Behind Corey Heim, Who Else in Trucks Is Worthy of Promotion?

It’s no secret that the talk of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series garage is Corey Heim.

Not just because of the fact that he is on pace to match – or at least come close to – Greg Biffle‘s single-season win record of nine in 1999 this season, but also because he is the driver with the most skills necessary for potential promotion in 2025.

In fact, Heim has made two Cup Series starts already this season in relief of an injured Erik Jones with a third on the way in a third 23XI Racing car at Nashville Superspeedway. His name has been tossed around a lot in the rumor mill as a candidate to earn a Cup ride in 2025 by way of a third charter, whether it’s through Legacy Motor Club or 23XI Racing. This makes sense, as Heim serves as the reserve driver and sim driver for both teams.

However, with the 2024 Truck Series season primarily dominated by Heim Time, that’s left other drivers doing just as well as Heim out of the spotlight. Much like last season, when Zane Smith, Carson Hocevar and Hailie Deegan all were promoted out of Truck Series competition, there are several more drivers other than Heim who could end up racing on Saturdays or Sundays next season.

But who?

Christian Eckes

Of all the drivers in the Truck Series field, this one feels like the most obvious. Christian Eckes has caught fire since he joined forces with McAnally-Hilgemann Racing in 2023. He has gone on to capture six of his seven career wins with the team, including two this season. As it stands, he’s the only driver who can hold a candle to Heim’s performance this year.

If you had made this statement a few years back, people would have looked at you like you were crazy. At one point, one may have been able to pronounce Eckes’ career dead after his release from Kyle Busch Motorsports after a three-year tenure (one full-time) that resulted in zero wins in 35 starts.

He was then picked up by ThorSport Racing part-time for 2021, earning his first career win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Then a winless 2022 resulted in Eckes jumping ship to MHR, who also was struggling in its Truck Series endeavors with Derek Kraus at the wheel.

Both parties have managed to make each other better, and it’s hard to ever count Eckes and MHR’s flagship No. 19 out of contention for a race win. Eckes had an unreal run in late 2023 that left him just short of a championship when a win at Bristol Motor Speedway slipped through his fingers. That momentum has…