By the numbers: Corey Heim vs. Christian Eckes

Throughout the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Corey Heim and Christian Eckes have separated themselves from the rest of the field. Combined, the duo have led 51% of laps (1,161 out of 2,281) and won 53% of races (eight of 15) so far this season.

With the regular season coming to a close Saturday at Richmond Raceway (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN Radio, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), NASCAR.com decided to dive into both driver's stats -- courtesy of Racing Insights -- and see how the two young stars stack up against each other before they battle for a championship in the postseason.  

2024 season wins:

Heim: Five (Circuit of The Americas, Kansas, North Wilkesboro, Gateway, Pocono)
Eckes: Three (Bristol, Martinsville, Nashville) 

Comment: The two drivers have asserted their dominance. Both have also swept one race this season (Eckes at Nashville, Heim at Pocono). Heim also has the most wins since the start of the 2023 season with eight, while Eckes is second with seven.

Runner-up finishes this year: 

Heim: Two (Daytona, Texas)
Eckes: Two (Gateway, Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park)

Comment: Tied at two apiece, it's safe to say both drivers prefer to finish first. 

Top-five finishes in 2024:

Heim: 10
Eckes: 9

Comment: Seven of Heim's top fives have been top-two finishes through 15 races. Only Mike Skinner in 1996 had more through that span.

Top-10 finishes in 2024:

Eckes: 14
Heim: 12

Comment: Eckes’ 14 top-10 finishes this season are tied for the third most ever through 15 races in a season. He is on a streak of 13 consecutive top 10s, the longest since Erik Jones in 2015.

Laps led through 15 regular season races:

Eckes: 698
Heim: 463

Comment: Both have led the most laps in all of their wins this season. Heim has led the most in six of the last eight races, while Eckes led the most in the other two. Additionally, Eckes is the only driver this year to lead a lap in every race so far. 

2024 stage wins: 

Eckes: 7
Heim: 6

Comment: As mentioned earlier, Eckes has found a way to lead laps in every contest this year. He has scored 36 more stage points than Heim (199 to 163).

Average starting position:

Eckes: 7.5
Heim: 10.7

Comment: It's been hard to beat the speed the No. 19 Chevrolet has shown as Eckes has claimed three poles and Heim has yet to land a pole this season. 

Avergae finishing position:

Eckes: 6.2
Heim: 7.7

Comment: Even though Heim has more wins and top fives, Eckes only has one finish outside the top 10 this year. Heim, meanwhile, possesses three finishes of the 17th or worse.

Playoff points totaled so far:

Heim: 31
Eckes: 22

Comment: Here's where those wins help Heim, though. Heim currently holds nine playoff point edge over the No. 19 driver, which is crucial if Eckes gets 15 bonus points for winning the Regular Season Championship. 

Final count: 

Based on the numbers so far, Eckes has the slight edge at 5-3-1 over Heim. 

Going into Richmond, Eckes' 50-point advantage in the standings may be enough to win him the Regular Season Championship. But Saturday's showdown will set the scene for a series title fight before the green flag drops for the Round of 10 at the "Milwaukee Mile" on Aug. 25.