Heim won the opening race of the semifinal round of the playoffs at Bristol and locked himself into the Championship 4. The 21-year-old Georgia native has had a breakout season with three victories, 11 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes and has led a series-best 507 laps.
Earlier this week, Tricon Garage announced Heim would return for another full-time season in Trucks in 2024.
“We still have unfinished business this season, but I am excited to have my plans set for next year,” Heim said. “We have continued to improve from top to bottom throughout this season.”
With only Heim locked in and non-playoff driver Brett Moffitt winning at Talladega, that means the other three slots to compete for the series title this year remain up for grabs with only Saturday’s race left at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The battle to make the Championship 4
Carson Hocevar, who will start second in Saturday’s race, is in the best position to advance on points, holding a 23-point advantage over the fifth-place driver, Grant Enfinger.
After Hocevar the next four drivers – Christian Eckes, Nick Sanchez, Enfinger and Ben Rhodes – are separated by just 11 points.
Sanchez has put himself in the best position for the win, winning the pole for Saturday’s race.
Reigning series champion, Zane Smith, finds himself in the worst position to advance and will most likely need to win his way into the title race.
Photo by: Jasen Vinlove / NKP / Motorsport Images
Zane Smith, Front Row Motorsports, Michael Roberts Construction Ford F-150 celebrates his victory and championship
Smith – who will move full-time to the Cup Series in 2024 – sits 36 points behind the transfer line but will line up seventh in the race – his best start in the playoffs so far.
Smith, 24, began the year with two wins in the first four races but finished 12th or worse in three of the last four events.
Ty Majeski, who dominated the semifinal round last season with a pair of wins, also will need help to advance to the championship race. He sits seventh in points, 19 behind the cutoff. He’s finished 18th or worse in the last three races.