Corey Heim celebrates in victory lane after winning Friday’s ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen International. Photo: Toyota Racing/Twitter
Corey Heim’s worst run of the 2021 ARCA Menards Series season thus far came in June, when he finished seventh at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course the last time the series competed on a road course.
The Marietta, Georgia racer made up for that result Saturday evening at Watkins Glen International. Heim, the driver of the No. 20 Craftsman Toyota, all but coasted to victory in the Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen, the series’ second and final road course race of the season.
It marked Heim’s, fifth ARCA Menards Series win of the year and sixth overall dating back to last season. It also closed the gap to points leader Ty Gibbs in the championship standings. Just two points separate the series’ top title contenders after 13 races.
“Everything we possibly could bring to the race track, we brought today,” said Heim, who led the final 18 of 41 laps on the 2.45-mile road course. “This Venturini Motorsports team has battled back from a lot this year. I’m really proud of them; this Craftsman Camry was rolling really good today.”
The entire complexion of Friday night’s race at Watkins Glen changed at the end of lap 23. Chase Briscoe, who had taken the lead from Gibbs eight laps prior with what appeared to be the dominant car, was forced to pit with a suspension issue.
At the same time, Heim was catching and passing Gibbs for position. Because of Briscoe’s issue, what would have been a move for second became a pass for the lead when Heim got the best of Gibbs going into the bus stop at Watkins Glen.
“He’s just another car on the race track, and I was trying to get the lead,” Heim said. “Race him hard. Race him clean. And he did, too.”
Added Gibbs, who struggled with a left rear issue Friday: “My guys worked on it, and we tried to fix it, but that’s still not the reason we got beat. We still got beat by (Heim). Congratulations to the 20 group.
“We just kind of missed it today, and we’ll keep hammering down.”
Briscoe, the 2016 ARCA Menards Series champion who was competing on the platform for the first time since his title run, eventually had to park his car with the suspension issue. He finished 23rd after leading nine laps.
Winston, Georgia’s Austin Hill finished second after passing Gibbs in the closing laps. Hill would go on to win the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Watkins Glen on Saturday.
Gibbs finished third after leading 14 laps. Carson Hocevar and Atlanta, Georgia’s Brandon Jones finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Riley Herbst, Taylor Gray, Nick Sanchez, Austin Wayne Self and Jack Wood rounded out the top 10.
Friday evening’s race represented Round 7 of the 2021 Sioux Chief Showdown, a 10-race series within the series designed to bring together the best of the ARCA Menards Series, the ARCA Menards Series East and the ARCA Menards Series West.
Heim, with his win, shrunk Gibbs’ lead in that series, too, to eight points.
Friday’s Clean Harbors 100 at The Glen was almost completely clean, with one caution breaking up what otherwise was a green race. The yellow flag was displayed after Dale Quarterley spun into the wall after contact with Drew Dollar on lap 17.
After a weekend off, the ARCA Menards Series will return to action Friday, August 20 with the Henry Ford Health System 200 at Michigan International Speedway.
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Watkins Glen International – Watkins Glen, NY
Clean Harbors 100 at the Glen – August 6, 2021
1. Corey Heim
2. Austin Hill
3. Ty Gibbs
4. Carson Hocevar
5. Brandon Jones
6. Riley Herbst
7. Taylor Gray
8. Nick Sanchez
9. Austin Wayne Self
10. Jack Wood
11. Thad Moffitt
12. Kyle Sieg
13. Kris Wright
14. Sam Mayer
15. Drew Dollar
16. Andy Jankowiak
17. Tim Richmond
18. Ed Pompa
19. Arnout Kok
20. Chris Werth
21. Russ Lane
22. Tyler Ankrum
23. Chase Briscoe
24. Brad Perez
25. Dale Quarterley
26. Tony Cosentino
27. D.L. Wilson
28. Brad Smith
29. Ed Bull
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