Corey Heim captured the Fresh From Florida 250 victory at Daytona. (Photo: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
DAYTONA BEACH, FL. — It was only fitting that the 2025 NASCAR season kicked off in dramatic fashion. However, the drama unfolded after the checkered flag waved for Parker Kligerman ahead of Corey Heim at the stripe.
Kligerman crossed the finish line in first, but it was Heim, the second-place driver, who was ultimately credited with the race win.
About an hour after the conclusion of the Fresh From Florida 250, NASCAR determined that Kligerman, the original race winner, failed post-race inspection due to height discrepancies.
This disqualification erased the celebratory moments for the No. 75 Henderson Motorsports team, passing the victory to the Heim and the TRICON Garage No. 11 crew.
Friday night’s race began with ThorSport Racing teammates leading the field to the green flag in the front row. The opening laps were chaotic, with race leader Kaden Honeycutt spinning out from the top position and crashing hard into the Turn 4 inside wall.
Toni Breidinger also encountered trouble in the Stage 1. She spun out of Turn 4 but managed to save her truck from wrecking.
After minor contact to the left side of the No. 5, Breidinger continued racing. This set up a short, one-lap dash to end Stage 1.
Ben Rhodes and Johnny Sauter took command on the final lap, finishing first and second in the opening stage. Grant Enfinger, Chandler Smith, and Heim rounded out the top five.
The battle for Stage 2 opened with Daniel Hemric and Justin Haley fighting into Turn 2. Haley won that battle but quickly surrendered the lead to Kligerman.
Gio Ruggerio (No. 17) led a snarl of trucks, including Corey Heim, in Friday night’s Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona. (Photo: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
Stage 2 was cleaner than the opening stanza, but it was far from calm. With three-wide racing throughout the field, trucks wobbling through each turn, and several lead changes, the action kept NASCAR fans on the edge of their seats.
Like Stage 2, the ThorSport Racing brigade showed no signs of trouble. Instead of facing adversity, the team placed three trucks across the finish line ahead of the competition to end Stage 2. Front Row Motorsports teammates Smith and Layne Riggs appeared to be the toughest competition for ThorSport.
The final stage, lasting 55 laps, took up over half of the race. It began with a caution flag due to Tyler Ankrum’s engine troubles. His engine blew in Turn 3, collecting Dawson Sutton in the process.
Not long after, with less than 25 laps remaining, the largest wreck of the night occurred which involved a total of eight trucks. Rajah Caruth in the No. 71 sustained the most significant damage, taking a hard hit against the backstretch inside wall.
The remainder of the race ran cleanly until the final two turns, with the event concluding under a caution flag.
Parker Kligerman was a factor all race long in the Fresh From Florida 250 at Daytona as his team intends to appeal the disqualification. (Photo: Donald Jenney | The Podium Finish)
At the time the caution flag flew, Kligerman was leading. However, an hour later, his truck was disqualified, handing the win to Heim.
After failing post-race, Kligerman’s team, Henderson Motorsports, announced their intention to appeal the disqualification.
“We made a lot of leaps today as a team. This has been a type of racing that has been outside my comfort zone, so it was good to put some good stages together.” Heim said post-race.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series heads to Atlanta Motor Speedway next Saturday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m EST on FS1, MRN Radio and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
