DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — What appeared to be a triumphant moment for Parker Kligerman at Daytona International Speedway quickly turned into disappointment as NASCAR disqualified his No. 75 Chevrolet after post-race inspection, handing the victory to Corey Heim in the season-opening Fresh from Florida 250.
The dramatic turn of events came after Heim initially crossed the finish line in second place behind Kligerman. A late-race wreck in Turn 4 forced the race to conclude under caution, with Kligerman maintaining his lead. However, in post-race inspection, officials determined that Kligerman’s truck had failed ride height requirements, leading to his disqualification and a reshuffling of the final results.
“Nothing short of crazy there the last 20 laps,” Heim said after officially being named the winner. “Honestly, pretty impressed with everyone that we kept it straight for as long as we did. They piled it up a little bit on the last lap. Compared to last year, it was such a big upgrade as far as the quality of racing.”
The victory marked Heim’s first at Daytona and the 12th of his NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series career. While he was grateful for the win, he acknowledged Kligerman’s misfortune.
“Well, it’s my first time having this kind of scenario happening either way, so certainly glad to be on the right side of it,” Heim said. “It sucks for Parker and those guys. It seemed like they put themselves in a position at the right time to win the race, but obviously, there is another level to it after the race. Grateful to be in the spot to take advantage of that.”
Strong Debut for Ruggiero, Majeski Opens Title Defense in Third
The disqualification moved Giovanni Ruggiero, a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender, into second place in his Truck Series debut. The young driver, who led 11 laps, was eager to take in all the lessons from his first superspeedway event.
“This is my first time on a superspeedway in anything, so it was a lot of stuff for me to take in tonight,” Ruggiero said. “Drafting in the pack, side-drafting, and leading the pack as well, so I definitely learned a lot for Atlanta.”
Defending series champion Ty Majeski secured a third-place finish, setting a solid tone for his title defense.
“We made a lot of leaps today as a team,” Majeski said. “This has been a type of racing that has been outside of my comfort zone, so it was good to put some good stages together. We went from the back to the front multiple times, something that we’ve not been able to do in the past. It’s a good way to start defending the championship and a good start to our 2025 season.”
Race Recap: Crashes and Strategy Shape Daytona Opener
Grant Enfinger, who suffered damage to the rear of his Chevrolet and overcame a pit road speeding penalty, managed to finish fourth. Justin Haley rounded out the top five, while Chandler Smith, who led a race-high 38 laps, slipped to sixth in the final laps.
Pole sitter Ben Rhodes, who led 22 laps, was caught in a Lap 83 crash that caused the seventh caution and dropped him to 20th place at the finish.
Hollywood-turned-race-car driver Frankie Muniz captured attention with a career-best 10th-place finish in just his fifth Truck Series start.
“It was intense,” Muniz said about the chaotic final laps. “When I caught them (the lead pack in the draft), you saw everyone moving around, but I was still half throttle. I went to the top; I was trying to push the top, but then I went to the middle, and then the bottom had a run so I went there.
“And thankfully I did, because it helped us get through (the last-lap wreck). The thing about Daytona, I’m not calling it luck, but you don’t know what the right move is. I’m just so happy, especially after the year we had last year, when it felt like getting punched in the gut. I feel really good. I am just so ready for next week.”
Final Results and Notable Performances
Behind Smith, Daniel Hemric finished seventh, followed by Jason White in eighth, William Sawalich in ninth, and Muniz in 10th.
NASCAR Cup Series regular Michael McDowell returned to Truck Series competition for the first time since 2009 but finished 26th.
Race Summary and Statistics
- Average Speed of Race Winner: 116.174 mph
- Time of Race: 2 Hours, 9 Minutes, 7 Seconds
- Margin of Victory: Under Caution
- Caution Flags: 8 for 33 laps
- Lead Changes: 30 among 12 drivers
Ben Rhodes, Chandler Smith, and Giovanni Ruggiero were among the most dominant drivers, leading for significant portions of the race.
The NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series now shifts its focus to Atlanta Motor Speedway, where drivers will face a different challenge on the intermediate track. With Heim securing an early-season win and rookies like Ruggiero making a strong first impression, the 2025 Truck Series season is shaping up to be highly competitive.
