CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 23: Corey Heim poses for a photo during NASCAR Production Days at Charlotte Convention Center on January 23, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Corey Heim wasn’t entered in the Cup race Sunday at Iowa Speedway. That should have been some small comfort for the rest of the field.
Normally, a young driver racing part time at NASCAR’s highest level isn’t much of a threat to the rest of the field beyond maybe getting in the way. They’re there to gain experience, show small improvements each week and get their feet wet.
Heim, though, is not your standard young part-time driver. The only thing he’s gotten in the way of is allowing other people to win.
The Georgia native has jumped into the deep end of the NASCAR pool. He’s made just 15 Cup Series starts and somehow turned those limited opportunities into maximum impact, winning twice.
And these weren’t fuel-mileage flukes or rain-shortened surprises. Heim won on NASCAR’s newest stage at Naval Base Coronado, then backed it up by capturing one of stock car racing’s most prestigious prizes, the Brickyard 400.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 21: Corey Heim, driver of the #67 Mobil 1/O’Reilly Auto Parts Toyota, poses for a photo on the deck of the The USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Anduril 250 at Naval Base Coronado on June 21, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Those weren’t statement victories. They were investment-grade proof that 23XI Racing‘s decision to put Heim in a full-time Cup ride beginning in 2027 wasn’t based on potential. It was based on performance.
Winning in NASCAR isn’t something alien to Heim. He is, after all, the defending Truck Series champion, having racked up an impressive 12 wins last season. But the Cup wins coming so early in his career are no doubt a huge confidence boost. It has also created a great deal of buzz.
That hype though isn’t something Heim buys into. While everyone else is looking at the plan for 2027, Heim is still focused solely on the here and now, the next restart, the next checkered flag. He’s still concerned with proving what he is.
“People forget about that kind of stuff,” he said. “So for me, it’s just…cool to see it. And of course, it gives me a little bit of confidence, but I feel like the moment I start preparing for the next race, all that confidence kind of goes away and it’s time to go and prove it again.”
The Business Of Winning
Of course, winning at NASCAR’s highest level carries rewards beyond trophies; it grabs the attention of sponsors who hold the checkbooks.
“The Cup win definitely rose some different opportunities for myself to partner with some different people,” Heim said. “And we’re kind of in the process of doing that right now. So that’s been really cool to see just how far along a Cup win goes.”
But the funny thing about Heim in this: The business opportunities are beginning to arrive, but he doesn’t sound particularly interested in cashing the check just yet. He’s still thinking like a racer, knowing that the confidence that comes with a race win is sort of fleeting.
“I feel like it’s cool to see people talking about it and projecting, you know, that kind of thing,” he said. “But at the same time when you line them all up again for the next race, you got to go out and prove it again…people forget about that kind of stuff.
One big difference he’s noticed being at the Cup level isn’t the horsepower, it’s the camaraderie among teammates. Earlier in his career, while still climbing NASCAR’s ladder, the competition didn’t end after a race, it continued among teammates as everyone else was competing for the same thing: the next job. At 23XI Racing, however, the vibe is very different.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JULY 26: A detail view of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway 400 ring worn by Corey Heim, driver of the #67 Field & Stream Toyota, at the yard of bricks after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on July 26, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
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“Everyone’s kind of already made it and there’s no competition to prove that you’re the best guy for the job,” he said. “We’re already at the top level.”
The opportunity isn’t about being given a Cup car. It’s all about getting access to a group of drivers who have already figured out how to get there and an organization with plenty of resources to help everyone perform at their highest level. Personalized workouts, state-of-the-art simulators and a wealth of experience all under one roof.
“I remember the last five years of my career, I just feel like I’ve been all over the place every day,” Heim said. “But just the structure and development and race preparation that they have here at 23XI is, in my opinion, pretty unmatched. And I’m definitely glad to be a part of it.”
His Coronado win in June established that Heim could win at the Cup level. The Brickyard showed he could win a Crown Jewel.
“It’s one that you dream of since you were a kid,” he says. “And I think the post-race stuff was just really fun, obviously being able to kiss the bricks and be there with my girlfriend and my team and everybody. So that was a very special moment, probably my favorite win of my career so far.”
When The Racer Becomes The Fan
That girlfriend is one person who has given Heim a perspective on racing that no teammate, crew chief or team owner could provide: fellow racer Taylor Reimer.
Reimer races in the ARCA Menards series. Most drivers go home to someone who has to ask how the race went. Heim can go home to someone who already knows. It changes the post-race conversations.
“She understands most of what’s going on and is able to kind of process what she sees definitely helps me have to not like explain it like I do, to the media after every race, “ he says. “So it’s definitely nice to not have to answer the same questions again when I get home.
“And of course, she gets it too, you know, when I have a bad day, you know, a lot of friends don’t really understand, you know, what that means to me and the significance of it, but she understands it because she’s been there and she’s done that. “
Having a partner who is also a racer allows Heim to experience something most drivers never get: watching from the pits while someone they care about is racing.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – NOVEMBER 04: 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, Corey Heim and Taylor Reimer pose for photos on the red carpet during the 2025 NASCAR Awards Show at JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa on November 04, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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“I’ve never had an emotional connection to anyone on the racetrack until her,” Heim says. “I didn’t realize what that feeling’s like.”
It’s akin to a parent watching their kid race, the nervousness and stress it brings. It was something Heim said he could never really understand or relate to, until Taylor came along.
“Honestly, watching Taylor was like the first experience I’ve had with that,” he said. “And I kind of get it. You know, it’s not like you’re afraid of them getting hurt or anything. Of course, it’s in the back of your mind, like you don’t want them to wreck and get hurt. But it’s mostly just like, you know, how much it means to them and the pressure that is put on them in that very moment. And you can almost feel that stress that they’re being put under. So that’s kind of the feeling that I get and something I’ve never experienced before. And it’s definitely a different feeling for sure.”
Corey Heim’s next race will be at Daytona at the end of August. While the rest of NASCAR is already wondering how good Corey Heim can become, Heim is still trying to prove he can win the next race and preparing for 2027, when he will no longer be a part-time driver but a threat to the entire field every week.
“I’m kind of focused forward on my first full-time year next year,” he says. “I got a big year ahead of me. I want to make the playoffs next year and, of course, win races again. So, I’m more concerned about that right now than just the negotiating power.”
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