Corey Heim, who absolutely owned the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series with a mind-blowing 12 wins, including seven of the final nine races, is only rolling part-time in 2026, and that move has thrown the championship wide open. This year’s 25-race schedule, running from the Daytona opener all the way to the championship at Homestead-Miami in November, has been a wild ride, with new names stepping up big time and making every single weekend must-watch TV.
New Blood and Battle for the Crown
With Heim out of the full-time picture, this season has seen a ton of drivers clawing their way to the front. We saw Chandler Smith grab the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona and then later the Faith Fest 250 at North Wilkesboro. Kyle Busch snagged two wins himself, taking the Fr8 Racing 208 at EchoPark and the ECOSAVE 200 at Dover. Christopher Bell got in on the action at Bristol, winning the Tennessee Army National Guard 250. Carson Hocevar took home the SpeedyCash.com 250 at Texas, and Grant Enfinger conquered the LiUNA 150 at Lime Rock Park. But the real story developing has been the emergence of Layne Riggs and Kaden Honeycutt. Riggs has been an absolute beast, picking up wins at St. Petersburg, Charlotte, Nashville, Naval Base Coronado, Indianapolis, and New Hampshire during the regular season. Not to be outdone, Honeycutt secured victories at Watkins Glen and Richmond. These guys are hungry, and it shows.
The Playoff Push and Who’s Shining Now
Now, as we’re deep into October, the playoffs have been nothing short of insane, proving just how much of a free-for-all this season has become. Jake Garcia kicked off the playoff action by grabbing the UNOH 250 at Bristol in September. Then, Kaden Honeycutt, who had a strong regular season, came alive and snagged the Race to Stop Suicide 200 at Kansas and the Zero Carbon Bioethanol 150 at Phoenix. But seriously, has anyone been watching Layne Riggs? The dude is just on another level right now, winning the Ecosave 250 at Charlotte in the playoffs, adding to his already impressive haul of wins this year. With Heim gone, these younger drivers are seizing every opportunity, making for one of the most unpredictable championship hunts in recent memory.
Don’t Miss the Finale
You absolutely cannot miss the rest of this season’s action. All but two of the Craftsman Truck Series races are broadcast on FS1, with those other two hitting Fox. And if you’re like me and need to catch every single moment, you can live stream every race via fubo, which even offers a free trial for new subscribers. That means you can try it out and make sure you’re locked in for the final push. The next race, the Love’s RV Stop 225 at Talladega Superspeedway, goes down on October 23rd at 4 p.m. ET on FS1. After the wild playoff wins we’ve seen from Jake Garcia, Kaden Honeycutt, and especially Layne Riggs, this championship is genuinely up for grabs. You know I’ll be glued to my screen to see who can keep this momentum rolling into the ultimate showdown at Homestead-Miami!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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