Corey Heim wins at Watkins Glen in triple overtime

Corey Heim secured his sixth victory of the year in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series by winning the Mission 176 at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. The 23-year-old driver from Georgia overtook Daniel Hemric in a race that required three overtime periods to decide the winner, finishing just minutes before NASCAR's time limit due to fading daylight.

Heim's 17th series victory makes him the youngest driver to reach that milestone. The driver of the #11 Toyota for Tricon Garage led for 44 laps, the most in the race, though he had to recover from eleventh position after a restart on lap 43.

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Bell runs out of fuel while leading

Christopher Bell appeared headed for a special victory driving the #52 Toyota for Halmar Friesen Racing, substituting for team owner Stewart Friesen who suffered serious injuries in a dirt modifieds accident last week. Bell, the 2017 series champion, was leading in the closing laps of regulation distance while gambling on a fuel-saving strategy.

The race at the 2.45-mile Upstate New York circuit began relatively calmly. Only one additional caution beyond the two scheduled stage breaks interrupted the early rhythm. The situation changed dramatically in the final 20 laps when six caution periods forced three overtimes.

Rhodes loses wheel on lap 68

Ben Rhodes, who had won the second stage, suffered a hard crash when the left rear wheel came off his truck exiting turn 6, sending him into the guardrail. This incident brought out the first overtime, just as Bell maintained his lead with one lap remaining in regulation distance.

The first overtime saw Heim take the lead on the restart, but another multi-truck crash at the bus stop involved Andres Perez and Dawson Sutton, who hit the tire barriers while trying to avoid Connor Mosack's spinning truck. This forced Bell to pit for fuel, ending his victory hopes.

During the second overtime, Mosack spun again in the same spot, with Grant Enfinger and Jake Garcia making hard contact with the barriers. The third and final restart saw Heim execute a perfect move, though he had a tense moment when he swerved his Toyota's nose to get the fuel pump to pick up the last drops from the tank.

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Hemric second and Ruggiero third on final restart

Daniel Hemric, in the #19 Chevrolet for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing, pressured Heim until the end but couldn't make the pass. Nineteen-year-old Gio Ruggiero scored his best finish of the year with third place in another Tricon Garage Toyota.

Bell rallied to fourth place after his fuel stop. Tyler Ankrum completed the top five. Sammy Smith, Ty Majeski, Connor Zilisch, Matt Mills and Layne Riggs rounded out positions six through ten.

The race saw significant early attrition. Kyle Busch finished last with steering issues. Kaden Honeycutt, driving for Young's Motorsports this weekend, also retired early with mechanical problems. Ross Chastain had fuel pump issues during a pit stop.

Garcia maintains 11-point lead over Rhodes for playoffs

With just one regular season race remaining at Richmond Raceway, the battle for the final playoff spots intensifies. Jake Garcia holds an 11-point advantage over Rhodes for tenth position, with Ruggiero 21 points back.

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Friesen's absence potentially opens an additional playoff spot if NASCAR doesn't grant him a medical waiver. The driver had locked himself into the playoffs with a win at Michigan International Speedway earlier this season.

Heim extended his road course winning streak to four consecutive victories, solidifying his points lead. His win from pole position marks the second time he's accomplished that this season.

The series continues next Friday at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET), where Majeski will defend his victory from last year in the regular season finale.

Complete Results - Mission 176 at The Glen