Joe Gibbs Racing is exactly where a talent like Corey Heim should be headed, whether in the Xfinity or Cup Series. Beyond doubt, he’s Toyota’s brightest young star, the only driver to deliver the manufacturer a championship this season. And if there’s any team capable of elevating his career even higher, it’s JGR, given their pedigree and expertise.

Yet in a puzzling, and, to many fans, infuriating twist, the 23-year-old has been left without a full-time or even part-time seat in a JGR car, in either the Cup or Xfinity Series. The reason, insiders say, lies uncomfortably close to home: Ty Gibbs, the owner’s grandson. And as Heim’s breakout “Heim Time” 2025 campaign ends with a Truck Series title, frustration across NASCAR Nation is only growing louder.

Inside the Growing Fan Backlash Against JGR’s Decisions

More than 1500 laps led (1625), seven poles, 21 top 10s, 19 top fives, and 12 wins in the season, Heim wrapped up an incredible season at Phoenix Raceway that fans can truly accept in its entirety amidst the growing frustration against the playoff format.

The 23-year-old’s curb stomping performance came in full circle in the late restart of the race when he went seven wide on the inside, in a moment that will be talked about for years to come.

With that title-clinching performance, Heim shattered Greg Biffle’s record for the winningest season in Truck Series history. No track nor driver could stop him. The Marietta native led at least one lap in every single race, a first in Truck Series history and proof of pure dominance.

Yet, despite the career-defining dominant performance, Heim is left without a deserving seat at JGR. A recent social media post from Bob Pockrass lit the fuse as the veteran stated the obvious. “If JGR wanted Heim, they would have had him in the car this year. The ARCA battles between him and Ty apparently don’t make that a good fit.”

Soon, fans bombarded the post by expressing their angst with livid comments – “Still insane how JGR really go pass up on a talent like corey heim all because of something that happened in ARCA years ago. Like I said in my video talking about that…..its so petty.”

Some fans nailed the hammer straight on Ty Gibbs, noting, “Ty Gibbs will be the death of Joe Gibbs Racing.” A third user kept it going, bashing the No. 54 driver as the second-worst in the team’s history – “All to keep the 2nd worst driver in JGR history happy… aka Ty Gibbs.”
Meanwhile, others took things up a notch, speaking their minds, openly and unapologetically: “What makes it not a good fit is Ty Gibbs being a little b***h that’s never been put in his place.”
As many suggest, going Xfinity racing might not be his best choice; Cup is where he should be headed. But, going that way without the backing of JGR is almost certain suicide. 23XI Racing, embroiled in a legal dispute with NASCAR, faces a bleak future, and signing with Legacy Motor Club could be detrimental to its career, given the team’s lack of speed.

Yet, the topic of what’s limiting Heim further has always revolved around the young Gibbs, with many industry experts suggesting that the latter has been blackballing his ARCA rival ever since their 2021 ARCA rivalry.

A few fans also mentioned this stint, subtly poking a jab at Gibbs – “pass up a generational talent for a few bump and runs at the lowest national touring level four years ago, others, however, put Heim on a pedestal, hailing him as the superior driver to the No. 54 ace. – “crazy since Heim is 10x the driver Ty Gibbs is.”

For now, “Coach” and his crew seem content to let one of Toyota’s brightest stars sit in limbo, all because of a feud that should have long been left in the ARCA archives. However, as Heim’s stock continues to rise, JGR’s silence will only grow louder, and sooner or later, they’ll have to decide whether pride is truly worth losing a generational talent.