Surprise, surprise! Corey Heim is on the pole in Loudon, New Hampshire. Sixth pole award of the year for the No. 11 Tricon Garage team. The most interesting part of qualifying has to be Chandler Smith starting P2. He’s more or less in a must-win situation if he wants to advance in the NASCAR Playoffs.
The NASCAR Truck Series Playoffs are off to a hot start. Tomorrow is going to decide the Round of 8. Smith is seen as a championship contender, but he might be left out of the fun the rest of the way.
Meanwhile, Layne Riggs is starting P4. He will attempt to win another race over Heim. The two drivers have split the last seven races between the two of them.
Heim Time came early today! @CoreyHeim_ wins the Kennametal Pole Award at @NHMS. pic.twitter.com/jslgvZziKq
— NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Trucks (@NASCAR_Trucks) September 19, 2025
The Truck Series Playoff drivers are spread throughout the field. It’s going to be an interesting race to see which trucks and drivers make it up through the field and make this a race. Otherwise, it might be another runaway for Heim.
Chandler Smith is P2 and can’t make any more mistakes in these NASCAR Playoffs. He has one chance to win this race and advance to the next round. It could be his own teammate, Layne Riggs, who takes the win away and solidifies Smith’s fate.
Corey Heim on pole for Loudon. The rest of the Truck Series qualifying results: pic.twitter.com/mgGKYRnoGP
— Jonathan Howard (@Jondean25) September 19, 2025
We al know Corey Heim is going to be the one to beat. If you had to point to one weakness for Heim, and it really isn’t much of one, it is his short track racing. Drivers are able to get the best of him on these tracks. We’ve seen him struggle to seal the deal at Phoenix the last two years. New Hampshire is a flat, one-mile oval. Will Heim struggle again as his rivals take advantage?
Since it has been a while for the Truck Series at New Hampshire, drivers had 50 minutes of practice today before qualifying. That might be the worst thing that could happen for the rest of the field as far as Corey Heim is concerned.
The more knowledge Heim has of this track, the harder it will be for the others to take him down. With how great he was in practice and qualifying, the only driver under 29 seconds, I imagine he has already gotten comfortable at the Magic Mile.
The pressure is on for some drivers. Corey Heim is not among them. But he won’t let Chandler Smith have an easy win. Getting Smith out of the picture now only makes Heim’s chances in Phoenix better.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!