Corey Heim made history at Rockingham Speedway. He became the first driver this season across NASCAR’s top three series to score maximum points in a single race. Heim won both stages and posted the fastest lap of 22.965 seconds on Lap 174 of the Black’s Tire 200.
Corey Heim Gains Hall of Fame Approval From Kenny Wallace
Following his win, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace took to X to give Heim a Hall of Fame nod. After Heim’s victory, Wallace said, “@CoreyHeim_ into the @NASCARHall.” It was clearly Wallace making fun of the Hall of Fame debate.
The win came amid a very public debate regarding who belongs in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Wallace’s post dropped Heim’s name right into that conversation, which has been simmering for years. However, it grew much louder this week after two high-profile voices weighed in on their respective podcasts.
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Denny Hamlin argued on “Actions Detrimental” that the Hall should be Cup-dominant, since anyone truly worthy of induction should have been good enough to compete at NASCAR’s highest level. He used Erik Jones as an example.
Hamlin suggested a veteran Cup driver like Jones could stack up championships in smaller series and become a Hall candidate on those numbers alone. In Hamlin’s view, this would diminish the greats already enshrined.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., himself a Hall of Fame member, pushed back firmly on “The Dale Jr. Download.” His position is straightforward: he said it’s the NASCAR Hall of Fame, not the NASCAR Cup Hall of Fame.
Earnhardt Jr. believes the entire sport deserves representation. He specifically defended first-time nominee Ray Elder, who won just two Cup races but dominated West Coast racing, claiming six NASCAR Winston West championships across the 1960s and 1970s.
It’s a genuine disagreement between two respected figures, and neither side is wrong on its face. But the debate has now spilled out of the voting room and into the public, making it louder and harder to ignore than it’s been in years.
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Wallace’s joke about Heim may have been offhand, but it underscored something real. Heim is putting up NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series numbers that are impossible to dismiss. Heim’s Rockingham win was his second straight in the Triple Truck Challenge, earning him a $50,000 bonus.
He previously won at Darlington Raceway to begin his streak in the incentive program. Now, he heads to North Wilkesboro Speedway next Saturday to chase a $150,000 payout. This total bonus is available to a driver who sweeps all three Triple Truck Challenge races.
“Yeah, it means a lot,” Heim said of the potential payday. “I don’t really think about it in the truck, but being able to reflect on it, it would be cool to be the first person to sweep all three if we are able to do it.”
He added that sponsor Celsius coming on as primary at North Wilkesboro adds even more motivation for the No. 1 camp. The victory itself wasn’t clean or comfortable. Over the final four laps, Heim battled a vibration that felt like a tire losing air. Yet, he worked traffic smartly to hold off Kaden Honeycutt.
