Layne Riggs addresses North Wilkesboro incident with Corey Heim

Layne Riggs has addressed the controversial last-lap incident with Corey Heim at North Wilkesboro Speedway that altered the outcome of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race. In a post-race interview shared by NASCAR on FOX via X, Riggs responded directly to accusations surrounding his aggressive late-race move, defending his actions and focusing on his priorities—himself and his team.

The incident occurred towards the end of Saturday's race at North Wilkesboro Speedway (May 17). Heim, who had led 162 of the 255 laps from pole, seemed on course for his fourth win of the season. A late caution bunched up the field and gave Layne Riggs a chance to challenge. Riggs lined up behind Heim in the overtime restart. When Heim drifted high in Turn 3, Riggs attempted a slide-job into Turn 1 at the white flag. The move wasn’t clean—Riggs wasn’t fully clear, and contact sent Heim spinning.

In the clip, Layne Riggs claimed that his move was not dirty but part of hard racing. He shared that in his opinion, Corey Heim had gotten loose and opened up the bottom line. Riggs took the opportunity, dove underneath Heim, and slid up in front of him without putting him in the wall. In his own words (via FOX on X):

“We were side by side in the frontstretch and I had a huge run, and I went bottom and you know I didn’t fence him, I slid him up the track and gave him one lane there.”

According to Riggs, he gave Heim a full lane. The outcome was unfortunate for both drivers, but Riggs stood by his decision, saying:

“I really only care about me and my team.”

The result of the whole fiasco was that Riggs' teammate Chandler Smith slipped by both and claimed the win. Riggs finished second, and Heim dropped to 17th.

---

Corey Heim reflects on Cup Series debut, eyes improvement with 23XI Racing

Corey Heim, who currently leads the Truck Series standings, also made an appearance in the NASCAR Cup Series just a week earlier at Kansas Speedway (May 11). Driving the No. 67 Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, Heim secured a solid 13th-place finish in his first Cup start of the season.

Speaking to Frontstretch after the race, Heim acknowledged the learning curve. He shared:

“I feel like if I had more experience, I’d be able to actually race inside the top 10 at some point.”

Heim described the day as long and challenging but valuable. He added:

“Stage one was certainly under my expectations. But stage two and three… I just wanted to keep climbing forward and not do anything crazy or stupid.”

With three wins, six top-five finishes, and no DNFs in the 2025 Truck Series so far, Corey Heim continues to show strong form. His consistency and speed have kept him at the top of the standings, with 450 points and 656 laps led across 10 races.