Late-Race Flat Tire Relegates Heim to 22nd-Place Finish

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In: NASCAR Truck Series News
Corey Heim got back behind the wheel of the No. 51 JBL Tundra TRD Pro for the first time since picking up his first career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19.
 
Heim battled handling issues for most of the 200-mile event at Darlington on Friday night before a flat tire in the final stage relegated him to a 22nd-place finish. The 19-year-old driver will be back behind the wheel of the No. 51 Tundra next weekend as Camping World Truck Series action heads to Kansas Speedway. 
 
 
Stage One Recap
 
·        Heim lined up for Friday night’s Dead on Tools 200 in fifth after recording a lap time of 29.322 seconds.
·        During the first caution of the night on Lap 8, Heim communicated to his No. 51 team that his JBL Tundra TRD Pro “needs to be tightened up a couple of numbers on landing”.
·        On the restart, the handling issues dropped Heim outside of the top 10 but differing pit strategies throughout the field put Heim back up to third as the No. 51 team elected to stay out during the second caution of the night on Lap 21.
·        Late in the opening stanza, Heim was battling for position with the No. 99 of Ben Rhodes before getting loose and falling back to 14th, where he would take the green-and-white checkered.
 
 
Stage Two Recap:
 
·        Heim brought his No. 51 down pit road during the stage break for four tires, fuel, and a trackbar adjustment.
·        The Toyota Racing driver continued to compete in the top 15 throughout the middle stanza, but as the fifth caution of the night came out on Lap 75, Heim communicated that his JBL Tundra was still a “tick tight all the way around”.
·        Despite the handling issues, Heim was scored 10th as the green-and-white checkered flag came out to end Stage Two. 
 
 
Final Stage Recap:
 
·        During the stage break, Heim came over the radio and communicated that his JBL Tundra was “too free now” after the last adjustments.
·        Heim was making his way into back into the top-10 during the final stanza before a flat right front tire cause him to spin on Lap 118.
·        The damage from the flat caused the No. 51 team to make three unscheduled-pit stops during the final 25 laps and would relegate Heim to a 22nd-place finish. 
 
 
 
 
 
Dead On Tools 200 Recap
 
·        John Hunter Nemechek picked up his first win of the season and his 12th career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win. Carson Hocevar, Grant Enfinger, Ty Majeski, and Parker Kligerman rounded out the top-five finishers.
·        There were 10 cautions for 54 laps. There were 16 lead changes among nine drivers.
 
 
How Corey Heim’s KBM Teammates Fared:
 
·        John Hunter Nemechek, driver of the No. 4 Toyota, finished first.
·        Chandler Smith, driver of the No. 18 Toyota, finished 20th. 
 
 
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Championship Standings
 
The No. 51 fell back four spots in the Owner’s Championship standings to ninth after the first seven races of the season. They currently it 77 points back of the ThorSport Racing No. 99 team in first, but currently have a spot in the owner’s playoffs secured via Heim’s Atlanta win. 
 
 
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