CTS: Martinsville Truck Showdown: Heim Eyes History as Playoff Field Narrows – Speedway Digest

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series returns to its most historic short track this weekend for a milestone moment and a high-stakes playoff battle. Martinsville Speedway will host its 50th Truck Series race — second only to Texas Motor Speedway (51) — and serve as the final cutoff race before the Championship 4 is set.

Since the series’ inception in 1995, Martinsville has been a constant, one of only two tracks (alongside Phoenix) to appear on the schedule every year. In 2025, it’s one of just two venues to host the series twice, sharing that distinction with Bristol Motor Speedway.

This year’s fall race marks the eighth time Martinsville has hosted a Playoff event and the fourth time it’s served as the Round of 8 finale (2020, ’21, ’24, ’25). The stakes are sky-high, and history suggests chaos is likely: six of the last eight races here have featured 10 or more cautions, and the last four have seen a driver sweep the stages — though only three of those went on to win.

One driver who knows that frustration is Corey Heim. In March, Heim led a dominant 149 laps and swept the stages, only to finish sixth. Still, the TRICON Garage driver has been the class of the field all season. He’s already clinched a Championship 4 berth and is on the verge of rewriting the record books:

• Heim has finished in the top three in nine straight races — a Truck Series record.
• He’s led a lap in all 24 races this season, the longest streak in series history.
• He’s 83 laps shy of tying Mike Skinner’s single-season laps led record (1,533 in 1996).
• He’s the only full-time driver in all of NASCAR without a DNF in 2025.
• He’s finished top-five in all five Playoff races — a feat never before accomplished.

Heim and teammate Layne Riggs have combined to lead over 58% of all short track laps this season, helping TRICON Garage win six of the last seven races. Only RFK Racing (1999) and Kyle Busch Motorsports (2014) have won seven of eight.

But while Heim is locked in, the rest of the Round of 8 face a tense Saturday night. Only three drivers — Heim, Grant Enfinger, and Ty Majeski — have previously made the Championship 4. That guarantees at least one new face will join the title fight in Phoenix.

Rajah Caruth is best positioned to join Heim on points. If there’s a repeat winner or a non-playoff victor, Caruth can clinch with 43 points. Tyler Ankrum (49) and Kaden Honeycutt (52) also have paths via points, while Majeski, Riggs, Hemric, and Enfinger need help — or a win.

History offers hope for those below the cut: both Grant Enfinger (2020) and Zane Smith (2021) won this race from more than 40 points below the line to advance.

McAnally Hilgemann Racing, meanwhile, seeks a fourth straight Martinsville win — something no Truck Series team has ever done. Daniel Hemric delivered their most recent triumph in March, leading just four laps, the fewest for a winner here since 1995.