Corey Heim shows immense maturity at Charlotte, despite loss, disqualification

For a 21-year-old, Corey Heim is mature as they come, especially behind the wheel of a racecar.

The Marietta, Georgia, native didn't win Friday's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Charlotte — he finished last after being disqualified in post-race inspection — but the way he handled the race itself was a thing of beauty.

Heim qualified second on Friday, starting alongside his TRICON Garage teammate, Tanner Gray. It didn't take long for Heim to take the top spot, however, and he easily drove away from the field to win Stage 1.

Heim again grabbed the lead and drove off in Stage 2, but Gray did at least keep Heim's No. 11 Tundra in view. After winning Stage 2, Heim once more grabbed the lead on the ensuing restart, and with the best truck in the field at his disposal, he seemed primed to drive off into the North Carolina sunset.

However, it seemed that fate was getting a little bored of seeing the Truck Series championship favorite have his way with the field. After a caution on lap 81, Heim was relegated to the back of the pack when the field came down pit road, as a broken jack forced the fastest truck in town to sit and watch as its competitors roared by.

Stuck outside the top 20 with just 47 laps to go, it seemed that Heim's bid for victory was over. Heim apparently decided that it wasn't.

The No. 11 Truck weaved through traffic like it was on rails, seamlessly flowing in and out of traffic until Heim found himself inside the top five with 15 laps to go. With the gap to the race leader at just under three seconds, Heim finally had a chance to pounce.

However, a caution for Chase Purdy forced the field to play the pit strategy game. Heim's crew chief, longtime veteran Scott Zipadelli, opted to bring his driver in for four fresh tires. A slow stop caused by issues with the air gun forced Heim to restart 11th. The pit crew thought there was only one missing lug nut, but as it later turned out, there were three, resulting in the penalty that would ultimately disqualify Heim, wiping away all the points and stage wins he earned.

Obviously, neither Heim nor his team knew about their eventual disqualification, and with 11 laps to go, the final restart of the race turned out just like the previous one. Heim flew from 11th to second, and with five laps to go, he had race leader Nick Sanchez in his sights.

However, Sanchez himself raced like a grizzly veteran, holding off Heim for his second win of the season. A dejected Heim had a litany of reasons to be frustrated in his post-race interview, including a pit crew that had likely cost him the race win, but in quintessential Heim fashion, the young star was subdued and mature.

"Obviously, it was an eventful day for us," Heim said . "I feel like it got away from us on a few separate occasions. As soon as you're not in control of the race, you fall victim to the leader and the air. Nick did a great job blocking my air. I feel like we had the best truck by a longshot, it's just that when you're behind the leader, you can't do much."

While Heim may have taken some thinly veiled shots at the aero-dependency of NASCAR's Truck Series vehicles, his classy interview certainly proves that he's ready for the bright lights of racing in NASCAR, both on and off the race track.