custom solutions that address unique business challenges. Recognized as Michigan’s fastest-growing company and #22 in the nation on the Inc. 5000 list, DQS drives industry growth while giving back through its nonprofit, Foundation for Pops, and partnerships like the River Rouge School District.

About Niece Motorsports: Niece Motorsports is a professional auto racing team that has competed in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) since 2016. Fielding the Nos. 41, 42, 44 and 45 trucks, the team has garnered nine wins, 50+ top-fives, 100+ top-10s, 200+ top-15 finishes and made five playoff appearances. Founded by United States Marine Corps Veteran Al Niece, the team is owned by Josh Morris of DQS Solutions and Staffing and the Fowler Family of J.F. Electric and Utilitra. At its 80,000 sq. ft. headquarters in Salisbury, NC, Niece Motorsports is a full-service race vehicle build shop as well as a customizable fabrication shop for any manufacturing needs.

Follow the Team: To keep up to date with the latest team news, visit niecemotorsports.com or connect on Facebook and Instagram (@NieceMotorsports) as well as X (@NieceMotorsport).

Corey Heim rallies for wild Truck victory at Charlotte Roval; clinches Championship 4 berth

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Corey Heim rallied from early adversity on the opening lap that damaged his entry to win the inaugural running of the Truck Series Ecosave 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course in overtime on Friday, October 3.

The 23-year-old Heim from Marietta, Georgia, led six of 70 overscheduled laps in an event after qualifying on the pole. However, he lost the lead on the opening lap following an incident with Playoff contenders Layne Riggs and Grant Enfinger. Plummeting towards the bottom of the leaderboard, Heim spent a majority of the event carving his damaged truck back up the leaderboard. Meanwhile, teammate Brent Crews dominated with the lead.

Through methodical driving and smooth executions through pit strategies, Heim was initially poised to settle in the runner-up spot behind Crews when a late-race caution with three laps remaining due to teammate Toni Breidinger stalled on the track presented an opportunity for Heim. As Heim was among a handful of competitors who elected to not pit while teammate Crews did prior to an overtime shootout, Heim then had enough horsepower to fend off teammates Crews and Giovanni Ruggiero during an overtime shootout to notch his unprecedented 10th NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series victory of the 2025 season. Heim’s victory also enabled him to secure an early automatic berth to the Championship 4 round as he will contend for this year’s series’ championship.

With on-track qualifying that determined the starting lineup occurring on Friday, October 3, Playoff contender Corey Heim notched his seventh Truck pole position of the 2025 season and the 14th of his career with a pole-winning lap at 96.492 mph in 85.064 seconds. Heim shared the front row with Playoff contender Layne Riggs, the latter of whom posted his best qualifying lap at 96.261 mph in 85.268 seconds.

Prior to the event, teammates Josh Reaume and Carter Fartuch also dropped to the rear of the field due to driver change and engine/transmission changes to their respective entries.

When the green flag waved and the Truck Series event commenced, early trouble ignited entering the first turn. Playoff contender Grant Enfinger turned Layne Riggs into Corey Heim. The contact sent Riggs spinning through the first turn while both Heim and Enfinger drove off the track as Heim also hit the tire barriers on the right side. As the rest of the field scattered to avoid the carnage, the trio of Riggs, Heim and Enfinger managed to continue without drawing a caution and they pitted to have their respective entries repaired. 

Amid the carnage, Brent Crews escaped with the lead. He led the field through the infield turns (Turns 1-6) and a sharp left-hand turn of Turn 7 before he navigated back on Charlotte’s oval-shaped circuit. Through the remaining turns of Turns 8 to 17, including a backstretch and frontstretch chicane, Crews led the first lap over Playoff contender Kaden Honeycutt and Giovanni Ruggiero. Playoff contender Ty Majeski and Connor Zilisch trailed in the top five. 

During the second lap, more on-track carnage ensued. Ben Rhodes, racing in the top-15 mark, slid off the track entering Turn 6 and collided into the tire barriers. The caution initially did not fly following Rhodes’s incident. But as Rhodes limped his demolished No. 99 TSport Ford F-150 Truck Series entry around the circuit and back to the infield, the caution flew. 

The start of the following restart on the sixth lap featured Crews rocketing his No. 1 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry away from teammate Ruggiero, Honeycutt and the rest of the field through the first turn, the infield turns and the left-hand turn in Turn 7 before the field navigated through the remaining oval turns and chicanes on the backstretch and frontstretch. Despite a spin involving Timmy Hill occurring on the frontstretch chicane, the race remained under green flag conditions as Crews led the following lap. 

Through the first 10 scheduled laps, Crews was leading by four seconds over teammate Ruggiero. Honeycutt, Connor Zilisch and Ty Majeski occupied the top five spots. Josh Bilicki, Parker Kligerman, Playoff contender Tyler Ankrum, Tanner Gray and Playoff contender Rajah Caruth followed in the top-10. Behind, Connor Mosack occupied 11th place ahead of Andres Perez De Lara, Daniel Hemric, Bayley Currey, Jake Garcia and Matt Crafton. Heim navigated his way up to 17th place. Meanwhile, Riggs and Enfinger were mired in 20th and 22nd, respectively.

Five laps later, Crews extended his advantage to six seconds over both Ruggiero and Zilisch while Honeycutt and Majeski continued to trail in the top five by single digits. Meanwhile, Kligerman had plummeted to 27th place due to reports of a broken rear end to his entry while Chandler Smith spun by himself through the frontstretch chicane.

Two laps later, early pit strategies within the field ensued as a bevy of names that included Zilisch, Bilicki, Mosack, Heim, Enfinger, Perez De Lara, Bayley Currey, Tanner Gray, Matt Crafton and Matt Mils pitted their respective entries under green flag conditions. During the pit stops, Mills collided into the side of teammate Currey. Amid the incident, Crews surrendered the lead to pit during the next lap along with teammate Ruggiero while Honeycutt cycled into the lead. 

When the first stage period concluded on Lap 20, Honeycutt fended off Majeski to capture his first Truck stage victory of the 2025 season. Ankrum, Hemric and Crews followed suit in the top five. Zilisch, Caruth, Ruggiero, Corey LaJoie and Riggs (who was racing with a broken sway bar) were scored in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Heim was mired back in 17th place while Enfinger was in 23rd place. 

Under the first stage break period, some led by Honeycutt and including Majeski, Ankrum, Hemric, Caruth and Riggs pitted. The rest, led by Crews, remained on the track.

The second stage period started on Lap 24 as Crews and Zilisch occupied the front row. At the start, Crews muscled away from Zilisch and the rest of the field through the first turn and the infield turns before he made the sharp left-hand turn in Turn 7 and led through the oval turns. With Jake Garcia spinning in Turn 7, the race remained under green flag conditions. Crews proceeded to lead the following lap over Zilisch, LaJoie, Ruggiero and Bilicki. 

As the race progressed, a pair of incidents occurred. Kris Wright spun in Turn 6 while Dawson Sutton and Timmy Hill, both of whom had tangled earlier in the event, tangled again and Sutton hit an infield sign through the frontstretch chicane. Amid both incidents, the race remained under green flag conditions. Crews retained the lead by more than three seconds over Zilisch at the Lap 30 mark. Meanwhile, Heim had carved his way up to third place over Bilicki and Ruggiero. Honeycutt, Curey, LaJoie, Enfinger and Chandler Smith trailed in the top 10.

On Lap 36 and with a tire carcass being spotted towards a turn apron, select names that included Mosack, Ruggiero and Tanner Gray pitted their respective entries under green flag conditions before more names that included Zilisch, Bilicki, Currey, Chandler Smith, Majeski, Jack Wood, Garcia and Riggs pitted during the next lap. The race, though, remained under green flag conditions amid the tire carcass. 

Crews then mirrored his move towards the conclusion of the first stage period by pitting before the second stage’s conclusion, along with teammate Heim. Honeycutt elected to remain on the track and inherit the lead.

When the second stage period concluded on Lap 40, Honeycutt cruised to his second consecutive Truck stage victory of the event. Enfinger trailed in second place by seven seconds. Caruth, Hemric, Crews, Ankrum, Zilisch, Heim, Matt Mills and Bilicki were scored in the top 10, respectively. Meanwhile, Majeski and Riggs were mired in 17th and 23rd as 31 of 36 starters were scored on the lead lap.

During the second stage break period, some led by Honeycutt and including Enfinger, Caruth, Hemric and Ankrum pitted. The rest, led by Crews, remained on the track.

With 23 laps remaining, the final stage period at Charlotte commenced as Crews and Zilisch occupied the front row. At the start, Crews fended off Zilisch through the first turn to retain the lead. Crews proceeded to fend off Zilisch through the infield turns and a left-hand turn of Turn 7. Heim reeled in from fourth place. Behind, Ruggiero shoved Currey into Bilicki as Bilicki spun in Turn 7. But the event remained under green flag conditions while Crews led the following lap. 

Down to the final 20 laps of the event, Crews stabilized his lead to more than a second over runner-up Zilisch. He was nearly two seconds over Heim in third place. Currey and Majeski completed the top five ahead of Mosack, Ruggiero, Riggs, Honeycutt and Chandler Smith. By then, Playoff contenders Enfinger, Ankrum, Caruth and Hemric were mired in 14th, 15th, 16th and 18th, respectively.

Five laps later, Crews extended his advantage to more than two seconds over teammate Heim in the runner-up spot. Zilisch, Majeski and Mosack completed the top-five spots ahead of Honeycutt, Ruggiero, LaJoie, Riggs and Chandler Smith. Meanwhile, Ankrum, who was racing in the top 15, had plummeted to 23rd place after he spun in Turn 7. Caruth, Enfinger and Hemric were scored in 13th, 15th and 16th, respectively.

With 10 laps remaining, Crews continued to lead by more than three seconds over teammate Heim while Zilisch, Majeski and Honeycutt followed suit along with Mosack, Ruggiero, LaJoie, Riggs and Chandler Smith. Meanwhile, Matt Crafton, who was racing within the top-15 mark, was mired back in 23rd place after he got bumped by Currey in Turn 7.

Down to the final five laps, Crews, who was navigating his way through lapped traffic, maintained his lead by more than a second over teammate Heim, with Heim having shaved some of his deficit to Crews, while Zilisch trailed by in third place. As the rest of the field led by top-five competitors Majeski and Honeycutt trailed by double digits, Crews continued to methodically navigate his way through every turn and straightaway around the Charlotte Roval.

Then with three laps remaining, the caution flew when Toni Breidinger stalled just past Turn 5. The caution all but stalled Crews’ steady advantage over teammate Heim, but also generated fuel concerns for Crews. During the caution period, a number of competitors led by Crews and including Zilisch, Majeski, Honeycutt, Ruggiero, LaJoie, Caruth, Enfinger, Hemric and Ankrum while the rest led by Heim and including Mosack, Riggs and Chandler Smith remained on the track.

At the start of overtime, Heim rocketed away from Mosack, Chandler Smith, Majeski and the field entering the first turn while Riggs, who went wide prior to the restart, fell off the pace due to a clutch issue. As Heim continued to lead through both the infield turns and Turn 7, trouble occurred in Turn 7 as Chandler Smith was bumped and sent for a spin by Mosack, who was rubbing fenders with Majeski. The carnage enabled Crews, who restarted seventh on four fresh tires, to navigate his way into the runner-up spot as he was followed by teammate Ruggiero, Caruth, Honeycutt and Zilisch. Amid the jostling within the field, Heim proceeded to lead through both the backstretch and frontstretch chicanes.

When the white flag waved and the final lap started, Heim remained in the lead by two seconds over teammates Crews and Ruggiero. As more on-track incidents ensued through every turn and straightaway, Heim was able to smoothly navigate his damaged No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry around the Charlotte Roval circuit for a final time before he navigated his way through the frontstretch and claimed the checkered flag by more than a second over teammate Crews.

With the victory, Heim set a record for the most victories recorded in a single Truck Series season at 10. The previous record was held by Greg Biffle, who won nine races in 1999. Heim also achieved his third road course victory of the 2025 season, his sixth victory over the previous eight races and he completed a clean sweep of both Charlotte Truck races in 2025.

Above all, Heim, who notched his 21st career victory, secured a berth to the Championship 4 round for a third consecutive season. In three races, the Georgian will contend for his first Craftsman Truck Series championship during the season-finale event at Phoenix Raceway.

Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

“Once the right front was buried in the fence, I thought we were pretty much done,” Heim said. “It is honestly pretty wild that we didn’t have any completely break from that incident and have to roll around half the pace all day. [The truck] certainly wasn’t as good as it was in practice. I thought we were pretty lights out, and pretty much a P1 potential truck all the way through practice and qualifying, but had to fight for it.

I’m so thankful for this TRICON [Racing] group and their resilience – to be able to make my steering wheel from 90 degrees left down the straightaways, all towed out and messed up, to a competitive truck there in the end, it is pretty incredible to say the least. To have all the success we’ve had this year, it just shows I’m working with the best group in the garage.”

As Heim celebrated his comeback victory, Brent Crews, who led a race-high 56 laps, was left strapped in a career-best second-place result in his eighth Truck Series start. Amid the disappointment, Crews was also left satisfied with his strong performance and being in contention for his first series victory.

“I can take a lot away from today,” Crews said. “[I] Just want to thank the good Lord above for keeping me safe. This has been a really fun week working with Trevor [Bayne] and Blake [Koch] at home, working on my craft, getting better and better every day. We had a really fast JBL Toyota Tundra today. Just grateful to keep running races and keep learning more and more. We had a super fast truck as you guys got to see with us out front leading the race today. I had a blast. Just really happy for TRICON to be able to go 1-2-3 [finish] there. Congrats to the whole No. 11 team. They did a great job all day as well. It definitely sucks, but learned a lot today and grateful for all the fans that came out today and glad we had a shot at it.”

Giovanni Ruggiero finished in third place behind teammates Heim and Crews. As a result, TRICON Garage achieved its first 1-2-3 finish in the team’s history. 

Rajah Caruth made a late charge to finish in fourth place ahead of teammate Connor Zilisch. Josh Bilicki, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, Tyler Ankrum and Connor Mosack completed the top 10 in the final running order. 

Notably, Daniel Hemric navigated his way from the rear of the field to 11th place, Kaden Honeycutt ended up in 14th place after he spun on the final lap and Layne Riggs dropped to 21st place following his late clutch issues.

There were eight lead changes for four different leaders. The event featured four cautions for 12 laps. In addition, 23 of 36 starters finished on the lead lap.

Results – Charlotte Roval:

1. Corey Heim, six laps led
2. Brent Crews, 56 laps led
3. Giovanni Ruggiero
4. Rajah Caruth
5. Connor Zilisch
6. Josh Bilicki
7. Grant Enfinger
8. Ty Majeski, one lap led
9. Tyler Ankrum
10. Connor Mosack
11. Daniel Hemric
12. Bayley Currey
13. Dawson Sutton
14. Kaden Honeycutt, seven laps led, Stages 1 & 2 winner
15. Will Rodgers
16. Timmy Hill
17. Matt Mills
18. Corey LaJoie
19. Chandler Smith 
20. Spencer Boyd
21. Layne Riggs
22. Jack Wood
23. Jake Garcia
24. Matt Crafton, one lap down
25. Ben Maier, one lap down
26. Kris Wright, one lap down
27. Wesley Slimp, one lap down
28. Mason Maggio, one lap down
29. Tyler Tomassi, one lap down
30. Toni Breidinger – OUT, Electrical
31. Tanner Gray – OUT, Transmission
32. Andres Perez De Lara, 16 laps down
33. Josh Reaume – OUT, DVP
34. Carter Fartuch – OUT, Engine
35. Parker Kligerman – OUT, Suspension
36. Ben Rhodes – OUT, Accident
*Bold indicates Playoff contenders.

Playoff standings:

1. Corey Heim – Advanced
2. Tyler Ankrum +2
3. Daniel Hemric +2
4. Rajah Caruth +1
5. Layne Riggs -1
6. Ty Majeski -2
7. Grant Enfinger -4
8. Kaden Honeycutt -4

The Round of 8 in the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Playoffs continues at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama, for the Love’s RV Stop 225. The event is scheduled to occur on October 17 and air at 4 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

HEIM OVERCOMES LAP 1 INCIDENT, WINS RECORD-SETTING 10th TRUCK WIN THIS SEASON

By
Official Release
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Heim clinches third straight Championship 4 berth, while TRICON scores first 1-2-3 finish

CONCORD, N.C. (October 3, 2025) – Corey Heim overcame a lap one incident and drove through the field before taking the lead on the final restart to claim victory. The Georgia-native now holds the record with his 10th victory this season, while this was his 21st victory of his career. In the last eight races, Heim has won six and he has now clinched his berth in the Championship 4 at Phoenix at the end of the month. It is the third straight year that Heim will be a Championship 4 participant.

Heim led his TRICON teammates and fellow Toyota Development Drivers Brent Crews, who led a race-high 55 laps, and Gio Ruggiero to the finish – delivering the first 1-2-3 for TRICON in their history.

Kaden Honeycutt also had stellar day. The Texas-native won both stages for the first time in his career and was in position for a top-five finish before he got spun on the final lap. He rallied to finish 14th. He closed the gap in the point standings and sits just four points from the cutline, and five points from second, heading to Talladega Superspeedway.

Toyota GAZOO Racing Post-Race Recap
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS)
Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL
Race 22 of 25 – 152.76 Miles, 67 Laps

TOYOTA FINISHING POSITIONS

1st, COREY HEIM
2nd, BRENT CREWS
3rd, GIO RUGGIERO
4th, Rajah Caruth*
5th, Connor Zilisch*
14th, KADEN HONEYCUTT
16th, TIMMY HILL
27th, WESLEY SLIMP
30th, TONI BREIDINGER
31st, TANNER GRAY
*non-Toyota driver

TOYOTA QUOTES

COREY HEIM, No. 11 Mobil 1 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 1st

After lap one, did you think you had a shot to get here today?
“No. We had a pretty big incident there. Once the right front was buried in the fence, I thought we were pretty much done. It is honestly pretty wild that we didn’t have any completely break from that incident and have to roll around half the pace all day. It certainly wasn’t as good as it was in practice. I thought we were pretty lights out, and pretty much a p1 potential truck all the way through practice and qualifying but had to fight for it. I’m so thankful for this TRICON group and their resilience – to be able to make my steering wheel from 90 degrees left down the straightaways, all towed out and messed up, to a competitive truck there in the end, it is pretty incredible to say the least. To have all the success we’ve had this year, it just shows I’m working with the best group in the garage. Super thankful for TRICON, Toyota, Safelite and Mobil 1 for all their efforts. Kind of speechless on what this means to me – it hasn’t sunk in yet, but couldn’t do it without TRICON, Toyota, Safelite and Mobil 1.”

BRENT CREWS, No. 1 JBL Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, TRICON Garage

Finishing Position: 2nd

Led 55 laps today. What are the positives you can take away from the performance?

“I can take a lot away from today. Just want to thank the good Lord above for keeping me safe. This has been a really fun week working with Trevor (Bayne, competition mentor) and Blake (Koch, competition mentor) at home – working on my craft. Getting better and better every day. We had a really fast JBL Toyota Tundra today. Just grateful to keep running races and keep learning more and more. We had a super-fast truck as you guys got to see with us out front leading the race today. I had a blast. Just really happy for TRICON to be able to go 1-2-3 there. Congrats to the whole 11 (Corey Heim) team – they did a great job all day as well. It definitely sucks but learned a lot today and grateful for all the fans that came out today and glad we had a shot at it.”

KADEN HONEYCUTT, No. 52 Halmar International Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, Halmar Friesen Racing

Finishing Position: 14th

Not the finish you wanted today, but still a strong run with those stage wins.

“It definitely sucks not having that finish. I felt like my guys did an amazing job and gave me an amazing truck today. Thank you to Halmar-Friesen Racing, Halmar, Mohawk Northeast, Toyota – they gave me the best preparation that I’ve ever had going to a road course. It is all thanks to them. Everyone at TPC (Toyota Performance Center) for keeping me locked in. It is so hard to hold my tongue about this – I don’t understand why stuff like this happens. All year – we’ve ran good and just had no results. It is what it is, but thankfully we are only four under, so it could be a whole lot worse. Thanks to my guys – they gave me an amazing truck. Thanks to everyone at Toyota, and we will move on to Talladega.”

About Toyota

Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for nearly 70 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.

Toyota directly employs nearly 64,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 49 million cars and trucks at our 14 manufacturing plants. In 2025, Toyota’s plant in North Carolina began to assemble automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.

For more information about Toyota, visit www.ToyotaNewsroom.com.

Ford Racing Notes and Quotes – NCTS Charlotte ROVAL Post-Race Quotes

By
Official Release
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Ford Racing Notes and Quotes
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Ecosave 250 — Charlotte Motor Speedway
Friday, October 3, 2025

Ford Finishing Results

8th – Ty Majeski
19th – Chandler Smith
21st – Layne Riggs
23rd – Jake Garcia
24th – Matt Crafton
28th – Mason Maggio
29th – Tyler Tomassi
33rd – Josh Reaume
34th – Carter Fartuch
36th – Ben Rhodes

TY MAJESKI, No. 98 Soda Sense/Curb Records Ford F-150 – “It obviously didn’t go our way. We had that yellow at the end. It was looking like we were gonna have a solid day and it’s just a mess at the end of these road course races. We just fought it all day. I probably need to do a better job, too, so it’s just a combination of not having laps here and just struggling with getting the right balance all day.” YOU GO TO TALLADEGA NEXT. YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT RACE. “We’ve got to go to Talladega and have a good day and just not take ourselves out of it.”

LAYNE RIGGS, No. 34 Clew Ford F-150 – WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE INITIAL START? “We just got wrecked by the 9. I don’t really understand what his thought process is. People say you’re supposed to take advice from the veterans and learn from them of how to race and they race the worst out of anybody. That’s twice this year we’ve gotten wrecked by the 9 truck – at Watkins Glen and here, both road courses, two separate incidents, two blatantly wrong on his part. We drug a swaybar arm off after that contact and just had a terrible handling truck the rest of the day. At the end, we were just gonna try to salvage something, but something in the rear end housing broke or a clutch started slipping, but I had no power there at the end. The engine was running, but it would not put the power down to the tires. Everybody at Front Row Motorsports, Clew nicotine pouches, Ford Racing, they deserve a lot better day than today. I have a lot of choice words for how the initial start played out. I’m really disappointed in the amount of talent that took.” DID YOU TALK AFTER THE WATKINS GLEN INCIDENT? “He did. He called me and apologized and said he won’t do it again and he’ll make sure from here on out he’ll try to give me a little extra help when I need it. This just blew all of that right out of the water.” WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HAVE FINISHED WITHOUT THE ISSUE ON THAT LAST RESTART? “I think we could have finished in the top 10. I really wish that last caution didn’t come out. I think we were running ninth or 10th and that would have been a pretty good day for us, but it was just really not our day. I think we salvaged the absolute best we could considering the circumstances, but I hated to see that caution come out.” THE CUT LINE IS PRETTY TIGHT GOING INTO TALLADEGA. HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR WHAT’S NEXT? “No different than every other weekend. We go out and try to be as fast as we can and execute and win. Today, I feel like we did everything that we were supposed to do and it just got taken from us by a different source. We’ve got to keep it going. I know it was hard on everybody on the team. They did a really good job trying to get me back out there the best they could. We’ve just got to keep our heads high, know that we’re fast. Luckily, we’re gonna have Chandler Smith as a teammate at Talladega, so we’re gonna try to work together the best we can. Obviously, that’s a huge wild card too and Martinsville is also a wild card, so I’m not really understanding this round of the playoffs. I thought today was gonna be the least of the wild card problems and the next thing I know I couldn’t even make a corner. We’re just gonna have to do the best we can. If we get in, we get in. It’s fate and we did everything we could, but, if not, we know that we were fast all year long.”

BEN RHODES, No. 99 TSPORT Trucks Ford F-150 – “It’s tough. We’re gonna have to look at the truck and try to figure something out. I wanted to come over the pace laps and say like I did at Watkins Glen that something wasn’t feeling right, but I don’t want to say that. We already experienced something at Watkins Glen. It didn’t feel right. The wheel comes off in the race. I’m not saying that’s what happened, but I had a very similar feel – something just wasn’t right like what I had in practice and in qualifying, but I didn’t want to say anything so I didn’t and the truck just snapped. I don’t even know how I could go back and save it, so we’ll go back and look to see if something broke or what may have happened. I really don’t have a clue and then whatever that is I’m sure we’ll let everybody know, but I really hate that for everybody on the team. Our TSPORT F-150 was a lot better than how it felt right now. In practice and qualifying it was pretty comfortable, so something happened. I just don’t know what it is.” WHAT KIND OF DAMAGE DID YOU HAVE? “It’s just killed. As soon as the tires grab you, I mean, it gets front, it gets back, the tail is knocked down. The biggest thing is that the toe was knocked out. It grabbed the right-front tire and just twisted the whole tie rod out. My steering wheel went from being straight up and down to way over to the side. There’s not much you can do with that.”

Corey Heim wins inaugural Truck pole at Charlotte Roval

By
Andrew Kim
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Photo by John Knittel for SpeedwayMedia.com.

Playoff contender Corey Heim claimed the pole position for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series’ inaugural running of the Ecosave 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course (Roval) on Friday, October 3.

The event’s starting lineup was determined through a single qualifying round, where the entered competitors were split into two groups after the event’s practice session. The competitors in each group were given 20 minutes to post a qualifying lap. After the time trials, the driver posting the overall fastest lap time is awarded the pole position.

During the event’s qualifying trials, Heim, who was the fastest competitor during the event’s lone practice session earlier on Friday, qualified in the second group and posted a pole-winning lap at 96.492 mph in 85.064 seconds. 

With the pole, Heim, a Marietta, Georgia, native and driver of the No. 11 Mobil 1/TRICON Garage Toyota Tundra TRD Pro entry, notched his seventh Craftsman Truck Series pole of the 2025 season and the 14th of his career. The pole was also Heim’s third of the 2025 season on road courses. He previously started on the pole at Lime Rock Park and Watkins Glen International, and won both events.

Currently, Heim is one of eight Playoff contenders battling for one of four Championship 4 berths as Friday’s Charlotte Roval event marks the first of three events in the Playoff’s Round of 8. While Heim was left pleased with the pole, he now sets his sights on executing a smooth, methodical event in the series’ first race on the Roval that would enable him to secure an early berth to the Championship 4 round amid a dominant season highlighted with nine victories.

“It was a little bit of a guessing game with the trucks never have been to the [Charlotte] Roval in prior years,” Heim said. “[I’] Glad we could hit that setup on the dot and all the sim work we did leading up to the event with Toyota, which really translated well for us.

“I think track position’s going to be big here,” Heim continued, “mostly just to stay ahead of the chaotic mid-pack action and what not. It’s going to be tough to figure out strategy with flipping stages potentially and stuff like that, but glad that we could start [the weekend] off on a high note.”

Heim will share the front row with fellow Playoff contender Layne Riggs, the latter of whom clocked in his best lap at 96.261 mph in 85.268 seconds. Brent Crews and Playoff contenders Grant Enfinger and Kaden Honeycutt will start in the top five, respectively.

Connor Zilisch, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor who is making a one-race appearance in the series with Spire Motorsports’ No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado RST team and who was the fastest competitor in the first qualifying group, will start in sixth place, with his best lap occurring at 95.754 mph in 85.720 seconds. Rookie Giovanni Ruggiero, Corey LaJoie, Playoff contender Ty Majeski and Josh Bilicki will start in the top 10, respectively.

With five of eight Playoff contenders starting in the top 10, the remaining contenders that include Tyler Ankrum, Rajah Caruth and Daniel Hemric will start 11th, 18th and 34th, respectively. Hemric was unable to post a qualifying lap due to a broken suspension that occurred in practice

With 36 competitors vying for 36 starting spots, all of the entered competitors made the event.

Qualifying position, Best speed, Best time:

1. Corey Heim, 96.492 mph, 85.064 seconds

2. Layne Riggs, 96.261 mph, 85.268 seconds

3. Brent Crews, 96.228 mph, 85.297 seconds

4. Grant Enfinger, 96.196 mph, 85.326 seconds

5. Kaden Honeycutt, 96.010 mph, 85.491 seconds 

6. Connor Zilisch, 95.754 mph, 85.720 seconds

7. Giovanni Ruggiero, 95.690 mph, 85.777 seconds

8. Corey LaJoie, 95.646 mph, 85.816 seconds

9. Ty Majeski, 95.563 mph, 85.891 seconds

10. Josh Bilicki, 95.491 mph, 85.956 seconds

11. Tyler Ankrum, 95.216 mph, 86.204 seconds

12. Bayley Currey, 94.965 mph, 86.432 seconds

13. Andres Perez de Lara, 94.954 mph, 86.442 seconds

14. Tanner Gray, 94.937 mph, 86.457 seconds

15. Connor Mosaic. 94.931 mph, 86.463 seconds

16. Parker Kligerman, 94.817 mph, 86.567 seconds

17. Matt Mills, 94.813 mph, 86.570 seconds

18. Rajah Caruth, 94.551 mph, 86.810 seconds

19. Dawson Sutton, 94.346 mph, 96.999 seconds

20. Chandler Smith, 94.016 mph, 87.304 seconds

21. Ben Maier, 93.924 mph, 87.390 seconds

22. Ben Rhodes, 93.911 mph, 87.402 seconds

23. Jake Garcia, 93.769 mph, 87.534 seconds 

24. Matt Crafton, 93.743 mph, 87.559 seconds

25. Kris Wright, 93.656 mph, 87.640 seconds

26. Timmy Hill, 93.524 mph, 87.764 seconds

27. Jack Wood, 93.428 mph, 87.854 seconds

28. Wesley Slimp, 93.289 mph, 87.985 seconds

29. Mason Maggio, 92.215 mph, 89.005 seconds 

30. Toni Breidinger, 92.093 mph, 89.127 seconds

31. Will Rodgers, 91.921 mph, 89.294 seconds

32. Spencer Boyd, 91.319 mph, 89.883 seconds

33. Tyler Tomassi, 90.730 mph, 90.446 seconds

34. Daniel Hemric, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds

35. Josh Reaume, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds

36. Carter Fartuch, 0.000 mph, 0.000 seconds

*Bold indicates Playoff contenders.

The 2025 Ecosave 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Road course is scheduled to occur on Friday, October 3, and air at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM.

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview- Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval

By
Official Release
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Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport
NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Overview-
Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval; October 4, 2025

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval
Race: Blue Cross Blue Shield NC 250; 67 Laps – 20/20/27
Date/Broadcast: Saturday; October 4, 2025 5:00 p.m ET
TV: CW Network
Radio: PRN Radio – Check Local Listings for affiliate, and SiriusXM NASCAR Channel 90
Social Media: Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport; Facebook, Instagram, and X

Burton, Perkins, and Patterson Lead Three-Car Charge for
Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport at the Charlotte Roval

Concord, N.C. (October 3, 2025) – Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport is slated to mount a full three-car challenge this weekend in the Blue Cross Blue Shield NC 250 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval, one of the NASCAR Xfinity Series’ most technically demanding events. The team will field the No. 27 SpotOn GPS Fence/ Purina Dog Chow Chevrolet with Jeb Burton, the No. 31 Bommarito.com Chevrolet with Blaine Perkins, and the No. 32 WinSupply Chevrolet with Andrew Patterson, who will make his Xfinity Series debut.

Burton returns to the Roval with valuable experience, having made four prior Xfinity Series starts on the 2.32-mile course. His career highlight at the layout came in 2021, when he captured a 13th place finish. With no DNFs in his Roval history, Burton is targeting a mistake-free day that can position the No. 27 SpotOn GPS Fence/ Purina Dog Chow Chevrolet in contention for a top-10 or better.

Perkins enters with a focus on steady progression behind the wheel of the No. 31 Bommarito.com Chevrolet. In two prior Roval starts, Perkins has yet to finish inside the Top-20. This weekend, the California driver is committed to executing consistently, capitalizing on strategy opportunities, and pushing for a top-20 finish — with the stretch goal of breaking into the top-15.

The weekend also marks a milestone for Andrew Patterson, who makes his Xfinity Series debut in the No. 32 WinSupply Chevrolet. A longtime Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport team member and ARCA competitor, Patterson has already impressed in the developmental ranks, including a second-place ARCA result at Salem two weeks ago and a sixth-place ARCA result earlier this year at Charlotte. With his first Xfinity laps on the horizon, Patterson’s objectives are centered on completing all 67 circuits, learning the car in race trim, and delivering a clean run that demonstrates growth potential for future opportunities.

With Burton’s veteran experience, Perkins’ determination for improvement, and Patterson’s first step into the national spotlight, Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport enters the Blue Cross Blue Shield NC 250 with both competitive ambition and long-term vision. The Roval’s unforgiving nature demands precision, and the team is prepared to showcase the grit and resilience that continue to fuel its rise in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

Supporters are urged to follow Jordan Anderson Racing Bommartio Autosport’s social channels across Facebook, Instagram, and X for exclusive behind-the-scenes content throughout the day at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.

About Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito Autosport

Jordan Anderson Racing Bommarito AutoSport is a NASCAR team, owned by owner/driver Jordan Anderson and Bommarito Automotive Group President, John Bommarito. Established in 2017 the organization is fueled by an incredible, close-knit team of employees, fans, and sponsors with a focus on integrity in the pursuit of excellence. Our goal is to embrace the journey we’re on and to never give up – whether on the track, in the pits, or in life. Every single team partner, and fan of ours, is what keeps our race cars running strong and our team performing at the highest level.

ERIK JONES SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS THROUGH THE WINDOW OF HOPE PROGRAM AT CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

By
Official Release
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  • The driver of the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE will run the pink window net program to raise money for Breast Cancer for the third straight year
  • Jones will run two names of breast cancer heroes on his pink highlighted No. 43 Tri-State/Massey Motor Freight Toyota Camry XSE at the Charlotte ROVAL

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 3, 2025) – Erik Jones, driver of the No. 43 Tri-State/Massey Motor Freight Toyota Camry XSE for LEGACY MOTOR CLUB, will support Breast Cancer Awareness Month for the third consecutive year through the Window of Hope program at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway.

The Erik Jones Foundation is once again executing the Window of Hope program at the Charlotte ROVAL to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness month. Jones was passed down the program from former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kurt Busch in 2023 and has continued the tradition of raising funds for breast cancer awareness and assistance. This weekend, each Cup Series team will run a pink window net during the Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte to honor breast cancer survivors and those who have lost their battle.

“The Window of Hope program was an opportunity that got passed on to us from Kurt Busch and it fit perfectly with the Erik Jones Foundation,” Jones stated. “It’s close to our core values, and we raised over $50,000 in 2024 alone. I’m proud to be back doing it for a third year, and it means a lot that all of the teams get involved. It’s such a good cause that brings our NASCAR community together.”

To kick off the month Jones visited the speedway for its annual “Paint the Wall” event on Tuesday, Sept. 30 with Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and over 100 breast cancer survivors. He discussed the Window of Hope program and unveiled his No. 43 Tri-State/Massey Motor Freight Toyota Camry XSE for the Charlotte ROVAL – on which the company chose to change its normal mint highlights for pink to honor the month.

“Paint the Wall is such a great event, and I’m so happy to be able to participate in it again,” Jones said. “It’s great to see all of the survivors out at Charlotte helping us paint the wall. My mom’s a breast cancer survivor so it hits close to home. She went through a battle about 10 years ago, and it’s near and dear to my heart, in a lot of ways.”

In addition to the pink accents on the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE, Jones will run two names on the driver side and passenger side of the door – highlighting two breast cancer heroes. On the passenger side, Jones will carry along Stephanie Virginia Ellen, a lifelong NASCAR fan who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2017. The last race she attended with her parents before her passing was in 2013 at Charlotte, and both of her parents will be in attendance this weekend.

On the driver’s side, Jones will honor his longtime manager and a family friend, Amy Stein. Stein has been a staple in the sport and Erik Jones’ career since 2016. She battled breast cancer in 2007 and has since beat the disease. She continues to advocate for early cancer detection on her own and through her help with Jones’ foundation.

“Cancer has probably touched most people, probably in some way, through a family or friend,” Jones explained. “They’ve known someone who’s went through that battle. I’m honored to have two names on my car who have battled it. These names tell both sides of the story, and I’m honored to help tell it.”

The Erik Jones Foundation will be auctioning off the signed pink window nets from the entire field during the Charlotte ROVAL weekend. The auction began on Wednesday, Oct. 1 and will end on Oct. 8. All proceeds will go toward a donation that will be made to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Superior Health Foundation in Michigan, and Charlotte Motor Speedway partner Atrium Health.

“This year, we decided to go with three different charities,” Jones explained. “We’re hitting the Charlotte, Michigan, and national communities with Superior Health Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, and the track’s partner, Atrium Health. All of these organizations do such great work in helping raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and assistance”

The three organization recognize Jones’ commitment to early cancer prevention and his roots in both North Carolina and Michigan. The National Breast Cancer Foundation was founded in 1991 by breast cancer survivor Janelle Hail. At the time of her diagnosis in 1980 at the young age of 34 years old, there was little information about the disease. After her treatment, Hail made it her goal to educate women and help them understand the importance of early detection through mammograms and regular checkups.

Superior Health Foundation is an organization from Jones’ home state of Michigan located in the Upper Peninsula. The foundation was created in 2012 following Duke LifePoint’s acquisition of Marquette General Health System with the vision to allow everyone to have the opportunity, support, and resources to achieve their optimal health and well-being. The organization supports breast cancer awareness through its Breast Health Fund, which provides financial assistance for screenings, diagnostics, and treatments to individuals with limited income in that area Michigan.

The third and final organization is Atrium Health which is a Charlotte Motor Speedway partner. Local to North Carolina, the healthcare system has been very active in the speedway’s breast cancer awareness month for years.

Fans can cheer Jones on in Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 on the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval. Live coverage begins at 3 p.m. EDT on USA, MAX, PRN, and SiriusXM (Channel 90).

To learn more about the Erik Jones Foundation, visit ErikJonesFoundation.org.

For more information, please email asiske@legacymotorclub.com.

About LEGACY MOTOR CLUB: LEGACY MC is a premier auto racing organization owned by seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and 2024 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee, Jimmie Johnson and Knighthead Capital Management, LLC. Drawing from a rich tradition of success, LEGACY MC is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of motorsport and setting new standards of excellence. The CLUB competes under the Toyota Gazoo Racing banner in the NASCAR Cup Series with the No. 43 Toyota Camry XSE piloted by Erik Jones and the No. 42 Toyota Camry XSE driven by John Hunter Nemechek. Johnson also races on a limited basis in the No. 84 Toyota Camry XSE. With NASCAR legend and Hall of Famer Richard Petty, “The King”, serving as CLUB Ambassador, LEGACY MC blends timeless racing traditions with a new forward-thinking vision. As an inclusive community for motorsport enthusiasts, LEGACY MC honors both its storied past and the promising future of its members, always striving for victory and championship glory at the pinnacle of NASCAR competition.

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