Ty Majeski made the most of his opportunity at Phoenix Raceway on Friday night, capturing his first-ever NASCAR Truck Series Championship dominantly. After being the final driver to secure a spot in Championship 4, Majeski showed no signs of hesitation, leading 132 of the race’s 150 laps. He crossed the finish line more than four seconds ahead of his nearest competitor, Corey Heim, to clinch the victory and the title at the age of 30.
Majeski’s dream come true
“I can't believe it,” said an emotional Majeski after the race. “Just a huge thank you to Duke and Rhonda Thorson [ThorSport owners], Joe Shear Jr. – he’s one bad dude. This is so much fun racing with this group. So proud to have the opportunity to drive these great race trucks.”
Majeski reflected on his journey to the top, which included a humble start working in the ThorSport Racing shop as an engineer in 2021. At that time, he had only a handful of races under his belt. “Didn't know what it was gonna turn into and damn, now we're champions,” Majeski added.
A strong finish for Heim, but not enough
Despite a valiant effort, Corey Heim came up just short of the championship, finishing second, 3.9 seconds behind Majeski. Heim, who had a sensational comeback in the final stage, drove through the field after being penalized for a restart violation. Although Heim had the speed to challenge for the win, he could not catch Majeski, who was simply too fast all night.
“Really disappointed to come up short like that,” Heim said. “It’s hard to even be upset. I did almost everything right except for that restart violation. We were able to get our track position back pretty quick and make the most of it. Just had nothing for the 98 [Majeski] all day. He’s so fast, but I’m proud of myself for not driving through the fastest truck like I got drive-through last year by Hocevar.”
Heim, who finished the season with six wins, also announced that he would return to the Truck Series in 2025 for another shot at the title after resigning from TRICON Garage.
Championship 4 and other finishers
In the Championship 4, Christian Eckes finished third, while Grant Enfinger placed fifth. The highest-finishing driver outside of the Championship 4 was Nick Sanchez, who took fourth.
The top 10 finishers of the race included drivers such as Taylor Gray, Kaden Honeycutt, Connor Mosack, Ben Rhodes, and Layne Riggs.
Key moments and chaos in the final stage
The race saw its fair share of drama, particularly in the final stage, which began with 50 laps to go. Majeski was in control, with Heim as his nearest challenger. However, Heim’s restart violation, which occurred when he moved to cut the dogleg just before the start/finish line, handed him a penalty and knocked him down the order.
Chaos soon ensued in the middle of the pack. Connor Mosack was pushed out of the groove and hit the wall, triggering a multi-truck accident that involved Frankie Muniz, Tyler Ankrum, Stefan Parsons, Brett Moffitt, and William Sawalich. This led to a red flag for cleanup.
When the race resumed, Majeski continued to lead, but Heim was on a mission, working his way back through the field. Another caution reset the field, allowing drivers like Enfinger and Eckes, who had pitted for fresh tyres, to make up ground.
However, a restart near the front saw Layne Riggs spin his truck, though no further collisions occurred. Heim found himself in the second row on the restart, but despite being on Majeski’s bumper, he had no answer for the championship leader in the closing laps.
Looking ahead
With the victory, Ty Majeski cemented his place among NASCAR’s elite, proving that his perseverance and determination paid off in a spectacular way.
For Corey Heim, though the defeat stings, his strong performance throughout the season has positioned him as a serious contender for the 2025 title.
