Corey Heim
Corey Heim (Photo: Allison Farrand/ARCA Racing)

NOTEBOOK: Corey Heim determined to finish what he started at Kansas Speedway

Corey Heim still thinks about what could have been in the Dutch Boy 150 at Kansas Speedway earlier this year.

After leading 56 of the opening 57 laps, a dominant day for Heim abruptly ended after he and Drew Dollar came together while battling for the lead, forcing him to settle for his worst finish on the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season so far in 16th.

“Looking back on that race, we definitely had the car to beat,” Heim said. “We dominated the first portion, but something outside of our control took us out. The fact that we know we have a really good package that we’re taking to Kansas this weekend definitely gives me a lot of confidence. All we can do is go out and try to get the best run that we can.”

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Heim said that the Dutch Boy 150 was the first time he and Dollar had come together on track in four years of racing together. He considers the incident to be nothing more than a racing deal and is eager to get back to one of his favorite tracks in Kansas.

There are many aspects about Kansas that Heim believes suits his driving style, such as the track’s progressive banking and how drivers are constantly on the edge regardless if they are on the top or bottom groove.

Heim also has the benefit of running the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race the night before. Although he expects the Truck Series race to be vastly different from Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 150, Heim said that any time on track can only help him get more comfortable with the car prepared by Venturini Motorsports.

With Kansas being the place where Heim scored his first ARCA Menards Series victory in 2020, Heim wants nothing more than to visit the track’s Victory Lane again on Saturday evening but knows his car is going to be strong enough to get the job done.

“I’ve been so close so many times,” Heim said. “There are about three races that I feel like I should have won. It’s going to be important for me to roll off the truck on Saturday morning and show speed out of the gate, but I’m feeling confident that this Crescent Tools Camry is going to be pretty good.”

Heim’s quest for his second victory at Kansas Speedway will get going on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. CT. The race will be broadcasted live on MAVTV and streamed on FloRacing.

Nick Sanchez going for three in a row at Kansas

Fortunes have favored Nick Sanchez over the last two ARCA Menards Series events at Kansas.

Sanchez had to outduel Heim and Ty Gibbs on a green-white-checkered at Kansas in 2021 to bring home his first career ARCA Menards Series win. He added a second victory at the track to his resume in the Dutch Boy 150 after taking advantage of the crash between Heim and Dollar.

The Kansas win in May has been one of many highlights for Sanchez in 2022. His three victories on the year have enabled him to build a small but comfortable 10-point lead over Daniel Dye in the ARCA Menards Series standings with four races remaining.

With Sanchez on the cusp of a potential championship, he is eagerly looking forward to returning to Kansas this weekend, where he hopes to build on his advantage over Dye by scoring his third consecutive win at the track.

This time around, Sanchez wants to control his own destiny and be the dominant car through all 100 laps.

Rajah Caruth looks to finally break through for his first ARCA Menards Series victory at Kansas Speedway on Saturday night. (Amanda Rhoades/ARCA Racing)

Rajah Caruth returns to site of career-best finish

The most recent ARCA Menards Series race at Kansas yielded a 1-2 finish for Rev Racing, with Rajah Caruth placing second behind teammate Nick Sanchez.

While that race remains Caruth’s best in a solid rookie campaign, he came away from Kansas disappointed knowing that he had a car capable of winning but was ultimately unable to pass Sanchez for the lead.

The Dutch Boy 150 was one of six Top 5 finishes Caruth has tallied during the 2022 season. Despite showcasing consistency, Caurth’s hopes of becoming the first Cuban American to win an ARCA Menards Series title took a hit at the DuQuoin State Fairgrounds when overheating issues sidelined him after 17 laps.

Now facing a 28-point deficit to Sanchez, Caruth is only focused on scoring wins during the final four races on the schedule. With intermediates being a strength for Rev Racing this year, Caruth expects both him and Sanchez to be right in the mix for the win alongside drivers like Heim and Sammy Smith.

Caruth is confident that Rev Racing can extend their win streak to three victories on at Kansas, but hopes he is the one representing the organization in Victory Lane on Saturday evening.

Notes:

  • Scott Melton returns to Kansas after missing the Dutch Boy 150 in May due to injuries he sustained at Talladega Superspeedway. Will Kimmel drove Melton’s car in that event and brought home a solid sixth-place finish.
  • Cody Coughlin will make his second ARCA Menards Series start with his family-owned team in Saturday’s Kansas Lottery 150. In the organization’s first race at Michigan International Speedway, Coughlin kept his car out of trouble to secure a lead lap finish of eighth.
  • Four-time Mid-American Stock Car Series champion Ron Vandermeier Jr. is making his fifth start of the 2022 ARCA Menards Series season this weekend. One of Vandermeier’s two Top 10 finishes came in the Dutch Boy 150 earlier this year, which was an eighth place run.
  • Matt Wilson is back with the ARCA Menards Series driving for Eric Caudell. He originally entered for the Dutch Boy 150 in May but ended up withdrawing.