NASCAR fans need to appreciate Corey Heim, Christian Eckes battling for Truck Series crown

If you were to ask for a synopsis of the first 14 races of the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, a two-name summary would suffice: Corey Heim and Christian Eckes. 

Even with a modern-day NASCAR playoffs format where four drivers are guaranteed a chance to race for a championship, the hunt for the 2024 Truck Series title seems like a two-horse race that may need a Kentucky Derby-esque photo finish to determine the winner. 

Heim's win at Pocono marks his fifth victory of 2024, while Eckes won his third race of the season at Nashville on June 28, leading all 150 laps. 

While Heim checked out and wished the field well on Friday, it was Eckes who gave him his toughest battle of the evening early in the race. Starting on the pole after qualifying was rained out, Eckes couldn't hold off the No. 11 Tundra for long, and Heim soon scooted off to clinch the Stage One win. 

Heim's maximum points day only netted him an eight-point gain on Eckes for the regular-season championship, which would swing in Heim's favor if not for a disqualification at Charlotte on May 24. 

With two races remaining in the regular season, Eckes leads Heim by just 32 points. The regular-season title brings with it a reward of 15 crucial playoff points, which help drivers advance from round to round in the playoffs. 

One look at the stat sheet proves why these two Cup Series prospects are head and shoulders above the rest of the field. A combined eight wins, 25 top-10s and 18 top-fives in 28 starts easily trump the rest of the field. 

Third-place Nick Sanchez, a two-time winner on the season, sits far in the distance, 113 points out of the lead. Fourth-place Ty Majeski doesn't even have a mathematical chance to win the regular-season championship, sitting 128 points out of the lead. 

In what is likely the last season that both — if either — drivers are in the Truck Series full-time, fans need to sit back and simply enjoy the pure dominance of the two rising stars before the season ends on Nov. 8. 

Eckes and Heim's rivalry may not match that of Verstappen and Hamilton, Johnson and Gordon or Pearson and Petty, but it's certainly fun to see two of the best prospects in NASCAR throw haymakers at each other week after week.