Eckes, fresh off a playoff victory last weekend at Kansas, started on pole Friday night at Bristol, won both stages and led 150 of the 200 laps.
With five laps to go, Eckes exited off Turn 2 alongside the lapped truck of Tanner Gray and Heim nosed to the inside to make it three-wide and came away with the lead.
COREY HEIM WILL RACE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP IN PHOENIX! Watch as he gets by Christian Eckes late to win at Bristol. https://t.co/g7C34JaWca pic.twitter.com/7eCkDZ2aMK
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 15, 2023
Heim took the checkered flag by 0.218 seconds to claim the win, which makes him the first driver who is locked in the Championship 4 and will race for the 2023 title.
The win is the third of the season for Heim and fifth of his career.
“This is insane,” Heim said. “I feel like I’ve given so many away this year that to win that way is so special.
“I was in zone trying to catch (Eckes). I just focused forward. Just to know we’re going to race (for the championship) at Phoenix, that’s awesome.”
Grant Enfinger finished third, Carson Hocevar was fourth and Taylor Green rounded out the top five.
Completing the top-10 were Rajah Caruth, Ben Rhodes, Chase Purdy, Nick Sanchez and Matt DiBenedetto.
With two races remaining in the semifinal round of the playoffs, Zane Smith, Rhodes, Ty Majeski and Sanchez are lowest in points without a win and in danger of being eliminated from title contention.
Stage 1
Eckes led all 55 laps and held off Hocevar by 0.394 seconds to take the Stage 1 win. Majeski was third, Purdy fourth and Smith was fifth.
Jack Wood spun and wrecked and collected Dean Thompson, which knocked both drivers out of the race after 15 laps.
First caution of the night at Bristol. @NASCAR_Trucks | #NASCARonFS1 https://t.co/g38iTVIeRA pic.twitter.com/Sa3HpYEIUw
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 15, 2023
Stage 2
Eckes ran down Smith with six of 55 laps remaining and held on to claim the Stage 2 win. Sanchez was third, Heim was fourth and Enfinger rounded out the top five.
Smith got the lead by electing to pit after Stage 1 and led every green-flag lap. Majeski fell off the pace with a flat tire in the final laps, but it remained intact until the break.
Stage 3
Following the break between Stages 2 and 3, only a handful of trucks elected to pit and Eckes remained on the track and in the lead when the race resumed with 80 laps remaining.
Smith had to restart from the rear of the field after he pit outside his box while making a stop for new tires and fuel during the break.
With less than 50 laps remaining, Eckes maintained a steady advantage over Heim as Enfinger ran third, more than three seconds behind the leader.
Heim had reached Eckes’ rear bumper with 30 laps to go but was having a difficult time attempting a pass for the lead as both drivers battled through lapped traffic.
| Cla | Driver | # | Manufacturer | Laps | Time | Interval | Pits | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
C. HEIMTRICON Garage
|
11 | Toyota | 200 | 1:16'05.499 | 3 | 50 | ||
| 2 |  C. ECKESMcAnally Hilgemann Racing |
19 | Chevrolet | 200 | +0.218 | 0.218 | 5 | 55 | |
| 3 | G. ENFINGERGMS Racing |
23 | Chevrolet | 200 | +3.367 | 3.149 | 5 | 40 | |
| 4 |
C. HOCEVARNiece Motorsports
|
42 | Chevrolet | 200 | +3.610 | 0.243 | 5 | 46 | |
| 5 |
T. GRAYTRICON Garage
|
17 | Toyota | 200 | +3.816 | 0.206 | 5 | 41 | |
| 6 |
R. CARUTHGMS Racing
|
24 | Chevrolet | 200 | +4.125 | 0.309 | 5 | 38 | |
| 7 | B. RHODESThorSport Racing |
99 | Ford | 200 | +4.615 | 0.490 | 5 | 32 | |
| 8 | C. PURDYKyle Busch Motorsports |
4 | Chevrolet | 200 | +6.374 | 1.759 | 5 | 36 | |
| 9 |
N. SANCHEZRev Racing
|
2 | Chevrolet | 200 | +8.111 | 1.737 | 6 | 36 | |
| 10 | M. DIBENEDETTORackley W.A.R. |
25 | Chevrolet | 200 | +9.283 | 1.172 | 5 | 27 | |
| 11 |
J. GARCIAMcAnally Hilgemann Racing
|
35 | Chevrolet | 200 | +9.472 | 0.189 | 5 | 26 | |
| 12 |
C. KVAPILSpire Motorsports
|
7 | Chevrolet | 200 | +9.645 | 0.173 | 5 | ||
| 13 | B. CURREYNiece Motorsports |
41 | Chevrolet | 200 | +10.975 | 1.330 | 5 | 24 | |
| 14 | S. FRIESENHalmar Friesen Racing |
52 | Toyota | 200 | +11.061 | 0.086 | 5 | 23 | |
| 15 |
C. JONESThorSport Racing
|
66 | Ford | 200 | +11.176 | 0.115 | 6 | 22 | |
| 16 | M. CRAFTONThorSport Racing |
88 | Ford | 200 | +14.297 | 3.121 | 5 | 21 | |
| 17 | H. DEEGANThorSport Racing |
13 | Ford | 200 | +14.466 | 0.169 | 6 | 20 | |
| 18 | P. KLIGERMANHenderson Motorsports |
75 | Chevrolet | 200 | +16.017 | 1.551 | 7 | ||
| 19 | T. MAJESKIThorSport Racing |
98 | Ford | 200 | +16.242 | 0.225 | 7 | 26 | |
| 20 |
J. DREWHattori Racing Enterprises
|
61 | Toyota | 200 | +16.301 | 0.059 | 5 | 17 | |
| 21 |
D. DYEGMS Racing
|
43 | Chevrolet | 199 | +1 Lap | 1 Lap | 5 | 16 | |
| 22 |
C. HOWARDCR7 Motorsports
|
9 | Chevrolet | 199 | +1 Lap | 0.814 | 6 | 15 | |
| 23 | T. ANKRUMHattori Racing Enterprises |
16 | Toyota | 199 | +1 Lap | 0.635 | 7 | 14 | |
| 24 |
Z. SMITHFront Row Motorsports
|
38 | Ford | 199 | +1 Lap | 0.544 | 5 | 28 | |
| 25 |
K. HONEYCUTTYoung's Motorsports
|
02 | Chevrolet | 199 | +1 Lap | 3.874 | 5 | 12 | |
| 26 | T. HILLHill Motorsports |
56 | Toyota | 199 | +1 Lap | 0.698 | 6 | 11 | |
| 27 |
B. HOLMESBret Holmes Racing
|
32 | Chevrolet | 199 | +1 Lap | 0.305 | 7 | 10 | |
| 28 |
A. LAWLESSNiece Motorsports
|
45 | Chevrolet | 199 | +1 Lap | 4.544 | 6 | 9 | |
| 29 | T. GRAYTRICON Garage |
15 | Toyota | 198 | +2 Laps | 1 Lap | 7 | 10 | |
| 30 |
W. SAWALICHTRICON Garage
|
1 | Toyota | 197 | +3 Laps | 1 Lap | 6 | 7 | |
| 31 | S. BOYDYoung's Motorsports |
12 | Chevrolet | 196 | +4 Laps | 1 Lap | 7 | 6 | |
| 32 |
S. MALLOZZIAM Racing
|
22 | Ford | 192 | +8 Laps | 4 Laps | 6 | 5 | |
| 33 |
M. VILLARREALReaume Brothers Racing
|
33 | Ford | 191 | +9 Laps | 1 Lap | 8 | 4 | |
| 34 |
G. VANYoung's Motorsports
|
20 | Chevrolet | 140 | +60 Laps | 51 Laps | 8 | 3 | |
| 35 |
D. THOMPSONTRICON Garage
|
5 | Toyota | 14 | +186 Laps | 126 Laps | 3 | 2 | |
| 36 |
J. WOODKyle Busch Motorsports
|
51 | Chevrolet | 13 | +187 Laps | 1 Lap | 3 | 1 |
