NCTS Race Recap: Sober or Slammer 200

The playoffs for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series began at Darlington Raceway in the Sober or Slammer 200. Layne Riggs showed his speed as he qualified on the pole. Chandler Smith joined Riggs on the front row. Corey Heim and Grant Enfinger started the race on the second row. The stage lengths were 45 laps for the first two stages, with the final stage being 57 laps.

Riggs Not Fast Enough

Riggs got a better launch at the drop of the green flag and immediately jumped in front of Smith. Enfinger got by Heim to take third. Riggs made a mistake off turn four, which allowed Smith to take the lead on the front stretch. Smith built his lead to a second before lap ten.

Heim made his way around Enfinger and took the third spot.

Smith made a mistake, which allowed his teammate to close the gap quickly. He got into the wall and eventually blew his right front tire. As he limped his truck to the pits, Riggs assumed the lead. He thanked NASCAR over the radio for not throwing a caution.

Riggs quickly pulled out to an over two-second lead.

Trouble for Some Playoff Contenders

Kaden Honeycutt complained of a flat tire. His crew told him that it looked like all the tires were fine. He then began to smoke out of the right front, but he was able to make it to his pit box. Matt Crafton and Matt Mills also had to pit for damage after both getting into the outside wall.

Heim began to close the gap on the leader. Riggs began to slip a little bit, so the lead dropped to under a second. Riggs caught some lapped traffic, which allowed Heim to catch his tailgate. Heim drove underneath Riggs and completed the pass out of turn four.

Ty Majeski had to make an unscheduled pit stop with a flat right front tire.

Heim would take the field to the green-white checkered flag to win stage one in the Sober or Slammer 200! Riggs, Enfinger, Daniel Hemric, and Gio Ruggiero rounded out the top five.

Heim was the first truck out of the pits with Enfinger and Riggs following him.

Riggs Fought Back

Heim and Enfinger brought the field back to the green flag. Heim got a great launch and took the lead before they made it to turn one. Riggs and Hemric were also able to get by Enfinger to take second and third. Hemric then used a great run to drive by Riggs. Hemric challenged Heim for the lead but could not complete the pass.

Heim could not pull away from the field. Heim, Hemric, Riggs, and Enfinger rode nose to tailgate – less than a second separated them all.

Riggs was able to get to the right rear of Heim and challenge for the lead. Riggs drove off turn four with a huge run to take the lead.

Enfinger got around Hemric for the third position.

Riggs pulled away from Heim, increasing his lead to almost a second. He also built his lead over Hemric, in fourth, to almost five seconds.

Riggs stayed out front to win stage two in the Sober or Slammer 200! Heim, Enfinger, Hemric, and Ruggiero rounded out the top five.

Enfinger, Heim, Ruggiero, Riggs, and Hemric were the first five trucks out of the pits.

Riggs is Quick

Heim and Enfinger brought the field back to the green flag. Enfinger got a better restart, but Heim used a huge run off of turn two to retake the lead. Enfinger got back to the inside of Heim. Riggs pushed Heim back out front and was able to take second. Hemric followed Riggs past Enfinger to take third. Heim pulled away from the field by almost a second.

Enfinger got around Hemric to take third.

Riggs began closing the gap to Heim, cutting the lead down to half a second and shrinking. Riggs used a huge run off turn four to get to the inside of the leader. He was able to drive deeper into turn one to retake the lead from Heim. He immediately put over a second lead on Heim.

Heim began to swing back. He closed the gap to under a second. Heim was slowly catching the tailgate of the leader.

On lap 128, Heim made the pass for the lead after Riggs slowed with a flat right front tire. Riggs got extremely lucky when a caution came out. Honeycutt got turned around after crowding Andres Perez against the outside wall. That was the third caution of the day, the first for an on-track incident.

Everyone used this opportunity to pit for tires and fuel. Heim and Enfinger were the first two trucks out of the pits. Riggs had a very long stop. His crew needed to fix the damage from the blown tire he received after hitting the outside wall before the caution came out.

Heim Time

With 15 to go, Enfinger and Heim brought the field back to green. Heim got a great push from Hemric to retake the lead. He skipped away by over half a second over Hemric. Timmy Hill, who restarted in 14th, drove around Caruth to get into the top ten. Majeski also made some moves to into the top five.

Heim did not slow. He was able to take the white flag and then the checkered flag to win the Sober or Slammer 200! Hemric, Enfinger, Majeski, and Bayne rounded out the top five. Timmy Hill finished the race in eighth.

Marvin’s Minute:

We all expected this from Heim. He has been fast at every stop of the NASCAR Truck schedule. He is the absolute favorite to win the championship. If he does not win the championship, it will be a great example of why this playoff format is terrible. Heim has dominated this season like no one ever has. What a great way to start the playoffs for Heim.