Crash Ends Heim’s $500K Bid at Bristol

Crash Ends Heim’s $500K Bid at Bristol Jonathan Bachman - Getty Images A multi-truck crash with 70 laps remaining in Bristol Motor Speedway’s Tennessee Army National Guard 250 dashed Corey Heim’s hopes of collecting the third leg of the Triple Truck Challenge and a bonus totaling $500,000. Heim won at Darlington, the first race in the Challenge, which paid a $50,000 bonus. He then collected $150,000 when he won at Rockingham, the second event in the bonus program.

If he had claimed the victory at Bristol, he would have received $350,000 for winning all three races in the Triple Truck Challenge for a $500,000 total. Instead, NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Chandler Smith, who finished second to winner Christopher Bell, received the $50,000 bonus. Heim’s victory bid in Friday night’s 250-lap race ended while he and Christian Eckes were dueling for the lead on lap 180.

Heim passed Eckes on the frontstretch. When Eckes moved up in turn one, he hadn’t cleared Heim and he clipped the Toyota driver, spinning him up the track and into the wall backward. Heim collected victory contenders Layne Riggs and TRICON Garage teammate Kaden Honeycutt who were in the outside lane.

The race was halted for 11 minutes 51 seconds while the track was cleared. After leaving the infield care center, Heim said he didn’t believe Eckes turned him intentionally. The leaders make contact!